I’m excited to partner with Reynolds Wrap® to share this sheet pan vegetable chow mein recipe with you.
Introducing a super easy sheet pan chow mein recipe that features beautifully charred noodles loaded with colorful vegetables. It takes no time to put together, requires very little active cooking time and the clean-up is a breeze! {Vegetarian}
In the past I’ve shared many traditional fried noodle recipes such as vegetable lo mein, vegetarian chow mein, and soy sauce pan fried noodles. Lately, I have been inspired by the sheet pan noodle recipe from Hetty McKinnon’s latest cookbook To Asia, With Love. I tried out the method at home and was very impressed with the result, so today I can’t wait to share this method with you.
Why sheet pan chow mein
There are a few benefits to making noodles using a sheet pan:
- You can create a big batch of noodles that’s loaded with vegetables. With a large skillet, you would need to cook the ingredients separately without making the pan temperature drop too much. With the sheet pan method, you can load vegetables onto the noodles.
- You need very little active cooking time, so you can work on different dishes while the noodles are roasting.
- Cleanup is a breeze. I used Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil to line the sheet pan, which helps the starchy noodles lift right off with no mess.
- The result is amazing with less oil. Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick is made with a non-stick coating on one side (the dull side), so there’s no need to add cooking spray or oil. All I did was coat the ingredients with a thin layer of peanut oil (for flavor and cook time), which is way less than what you would have to use in a regular stir fry. The noodles are beautifully charred with the vegetables roasted to perfection.
How to make sheet pan chow mein
Making sheet pan chow mein couldn’t be easier. The key is to use a slightly high oven temperature. Not only do the ingredients roast faster this way, but the noodles will also come out nice and crispy.
All you need to do to prep is briefly cook the noodles and cut the vegetables. Then to cook and assemble:
- Roast the tougher vegetables – mushrooms, carrot and broccolini.
- Add the noodles and the more tender vegetables to the sheet pan – asparagus, peas, bell peppers, and green onions – and keep roasting.
- Toss everything with the sauce and roast until the sauce is absorbed.
That’s it!
TIP:
When you combine the noodles with the tender vegetables, try to expose as much of the noodles as possible and cover up some of the vegetables. So the noodles will brown nicely, and the vegetables will be slightly steamed until tender yet crisp.
Make sure to use Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil to line up your sheet pan, and remember to keep the dull side up, which is the non-stick side. I really like to use their product for this sheet pan chow mein because it crisps up the noodles quite well. The starchy noodles and sticky brown sauce won’t stick to the foil, making serving and cleanup a breeze.
How to select your own vegetables
In this recipe, I used a number of spring vegetables because they’re in season, look the best, and are great for roasting.
There are many other vegetable options as well. For example, use broccoli to replace broccolini. Use spicy peppers to replace the bell pepper. Use green beans to replace the green peas or the asparagus (if using fresh green beans, add them during the first roasting with the mushrooms etc. If using frozen, thaw and drain before adding). And you can use other types of mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms or Maitake to replace the white mushrooms.
You can also use some greens such as chard or bok choy. In this case, make sure you cover the green leafy part with the noodles so the greens stay green without turning brown.
How to serve sheet pan chow mein
This sheet pan chow mein is bursting with flavor and has a delightful texture, making it a filling main dish. However, I also like to serve it on the side when I cook a full Chinese dinner. The best thing about the sheet pan chow mein is, you can cook your main dish while the noodles are roasting, so everything will come out together.
No matter how you decide to serve the sheet pan chow mein, it will add many beautiful colors to your table. Not to mention, your meal will be delicious, balanced, and nutritious.
Delicious mains to serve with
- Beef and Chinese Broccoli (芥蓝牛肉)
- Sesame Beef
- Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Chinese Curry Chicken
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Sheet Pan Vegetable Chow Mein
Ingredients
- Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil
- 8 oz (225 g) fresh Hong Kong pan fry noodles (or 6 oz / 170 g dried egg noodles)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce (or regular oyster sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (Optional) (Footnote 1)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
Roasting
- 1/2 lb white mushrooms , halved
- 3 carrots , peeled and sliced
- 1 small batch (6 oz / 170 g) broccolini , cut to bite size pieces
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 small batch (8 oz / 225 g) asparagus , tough ends removed
- 1/2 cup green peas , thawed if using frozen
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced
- 4 green onions , cut to 2” (5 cm) pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Foil.
Prepare the noodles
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to instructions until al dente. I found it’s best to reduce cooking time by 1 minute. If using Hong Kong pan fried noodles, you only need to briefly boil the noodles, 30 seconds or so. Once done, drain the noodles. Rinse with cold tap water a few times to stop cooking. Drain very well by tossing the noodles with your hands. Then set aside.
Sauce
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
Roasting
- Add the mushroom, carrots and broccoli into a big bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Toss to coat well and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Roast for 6 minutes until the vegetables just start to soften.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and move the vegetables to one side. Add the noodles into the big bowl you used earlier and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss to coat well and transfer to the sheet pan. Add the asparagus, green peas, bell pepper and green onions. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss to coat. Roast for 6 minutes or so, until the noodles just begin to turn golden.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Drizzle the sauce over the noodles and toss everything together. Roast for another 6 minutes, until the vegetables have turned soft but are still crisp, and the noodles have lightly browned. Serve hot as a main or side dish.
Notes
- Dark soy sauce adds a beautiful dark brown color to the dish with a light caramel color. You can skip it if you do not have it.
Do you have any instructions for making this dish with meat? I have steak I would like to add to this recipe. Would I stir fry it and then add it to the noodles at the very end or is it possible to cook it in the oven along with the noodles and veggies?
I wouldn’t cook the meat in the oven just because it won’t be seared properly. Plus, I used so much vegetables in this recipe that the sheet pan is quite filled.
I recommend either stir fry the meat on the stove properly and toss them at the end (you should marinate the meat with some Shaoxing wine, salt / soy sauce, and cornstarch). Or, you can grilled a small steak and cut it up, then toss in the noodles at the end. For example, use the easy method from this recipe to make the steak: https://omnivorescookbook.com/yaka-mein/ It will be quite flavorful and will go well with the noodles even you just top the steak on the top.