Chicken Lo Mein with chewy Chinese egg noodles, bean sprouts, chicken, bell peppers and carrots in under 30 minutes like your favorite Chinese takeout restaurant.
Lo Mein is a fantastic Chinese takeout option if you’re looking for something a bit thicker than the traditional Chow Mein.
Easy Chicken Lo Mein
As a kid growing up my mom was not very well versed in making Chinese food (she once made chow mein with angel hair noodles). I wanted to know how to make lo mein like in Chinese restaurants but despite her best efforts we’d end up with were soy sauce flavored noodles with all the veggies she thought she could hide in the pot.
It was a valiant effort, but it never really tasted like Chinese food from a Chinese Restaurant.
Since watching my favorite Daytime talkshow make their version of The Chew chicken lo mein (I’m a huge Micheal Symon fan), I had a craving to make some lo mein.
What you’re looking at is my quickly thrown together lo mein with the ingredients I had on hand and it was as delicious as my favorite takeout spot. My husband was watching along with me but he didn’t understand the difference of lo mein vs chow mein until he saw the difference in these noodles!
What is the difference between lo mein and chow mein?
A traditional chow mein has noodles that are boiled, then stir fried until having a slightly crisped exterior while lo mein is boiled then tossed in a sauce without cooking the noodles an additional amount. The noodles are roughly the same, both egg noodles, but lo mein noodles are normally thicker and chewier.
What kind of sauce is in lo mein?
Lo Mein sauce is made with a sesame oil base that the noodles are tossed in with garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and soy sauce to round out the slightly sweet and slightly spicy sacuce.
Lo Mein Recipe Variations:
- Shrimp Lo Mein: Cook the shrimp after the veggies instead of before and remove them reserving them to toss with the pasta at the end. Undercook the shrimp by about 15 seconds before cause they will keep cooking in with the pasta.
- Beef Lo Mein: Flank steak is the best beef for lo mein. Slice the beef against the grain and cook in on a high heat for just 30 seconds on each side.
- Vegetable Lo Mein: The easiest of all the varieties, add in your favorite vegetables cooked until just softened but still with a crisp bite.
Best Vegetables for Lo Mein:
- broccoli
- red and green bell pepper
- snow peas
- green onions
- sliced baby bok choy
- sliced zucchini
- julienned carrots
- thinly sliced onions
More Easy Asian Recipes:
Tools Used in the making of this Chicken Lo Mein:
Lo Mein Noodles: Authentic and flavorful for the perfect lo mein.
Soy Sauce: Nothing much to say here except Kikkoman has the best flavor overall and I always recommend reduced sodium.
Wok: The best way to cook quickly and over high heat for Asian dishes, this wok is the perfect stir fry pan.
Sesame Oil: The flavor of sesame oil in this dish is unmistakeable and not really able to be substituted. Some Asian grocery stores will try and sell less expensive options that aren’t actually sesame oil, so just be sure the one you’re buying is authentic sesame oil.
Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Chinese egg noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 chicken breasts sliced thinly
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 carrot thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup onion slices
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Instructions
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Cook the egg noodles one minute shy of the directions.
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Drain and toss with sesame oil in a bowl to coat.
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Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
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Cook the chicken 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
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Remove from the pan and add in the red bell peppers, ginger and garlic and cook them for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently until just softened.
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Add in the water, soy sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil and oyster sauce into the skillet.
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Add in the carrot, onion and cabbage and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding back in the chicken and egg noodles.
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Add in the bean sprouts, toss all the ingredients together well and serve.
Delicious! I made it without any meat (I’m a vegetarian) pretty much as written – but used hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce. My husband added some thin slices of grilled pork to his. Several times he said “this is REALLY good!” The recipe is so easy, so versatile and so tasty we will make permutations and combinations of it many times in the future, experimenting with different veggies, tofu and other different proteins. Thank you . . .
This was delicious!! I added some brown sugar to it just to give it a little more sweetness but the recipe is still good as is! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
This came together pretty quickly. I used coleslaw mix from a bag (I didn’t have time to run for a cabbage leaf from the garden, which was my original plan), julienned carrots and green onions sliced on bias. I had made fresh lo mein noodles which I froze a couple of months ago. The sauce… seemed to be missing something… and I can’t imagine what because I have never even had lo mein before. Lol. I thought maybe a little more salt… Or maybe some sugar/hoisin? Pepper flakes? I will make again. It was a very pretty dish.
