Indonesian & Malaysian

Serving

Indonesian & Malaysian Kid-friendly Quick & easy

Mee Goreng

Name: Mee Goreng
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian & Malaysian
Ingredients: 300g fresh yellow noodles; 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 cup bok choy (chopped); 100g sliced chicken breast; 2 eggs

Wok-tossed yellow noodles in a bold, spiced tomato-and-chili sauce with egg, tofu, and tender shrimp — street food at its most satisfying.

20 minutes

Serves 3

Main

9 min prep

15 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Soy Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Blanch the yellow noodles briefly in boiling water to loosen them, then drain immediately.
2
Heat a wok over high heat with a little oil and scramble the eggs, then push them to one side.
3
Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry until cooked through (about 3 minutes).
4
Toss in the chopped bok choy and cook for 1 minute until slightly wilted.
5
Add the noodles, sweet soy sauce, and regular soy sauce to the wok.
6
Toss vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are evenly coated, slightly charred, and piping hot.

Mee Goreng — plated and served — Serving moment. How Mee Goreng looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

78/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

485

Calories

29 g

Protein

77 g

Carbs

6 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Mee goreng — fried noodles — is one of the most popular street foods across Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with distinct regional variations. The Malaysian Mamak-style version, developed by Tamil Muslim immigrant communities, is distinguished by its vivid orange-red sauce made from tomatoes, ketchup, and chili, which sets it apart from the darker soy-based Indonesian versions. Hawker centers throughout Malaysia serve mee goreng Mamak on demand from roaring woks as a late-night staple.

Listahan note

This version follows the Mamak hawker approach — using fresh yellow egg noodles and the signature tomato-chili sauce that gives this style its characteristic sticky orange color and tangy heat.

Technique cues

Work in small portions even in a home kitchen: frying too many noodles at once drops the wok temperature and the noodles steam rather than fry, resulting in a clumped, soggy texture instead of separated strands.
Add the egg by pushing the noodles to the sides of the wok, scrambling the egg in the center until 80 percent set, then folding the noodles back over it — this creates eggy strands throughout the noodles rather than a solid omelette layer.
The tomato-ketchup sauce should be added when the wok is at full heat so it sizzles on contact and caramelizes slightly at the edges before being tossed through — this step creates the slightly sticky coating that distinguishes mee goreng from a plain stir-fry.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the sauce, slice all vegetables, and fry the tofu before heating the wok — everything must be ready since the cook takes under 5 minutes.
Make-ahead: The sauce can be mixed and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead; blanched noodles can be oiled and refrigerated up to a day in advance.
Leftover move: Cold leftover mee goreng can be reheated in a hot skillet with a splash of water and a fresh egg scrambled in — it refreshes quickly and tastes nearly as good as fresh.
Cleanup rhythm: Have a bowl of hot soapy water ready and soak the wok immediately after plating — the sugary sauce in ketchup and chili sauce carbonizes fast if left.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

fresh yellow egg noodles

noodle base

Purpose: Fresh egg noodles absorb the sauce and develop a light char on the outside more readily than dried noodles.

Handling: Blanch briefly in boiling water to separate strands if they are clumped, drain, and toss with a drop of oil to prevent sticking.

Adaptation: Thick dried ramen noodles, soaked and drained, can substitute; expect a slightly chewier texture.

tomato ketchup

sauce color and acidity

Purpose: Ketchup is the authentic source of the orange color and gentle tomato tang that makes Mamak-style mee goreng immediately recognizable.

Handling: Combine with chili sauce and soy sauce into a premixed sauce bowl before starting to cook — the wok moves too fast to measure individual sauces during cooking.

Adaptation: Tomato paste with a bit of sugar and rice vinegar can replace ketchup; the color will be deeper and the flavor more concentrated.

firm tofu

protein component

Purpose: Fried tofu adds protein and absorbs the sauce without breaking down during the high-heat toss.

Handling: Cut into small cubes and fry until golden in a separate pan before adding to the wok so they crisp up rather than steam.

Adaptation: Shrimp or sliced chicken thigh can replace tofu; cook the protein first before adding the aromatics.

bean sprouts

crunchy texture

Purpose: Bean sprouts add a fresh crunch that contrasts with the soft noodles and are added at the very last moment to preserve their texture.

Handling: Add in the final 30 seconds of cooking — any longer and they go limp and release too much water.

Adaptation: Julienned cabbage can add similar crunch if bean sprouts are unavailable.

Technique notes

The biggest mistake in home wok cooking is an underpowered burner — preheat the wok empty until it just begins to smoke before adding oil, which brings the cooking surface as close to hawker-stall temperatures as possible.
Potato starch is sometimes stirred into the sauce mixture to help it cling to the noodles rather than pooling at the bottom of the plate.
A squeeze of lime over the finished dish just before eating brightens all the flavors and cuts through the richness of the egg and sauce.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use rice noodles or glass noodles and replace soy sauce with tamari; most ketchup is gluten-free but check the label.
Vegan direction: Omit the egg and use extra tofu or tempeh; replace shrimp paste with miso for the fermented depth.

Serve alongside

Sliced red chili with soy sauce for dipping
Fried chicken wings
Achar (sweet pickled vegetables)
Iced teh tarik
Cold young coconut water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Mee goreng is best eaten immediately and does not hold well for more than a few hours as the noodles continue absorbing the sauce and become soft.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day and reheat in a very hot skillet with a teaspoon of oil to revive some of the texture.

Equipment

Carbon steel wok or large heavy skillet
High-heat capable burner (gas preferred)
Wok spatula or large tongs for tossing

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