Chicken Chop Suey ~ Pressure Cooker or Stovetop Recipe

You may call this dish chicken chow mein or chicken stir fry; whatever you call it, it's delicious! Chicken Chop Suey is a quick meal that your family will love!

I created this recipe from memories of what my Mom used to make and she always called it chicken chow mein. Up until a few weeks ago, I had no clue that this isn't chicken chow mein, it's chicken chop suey!

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It had been so long since I had my Mom's chicken "chow mein", I decided to order it at a local Chinese restaurant. When the server took my order she said, "This chow mein is served over rice and doesn't have noodles in it."

Apparently, different Chinese restaurants in the US serve what is really considered chop suey and call it chow mein. Thankfully, it was exactly what I remembered from my childhood, turns out Mom was making chop suey all these years and didn't know it!

I have yet to have chow mein, but I'm sure I will!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Velveting Mean?

You know how the meat in Chinese and other Asian dishes is really soft and tender? That's because it is velveted before cooking.

There are several ways to velvet meat. Sometimes it is done with egg whites, corn starch, and wine. It can also be done by adding baking soda like I do in this recipe.

The process keeps the chicken or beef tender during the cooking process and it really works!

It is important when using baking soda that you don't add more than the recipe calls for AND you don't marinate it too long. 30-60 minutes tops!

I found that out the hard way and my first attempt was a complete disaster because I left the chicken in the baking soda for hours and even after rinsing it well, it was so salty and had a bitter taste.

I also tried to sous vide shrimp one time and used baking soda, but I guess I didn't read the part about rinsing it first. It was inedible!

So, make sure not to marinate too long and rinse that baking soda off. You also want to pat the meat dry before cooking.

How to make Chicken Chop Suey on the Stove

The only changes I would suggest if you want to make this recipe in a Wok or large frying pan is to add the chicken right after sautéing the ginger and garlic.

Then I would add the cabbage, in stages, until it has reduced enough to make room for the veggies.

Once the veggies are done to your liking, add the sauce ingredients, including the cornstarch slurry and cook over high heat until the sauce begins to boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve & Enjoy!

How to Make Chicken Chop Suey in the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot

This is my prefered way simply because of the deep pot and all the veggies fit at once. You do give up some browning, but the trade off is worth it to me.

The first step with most recipes is to prep everything ahead of time. I find it even more important to prep when making stir fry because once things get going, they go fast and being ready is key.

Velvet the Chicken

The chicken needs to sit in the baking soda for 30 minutes, so doing this first will be perfect timing.

I used chicken breast in this recipe, but you can use boneless-skinless chicken thighs. You can even use leftover cooked chicken, but if the chicken is already cooked, skip the velveting and simply add the cooked chicken after cooking the vegetables.

You want to thinly slice the chicken into strips. I do this by slicing diagonal across the chicken breast. It is easier if you cut the breast in half, especially if it is a large one.

Here is a video that shows me slicing the chicken.

Freezing the chicken breast for about an hour before slicing also helps. Be sure to freeze it on parchment or you won't be able to get it off the plate easily.

Cutting up the Vegetables and finishing the prep

When it comes to a stir fry, you can use any vegetables you have on hand, so simply use this as a base and throw in broccoli or snow peas as desired.

If using broccoli, I would make sure to remove all of it when you remove half of the other veggies because it will get too soft if pressure cooked. Same with snow or snap peas. An easy way to do this would be to cook them first for about 5 minutes or so and then remove from the pot and continue on with the recipe.

Ginger & Garlic

I use 2" of fresh ginger in this recipe. You can omit it or add in about ½ teaspoon of dried ginger if you like. I happen to love the flavor it gives the dish and although some people would prefer to remove it before serving, I actually found it quite pleasant to leave in. It added a nice flavor and crunch.

The easiest way to peel ginger is with a spoon. Simply take the rounded end of the spoon and scrape away the peel. The spoon will also take off any of the protrusions from the ginger root.

Once peeled, slice thin.

Remove the paper from the garlic cloves and slice thin.

Vegetables

You want to have large chunks of cabbage and onions and thick slices of the celery and carrots so they do not get too soft during the cooking time.

For the onion, I cut the onion in half and cut off each end. Then cut into large chunks.