This was delicious.Thank you! A bit of prep, because this cooks up fast. Topped with some toasted peanuts for a little extra crunch. 🙂
Wow, tastes just like take out! This is an excellent recipe! We subbed out for coconut aminos instead of soy sauce just to cut down on salt and added mushrooms. Fantastic!
This is quick, easy and awesome!
Aww thank you for the great review! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious!!!! Done it again!!!
One of the best recipes, quick, easy and delicious!!
Where’s msg
I didn’t use any for this recipe.
I loved since the first time I try and it’s very easy and low cost to make it
I used wheat spaghetti noodles and add mushrooms but followed the rest of the recipe….I add extra soy sauce to my bowl but absolutely love this recipe!!! Thank you!!!
One question: when are you getting your own app? I would love an easier way to navigate this website on a table when not connected to the WiFi( when I go camping)
It’s a work in progress. Stay tuned!
My husband loves Chinese food but I’m not the greatest at cooking it at home. This recipe seemed doable even for a clumsy cook like me, with a cuisine I’m not skilled at mastering!
So it turned out great; the only reason I gave it 4 stars is because next time I’ll double up on the veggies. I ended up using the entire package I had of bean sprouts and that was great, so I realized using more veggies would make it even better.
My husband doesn’t like bell pepper or oyster flavors so I left them out. I ended up using a tbsp of sesame oil to mix with the noodles.
By the way, using those noodles really made a difference in the overall dish; thank you for using them in this recipe.
My husband asked for just a little more soy sauce flavor (added it himself) so I’ll do that with the recipe next time. It came together MUCH faster than I thought it would as well.
Thank you again for sharing it; it’s great to know I can recreate something he loves here at home!
I’m so glad you decided to give it a try!
Decent base recipe but it could use some additional seasonings/spices because otherwise it’s pretty bland
Oh God Sabrina! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I love you, and I don’t even know you!..haha…. Do you know all the gazillion places I had to look to find all I wanted and needed in one website!? All your recipes look amazing! I love the combinations of different ethnic groups! Indian, Mexican, Thai (among my very favorite..surely must have been Thai in another life!) and the copycat stuff….wow! Where were you in my 6 years in Mexico where I missed home food! All ingredients are non-boring and reading them just makes my mouth salivate! I can almost taste the finished product! You have NOOOOO idea how happy I am to find you! Wow! THANK YOU! YES! Weeeehooooo! I think I just spent 2 hours of a busy day stuck on your website…what the matter with me?!
You just made my day!! Thank you so much for your kind words.
Why can’t I print this. I am old and need to make big print to read. I hit print button but it does not work.
I just checked the print button on this recipe and it’s working. If you’re still not able to get it to work, you can print from the browser as well.
Substitutions for oyster sauce? I have a seafood allergy. Thanks!
You can also use Worcestershire sauce instead. Enjoy!
They make a vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce. I buy Wan Ja Shan brand. Amazon sells it, Chinese grocery stores sell it, and probably more.
This was a great meal! I used the vegies I had in the fridge and didn’t end up needing the additional vegetable oil. My husband doesn’t like “noodles” but had 2 helpings of this!
Very good. The only issue I ran into was step 6 when I dumped the cornstarch directly into the pot and it immediately clumped up. If I’d thought about it for a second, I would have made a slurry with it and the water. In the end it was still really good though, and my super picky family all went back for seconds.
I liked this however I felt that all the veggies should have been added at the same time and the garlic and ginger should have been added after the veggies were softened to avoid them burning. The onion was a bit underdone and I feel if it was added at the beginning it would have been more to my liking. I ended up adding some chili garlic sauce and a pinch of 5 spice to add a little more flavor. I also added a splash of chicken stock since the sauce was a bit thick. It helped stretch it to coat the noodles. Overall it is a good recipe and fun to personalize it to your liking. Thanks!!
My local chain grocery no longer carries fresh bean sprouts because o reports of bacterial contamination. I refuse to use the canned ones…they’re HORRIBLE. I LOVE bean sprouts—-what do I do?
Oh no!! That’s a bummer. Do you have a sprouts around you or possible a farmers market? Good luck on your search.
