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Calories · Chinese

Calories in chicken chow mein

A typical restaurant serving of chicken chow mein (one takeaway portion, about 350 g) is about 510 calories, usually 380–750.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called chow mein, fried noodles with chicken.

~510
Chicken chow mein

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein30 g
  • Carbs44 g
  • Fat25 g

One serving

Serving
one takeaway portion
Weight
~350 g
Per 100 g
~147

The dish

About chicken chow mein

Takeaway chow mein is egg noodles stir-fried with chicken, bean sprouts and vegetables in soy and oil. UK takeaway samples put a 350 g box near 500; extra oil or a bigger portion pushes it further.

What moves the number

Why one plate is 380 and another 750

  • Egg noodles fried in oil
  • Noodle-to-vegetable ratio
  • Takeaway portion sizes vary a lot

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Ask for extra vegetables
  • Share it as a side rather than a main
  • Pick a soup noodle instead of fried noodles

Side by side

Next to other Chinese dishes

Chinese · typical restaurant servingAll about Chinese food →

  • Siomai (siu mai)~160four pieces, one steamer basket · usually 120–260
  • Wonton soup~170one bowl with broth and a few wontons · usually 120–380
  • Steamed dumplings~230eight steamed pork dumplings, dipping sauce not included · usually 180–400
  • Fried spring rolls~290two takeaway meat spring rolls, dipping sauce not included · usually 140–450
  • Beef and broccoli~320one plate portion, rice not included · usually 250–600
  • Xiao long bao~360one basket of 6 pork soup dumplings · usually 270–480
  • Kung pao chicken~390one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included · usually 290–780
  • Mapo tofu~420one restaurant plate, rice not included · usually 300–550
  • Chicken chow mein~510one takeaway portion · usually 380–750
  • Orange chicken~520one entrée portion, rice not included · usually 380–850
  • Sweet and sour pork~520one main portion, rice not included · usually 400–800
  • Peking duck~570a share of roast duck with six pancakes, sauce, cucumber and spring onion · usually 420–800

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. UK CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods) — Chow mein, chicken, takeaway, code 19-321
  2. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS) — Chicken or turkey chow mein or chop suey with noodles, FDC 2706687

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in chicken chow mein?

A typical restaurant serving of chicken chow mein (one takeaway portion, about 350 g) is about 510 calories, usually 380–750. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

Is chow mein higher than fried rice?

Usually lower: a 350 g takeaway box is about 510, against about 830 for a plate of Yangzhou fried rice.

What makes chow mein higher?

The egg noodles are fried in oil, so more oil or a bigger box pushes it further; more vegetables bring it down.

What changes the calories in chicken chow mein?

Egg noodles fried in oil. Noodle-to-vegetable ratio.

How can I order chicken chow mein lighter?

Ask for extra vegetables. Share it as a side rather than a main.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.