Make this easy chicken chow mein recipe at home

This is not the beloved chicken chow mein of our childhoods — it is a new, improved, and even better version. (It happens to be healthier, too.) I’ve updated this longtime favorite Chinese-American dish to keep all the features of the original dish that we loved — the delicious noodles that soak up the sauce, bite-size strips of tender juicy chicken, and crunchy vegetables. But I’ve added even more veggies and pumped up the flavor with pan-Asian ingredients like Sriracha and lime.

You’ll probably spend more time taking the ingredients out of the fridge and pantry then you will spend actually cooking, Despite the long ingredient list, the recipe is fast and simple to make. The only prep is slicing a red bell pepper and scallions, mincing garlic and ginger, and cutting up the chicken. (You can avoid that by using chicken tenders.) Buy pre-shredded carrots and cabbage.

Be sure to cook the noodles first, as that takes longer than the rest of the meal.

Chicken Chow Mein

8 ounces spaghetti

1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut across into 1/4-inch wide strips, or chicken tenders

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

4 ounces snow peas

3 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Combine the broth, hoisin sauce, sugar, sriracha, lime juice and cornstarch in a bowl.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; add it to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet; add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the bell pepper, carrots, cabbage and snow peas; cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth mixture; bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 minute. Add the noodles and cook, tossing, until coated with sauce and heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions.

Makes 4 servings