We made this Lo Mein, we couldn’t find the bean sprouts anywhere, but we added broccoli and some spicy Szechuan sauce at the end. It was SUPER good and had a little kick to it!
Bean sprouts can be found in a can and fresh in the produce section in the grocery store
The lo mein noodles shown on pic is different (Coarser) than from the hyperlink Lo mein noddles sold on amazon, can i get clarification on this?
You can use whatever you prefer. I was just trying to offer a link to those who might have an issue finding them. I hope you enjoy it!
If you think Kikkoman has the beat flavor, you must not have tried Aloha brand.
I snapped the Instructions on my phone and didn’t look at the ingredients or amounts. My store didn’t have these noodles, so I substituted with normal wide egg noodles. I cut some chicken thighs into small pieces and marinaded in Teriyaki sauce. Also added some salt and pepper. After the chicken was cooked and set aside, I stir-fried some broccoli and mushrooms for a few minutes. Then I added the red bell peppers, ginger and garlic. I more than doubled the oyster sauce because it needs the sweetness. I left out the bean sprouts and green onions because it was too many vegetables. Once everything is done, mixing it all together is important, as I’m sure someone tried to eat those noodles covered in sesame oil. lol. All-in-all, I give this 5 stars, even if I did modify it into a Teriyaki Stir-Fry Chicken Lo Mein.
This is delicious. My only complaint is that it didn’t specify to salt the chicken before cooking, and the sauce isn’t enough to flavor it alone. But otherwise, fantastic. I added two tablespoons of oyster sauce and it’s wonderful!
Pretty bland. I would say it’s more stir fry than lo mein, but even then it would be missing some key ingredients.
Very good!
This is my favorite noodle recipe/guide! While I often adjust what veggies go into it, (usually based on what’s available), this is always my starting point. Thank u for sharing!
Thanks, Angela!
The pictures look like there are both green onion and white onion, but unclear on if white onion. Is the 1/2 cup onions green onion? Or are there white onion too?
Sorry about that, yes, it’s 1/2 cup green onions.
Could I replace the oyster sauce with fish sauce?
Sure 🙂
This looks so easy and delish! The pic makes it look like there are both large, thicker noodles and skinny ramen-like noodles. Is there both, or are the skinnier ones just the bean sprout tails?
Those are the bean sprouts, sorry it looks so confusing. It’s just the thicker noodles.
It was good. A little different flavor than the typical stir fry. I will make it again.
Before I start making this, quick question. I have fish sauce in the pantry but not oyster sauce, may I substitute or is oyster sauce imperative? Also, I have Tamari (even though I am not gluten free), may I substitute that for the soy? Thanks in advance!
So sorry I missed this – if you haven’t made it yet, I would use Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce and Tamari for the soy. Hope this helps!
Maybe I did something wrong. This was a tasteless, glued together mess of noodles.
I’m so sorry to hear this. If you try this again, try rinsing the noodles until they are cool and then toss with the oil. This will cut the starch and keep them from sticking.
GAMMY, sounds like you may have over cooked your noodles. Try boiling a minute less than package says. Then drain, give them a quick shake, sprinkle a bit of oil ( NOT MUCH) cook your veggies, add noodles and beat a couple eggs into it. Should be delish.!! Good luck.
Great recipe! Thank you. We needed a little more spice and added more hoison sauce. Overall, great recipe to start with and tailor to your taste buds.
Usually all the recipes I make from here are good. This one was a miss. The sesame flavor on the noodles was too much and cooking the veggies on the order instructed made them mushy. Would definitely suggest quickly cooking all veggies separately so as not to overcrowd the pan and also checking the amount of oils used. I feel like I wasted an entire meal on this :/.
OhMyGosh — This made a HUGE ‘batch’ of Lo Mein — Absolutely DELICIOUS! Bean sprouts had gone off, so subbed in thinly sliced cabbage and added a can of water chestnuts — Someone suggested doubling the sauce – Thank you for that tip — Will NEVER eat lo mein in a restaurant again — This recipe, by far, surpassess restaurant dishes!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Melody.
Hi Sabria
I made this last night. I tripled all measurements and amount so I would have leftovers throughout the week. I think the amount of cornstarch may have ruined it although the ratio to the amount of the other ingredients was accurate. The noodles were incredibly starchy.