I use 5 stalks of celery and include the leafy green part, but that is optional, of course. I slice the celery on the diagonal in thick cuts about ½-¾" thick.

I use between 2-3 carrots depending on their size and make diagonal cuts about ½-¾" thick. I always peel my carrots, but that is a personal preference.

Cut the end off of the napa cabbage and depending on the size, you will use ¼-½ head of cabbage. Of course, you can use as little or as much as like.

If using more cabbage, you will want to cook it in stages because the pot only holds about 8-10 cups of cut up cabbage.

I then make large cuts through the cabbage keeping the pieces quite large, about 3" or so. I do use the white stalk as well and find it really gives a nice texture to the chop suey.

The Remaining Prep Work

Drain the water chestnuts and the canned bean sprouts if using. If you are lucky enough to find fresh bean sprouts, I would definitely use them instead. You will need about 2-3 cups and you would add them at the same time the recipe calls for adding the canned beans sprouts.

Place the drained water chestnuts and bean sprouts in a bowl until you are ready to add them.

Rinse the rice really well under cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice into a (affiliate link)6" Fat Daddio Pan or equivalent. Keep in mind that pan materials do affect cooking time, so if you are using a dark pan or a thinner pan, you might want to reduce your natural release time by 1-2 minutes.

Leave the rice in the pan with adding the water until you are ready to pressure cook.

Let's Get Cooking!

Turn the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot on high sear sauté and add in the 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn.

Once the garlic and ginger has become fragrant and started to brown, add in the carrots, celery, and onion and toss around in the pot.

Next add in the cabbage and continue to sauté on high, stirring occassionally, until the volume in the pot has reduced by half.

Remove half of the vegetables from the pot and place them in a bowl. This is to preserve the crisp texture of the vegetables. If you prefer very soft vegetables, leave them all in and continue on with the recipe.

Sauté the Chicken

The chicken should be done marinating by now and it's time to sauté it. First, make sure to rinse the chicken really well under cold running water to remove any excess baking soda. If you don't, your dish will be very salty and a little bitter.

After rinsing, pat the chicken dry a bit with paper towels. Keep the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot on high sear/sauté and add in the chicken. Make sure to use tongs to toss the chicken around and make sure strips are not stuck together.

The chicken doesn't have to cook very long; maybe 2 minutes -- it will finish cooking during pressure cooking.

Making the Sauce

Add the Mirin wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce to the inner pot and stir to combine with the vegetables and chicken.

Both Mirin and oyster sauce is easily found in local grocery stores. I found both at Walmart. Now, the Mirin I found is simply a cooking seasoning and it won't have the same flavor as a wine with more alcohol, but it did the trick.

You can purchase both the (affiliate link)Mirin and the (affiliate link)oyster sauce on Amazon if you are in a pinch and can't find it. I do think it's a little more expensive on Amazon, though.

You can also use a dry sherry and although I have not seen this used as a substitute when I Googled it. I tasted the Miran cooking seasoning that I bought and it tasted similar to a sweet port wine to me.

If you wanted to add a little spicy to your chicken chop suey, add in some dried chili peppers or some chili garlic sauce.

Reserve the chicken stock and the cornstarch for after the PC time.

Pressure Cooking

Place the rack in the high position in the Ninja Foodi. If you are using your Instant Pot, try using the trivet. If you have the IPDC, I really recommend getting the reversible rack that comes with the Ninja Foodi. It's is wonderful for layering foods.

Add 1 cup of water to the rice and place on top of the rack, uncovered.

Put the pressure lid on and set the pressure for high and the time for ZERO minutes. Everything will cook in the time it takes to come to pressure and during the natural release.

You do not need any additional liquid, the cabbage releases enough to bring the pot under pressure.

After the pressure is built, the natural release will begin immediately. Let the timer count up for 10 minutes and release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and remove the pan with the rice.

I like to fluff my rice with a fork, and then cover with a (affiliate link)silicone lid until ready to serve.

Once the rack has been removed, add the partially cooked vegetables, the water chestnuts, and the bean sprouts into the pot.

Turn the sear/sauté on high and stir the ingredients. Mix the cornstarch with the chicken stock and stir until there aren't any lumps of cornstarch.

Pour into the pot and bring to a boil which will thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat to low until you are ready to serve. If not serving right away, turn on the keep warm function.

Serve & Enjoy!