Chop Suey Vs. Chow Mein In Chinese Cuisine - The Spruce Eats

Skip to Content Keep The Recipes You Love. Never Lose Them Again with MyRecipes. Explore the Unique Tastes of Chop Suey and Chow Mein

Discover the Cultural Roots and Culinary Techniques Behind Two Popular Dishes

By Liv Wan Liv Wan Liv Wan is a former professional chef who has published three cookbooks about Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 06/17/25 Close

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• What Is Chow Mein?
• History of Chow Mein
• What Is Chop Suey?
• History of Chop Suey
• Recipes

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Chow mein and chop suey are both Chinese stir-fry dishes that you’ll often find on restaurant and take-out menus. While they may seem similar, the two dishes have distinct ingredients, preparation methods, and origins.

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Chow mein is considered one of the signature dishes in Chinese cuisine, whereas chop suey is an American creation that utilizes Chinese cooking techniques.

What Is Chow Mein?

While these two dishes may share ingredients, their concepts differ. Chow mein is an established recipe; noodles are first boiled and then added at the end to a stir-fry of vegetables and sauce, keeping the noodles somewhat soft. In America, restaurants often fry the noodles until crispy.

History of Chow Mein

Chow mein is traditionally more authentic compared to chop suey. Although the origin of chop suey remains uncertain, the history of chow mein is more straightforward. Chow mein, or "ch'ao mien" in Mandarin, means "stir-fried noodles" and originated in Northern China. While the version of chow mein served at American Chinese restaurants may have been altered to suit Western tastes, it is based on a genuine Chinese dish of stir-fried vegetables with boiled noodles.

What Is Chop Suey?

Chop suey features a much looser recipe format. It involves chopping meat and vegetables, which are then stir-fried with a sauce. Originally invented to make use of whatever meat and vegetables were on hand, the same philosophy can be adopted in your kitchen. Rather than noodles, chop suey is served over rice.

History of Chop Suey

A common belief is that chop suey was invented in America by Chinese Americans. A tale that has endured is that a legendary Chinese chef at a California mining camp created this dish. Short on ingredients and staff, he crafted a meal for his customers using whatever was available in the kitchen. He named it "tsa sui" in Mandarin, or "miscellaneous broken pieces," which eventually Americanized to "chop suey." There is no dish known as "tsa sui" in China.

Another tale suggests that chop suey was created at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the 1890s. Chinese leader Li Hung Chang was visiting and requested a dish of meat and vegetables "job suey," meaning "in fine pieces." The chef obliged, and thus chop suey was born.

Recipes

Besides being easy to make, both of these dishes are very adaptable. Like all Chinese food, what makes chop suey and chow mein memorable is not the specific ingredients so much as the balance between grains and vegetables. Both are ideal dishes to make when you want to clean out the refrigerator as the selection of vegetables is really up to you.

• Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe
• Pork or Beef Chop Suey Recipe

When it comes to following a recipe for either chow mien or chop suey, don’t be afraid to make substitutions if you don’t have all the ingredients. The beauty of these types of dishes is their flexibility. While it’s preferable to have a wok, these dishes can easily be made in a frying pan. 

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