Even though the box did not say to I image rinsing the noodles may help and stop the cooking process so they are not overdone. If there is a way to cut down on the amount of cornstarch it may help.
My second attempt should come out better now that I’ve learned from my mistakes.
It is still getting a high rating because the flavor was amazing and my own mistakes caused it to be bad.
I’m so glad you’re giving it another chance.
this was so great! i am 12 years old and i make dinner 2x a week for my current family of 8. this was great. i added a litte less onion because i put green onions in also. My faily will love it! thanks for this great recipie!!!
How awesome! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Hi Katie, I’m just a mom of 2 boys reading this recipe and came across your reply about how your son comes home shaken up and defensive…please take that seriously, he could be, being abused in some way at the boy Scout leaders house. That’s very scary. My ‘mom red flag’ went up right away when I read that!
Take care.
Angela
My husband is extremely picky but we both loved this recipe! Thank you.
I made this today and used thigh meat instead of the breast. My husband only likes the canned Chop Suey and Lo Mein. He ate 2 servings. It’s a keeper for us. Easy to do. I’d give it 5 stars.
Thank you so much!
Am I blind or is there no amount for chicken?
I used 2 chicken breasts sliced thinly. All the ingredients are listed in the recipe card. 🙂
I’m extremely intimidated by the idea of using oyster sauce since I’m not a seafood person. How necessary is it?
You can use a mushroom based oyster sauce if you don’t want a seafood based one. It tastes pretty similar!
I really hope your little guy is okay.
Very very good. I did add 3 th brown sugar.
I didn’t have all the veggies. But I just added a bit more of the ones I had. It worked great
Thank you!
Made this last night. When I was cooking my husband said it smells like a Chinese restaurant. We absolutely loved it. Just like a restaurant we used to go to in Detroit. Could not find it in other restaurants as good as that one in Detroit, until this recipe. Thanks Sabrina.
Yay, so glad you both loved it!
I don’t know what I did, but the noodles were super sticky and the taste of. Sesame oil overpowered the dish. Is there anyway to fix
I’m not sure why they would be sticky but you can always use a bit of water to help with that. As far as the sesame oil being to strong for you, you can use canola oil instead. Hope this helps!
Mine was sticky too but I missed the water…oops! Still good.
Do you absolutely need the cornstarch and the oyster sauce?
Yes, it makes up the flavor in this dish. Leaving them out will change the texture and taste.
Just made the chicken lomein and it is DELICIOUS !! The sauce is soo good!!! My daughter loved it and she is picky!!! I used fresh assorted already cut up veggies. Your recipe was very easy to follow!! I will def be making this again!!
Thank you!!
YAY!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! We love this recipe too. I consider it a huge win when kids will eat a recipe I write so thank you for that victory today!
I made this recipe tonight with a few tweaks just because of what I had/didn’t have on hand and it was delish!! Everyone enjoyed. Definitely and do-over!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Amazing recipe .
Where does the vegetable oil fall you call for in the ingredients?
Thanks for catching that. It should be added in step 6. Enjoy!
I made this and followed the directions, but my noodles keep breaking. Any suggestions?
It sounds like maybe the noodles were cooked too long. Next time, try a shorter cook time.
It turned out great. I did a couple of things differentially but who doesnt. I added salt and pepper to the chicken before cooking. I also put more ginger than it called for but those are my personal tastes. Thank you foe this recipe
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This turned out really gummy. It was almost like gravy on noodles with the cornstarch slurry. And the lo mein noodles were really over cooked. I followed the instructions on the box and took them out a minute before. Not sure where I went wrong.
I just made this and it was really good but my noodles also game out kind of gummy. Although the package didn’t say it, I looked up another recipe and apparently you should rinse the Lo Mein until it is cool. Not sure if you did this, but I did not. I just drained it and add the sesame oil. So I suspect the Lo Mein just kept on cooking while I was preparing the rest. I will try rinsing my noodles the next time I make this recipe!
I’ve tried several lo mein recipes, and this one is by far the best!
Thanks, Launi! I appreciate the 5 star rating!
Very good! No more take out for lo mein.
Very good!
Looks good. Problem is; you can’t buy sprouts in Americans super markets any. We can’t seem to figure out how to grow them safely.
Not sure what stores you have around you but I’ve been able to find them at Sprouts and Whole Foods.
I don’t know where you live but here we have oriental grocery stores that carry bean sprouts, Walmart and hy-vee has it also. H hope that helps
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I didn’t have oyster sauce but I used fish sauce in its place. All 5 of my picky eaters loved it! I also used radicchio. This is a new favorite so thanks for this!!
You’re welcome Elizabeth!
This was really good, and this recipe is definitely a keeper! But I wouldn’t say it’s like Chinese takeout. Definitely a lot of good flavors going on, but it seems to be missing that one extra zing that all takeout places seem to have in their lo mein. I wish I knew what it was. But I’d definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Sabrina. It turned out wonderfully.
So glad to hear it, May!
Can you show us the name and kind of noodles you used thanks
The noodles are linked right above the recipe (and right here)!
Hi Sabrina, the noodles in the link do not look like the same ones used in the photo. They look thinner and I was hoping to use the thicker ones you have in your picture. Any idea where I can find them?
I used Wel Pac Lo mein Egg Noodles for this recipe. 🙂 I bought them from Amazon.
I have my ingredients. I am making this tomorrow! What type of oyster sauce do you prefer? I bought Dragonfly premium
Here’s a link to the one I prefer. https://amzn.to/2IEoxWh
Hi, I am cooking tomorrow & I see that oyster sauce is required.
I am allergic, do you have any suggestions for a substitute?
Many thanks.
They do make a vegetarin oyster sauce so I’m not sure if that helps eliminate the allergy, if not you can also use soy sauce or hoisin sauce as a substitute though it will change the flavor a bit. I hope you enjoy it!
We LOVED this! I used what was ” in house “… chicken, carrots, arugula, bok choy, green onion, peas, cabbage and celery. It was outstanding, better than take out for sure! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it Peggi!
I am SO pumped to make this…and 15 minutes…my soul is literally jumping for joy.
Let us know how it turns out!
This looks amazing! If I use a different kind of noodle, will it affect the taste? Thanks!
It’ll change the texture but shouldn’t affect the taste. Let me know how it turns out.
I would give it more stars if I could!! Absolutely delicious!!!!! Even my very picky children loved it! I felt like I was in a restaurant while eating it, I couldn’t believe I made something that delicious and authentic tasting! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Will be making this a lot!
You’ve made my day! Anytime I can get picky eaters to enjoy something I feel like I have won the lottery!
Can I use canned bean sprouts or do they have to be fresh?
I used fresh 🙂
Will it be negatively affected if I leave out the oyster sauce??
You won’t want to leave it out, sorry. There is a vegetarian “oyster” sauce you can use it that’s a concern. It’s mushroom based.
Can’t wait to try this. I have all ingredients except oyster sauce.Do you know if it’s noticeable if I omit it? I hate to buy it for 1 spoonful.
You really need it for this recipe, sorry.
Can’t WAIT to try this but I need to get the ingredients right. Are the bean sprouts canned or fresh? I’m thinking (hoping) fresh but I’m really not sure if I can find them. Also, is it best to use Chinese cabbage or regular cabbage? Thanks for sharing this and other recipes!
I used fresh bean sprouts for this recipe and either cabbage would be fine.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying all the recipes. 🙂
Hello dinner! My family is going to devour this!
Enjoy!
I love you telling the difference btwn the two! This looks great
Can’t wait to try this! The links for the sesame oil takes you to the soy sauce and I am curious about the authentic sesame oil and brand!
This is the one I use. http://amzn.to/2dXbkLF
Can you link a picture of your sesame oil preference – the link attached doesn’t not connect to the item.
Here’s the link to the one I use. http://amzn.to/2dXbkLF
My family definitely love this!
Thank you Erin!
I’ve always wanted to make authentic lo mein!!
Glad I could help!
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s perfect for my hungry family!
Thanks Chrissie!
OH MY WORD! Do you think if I took out the chicken and made as directed it would still be delicious? This looks WAY better than my local chinese restaurant!
Oh, definitely! You can even add in additional vegetables of your liking.
Yes! I love indulgent “takeout style” dishes and homemade fast food. I’ll be making this shortly.
I’ve been really into homemade Pad See You lately, might this be next in your takeout recipes series? 🙂
Yes, it’s in the works. 🙂 Stay tuned!!
You have delivered! Quite excited to taste test… :p
Enjoy!