This home-cooked Beef Lo Mein recipe tastes just like what you’d get at a Chinese takeout restaurant (or better, because it uses more vegetables than your typical takeout). It’s also easy to make. If you love lo mein, it’s a must-try recipe!
Note: This recipe was originally published on November 13, 2013, but has since been updated with an improved re-tested recipe, video, step-by-step photos, nutrition information, and more. Enjoy!
A Family Favorite Chinese Takeout Dish
I remember during busy weekend nights at our family’s restaurant, my parents sometimes worked straight through to closing without any dinner.
We were all focused on getting home and resting, so we made ourselves a takeout dinner to enjoy in front of the TV. Our favorite meal consisted of fried chicken wings, garlicky broccoli with white rice, and you guessed it, beef lo mein.
Beef Lo Mein was also Sarah’s go-to cheap late-night dinner choice in college, so it’s safe to say all of us are big fans of the dish. It also happens to be one of the more popular choices on your average takeout menu.
Just Like Takeout, But Perhaps a Bit Better!
This home-cooked version tastes just like what we made at the restaurant, but the best part is, you can change up the vegetables depending on what you have available in your fridge. You can also up the amount of vegetables in your lo mein to make it healthier.
While even we sometimes order from takeout restaurants when we need a quick meal or don’t feel like cooking, this beef lo mein recipe is much more satisfying.
Give it a try just once, and I bet this will make it into your regular rotation!
All About Lo Mein Noodles
There is often confusion around the type of noodles ot use for lo mein dishes. Let’s clear that up. I’ll explain what noodles to buy and how to prepare them before stir-frying so they don’t stay in one big noodle brick that’s hard to break up into individual strands.
Our Recommendation: Cooked Lo Mein Noodles
We recommend using cooked lo mein noodles for convenience. You can find them in the refrigerated section of any Chinese grocery, wherever they stock the fresh noodles, rice cakes, and wonton/dumpling wrappers.
To prepare cooked lo mein noodles for stir-frying, let them come up to room temperature and give them a quick rinse under hot tap water.
This will loosen them easily so they aren’t stuck together in one big block. Drain them thoroughly in a colander.
About Uncooked Lo Mein Noodles
You can also find uncooked fresh noodles that are about the same thickness as lo mein. You can tell they’re uncooked, because they aren’t oiled, and they’re still lightly coated in flour.
These noodles may be white (made with just wheat flour and water) or yellow (made with eggs). In our vegetable lo mein recipe, we used white noodles.
Regardless of whether you find the egg noodles or white noodles, these require an extra step. You must boil them in water according to the package instructions, and then drain thoroughly.
Be sure to cook them just until they’re al dente. They will continue to cook during the stir-frying process, and you don’t want them to become mushy.
What If I Can’t Find Lo Mein Noodles?
Now what do you do if lo mein noodle are nowhere to be found where you live?
The answer is: use dried pasta!
Spaghetti, thin spaghetti or even linguini are all good choices. Kaitlin actually calls for spaghetti in her recipe for Crispy Pork Noodles (below).
Again, follow the directions on the box to cook your pasta al dente. Remember that our recipe calls for 1 pound (450g) of cooked (or fresh) noodles, so make 8 ounces (225g) of dried pasta to yield the proper amount of cooked noodles.
Tip!
This beef lo mein recipe makes quite a large batch, so feel free to halve the recipe. If your wok is small or your stove has a weak burner/flame, you may want to cook this recipe in two separate batches regardless!
Looking for a Vegetarian Version?
Whether you’re vegetarian or just want a Meatless Monday meal, check out our Vegetable Lo Mein. It’s pretty darn good too!
Beef Lo Mein: Recipe Instructions
Marinate the beef:
We call for flank steak because it is one of the tastiest cuts of beef for stir fry dishes. However, beef is getting quite expensive and there are other cheaper cuts of beef that you can tenderize and marinate so they are just as tasty as flank steak.
Whatever beef you select, you must julienne the beef (against the grain) into thin strips to match the lo mein noodles.
Place the strips of beef in a small bowl with baking soda, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oil. This velveting step will make the beef tender and flavorful, with a glistening look. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
For more info on selecting, preparing and velveting beef, see our post on how to prepare beef for stir-fries.
Prepare the sauce, noodles & vegetables:
Prepare the lo mein sauce by combining the soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and ground white pepper in a small bowl.
If using cooked lo mein noodles, rinse them under hot tap water to loosen them and drain thoroughly. If using uncooked noodles, cook them according to package instructions until they’re al dente, and drain thoroughly. Set aside.
Prepare the garlic and all the vegetables to have them ready for cooking. Arrange them in the order you will add them to the wok. Trust me, this advanced preparation makes the quick process of wok-cooking much easier.
Cook!
Place your wok over high heat until it’s smoking lightly. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to coat the wok, and add the beef so it’s all in one layer on the hot wok surface. Sear each side for about 30 seconds.
Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil along with the garlic.
Quickly add the carrots, peppers, and mushrooms (to prevent the garlic from burning in the hot wok). Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the bamboo shoots and the white parts of the scallions.
Stir-fry for another 20 seconds, and then add the napa cabbage.
Make sure your heat is at its highest now, and stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds.
Add the prepared noodles. They should be warm or at room temperature, and not stuck together! If they are, just rinse them in hot water to loosen them up.
Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and toss the vegetables and noodles together using a scooping motion.
After the noodles are warmed up (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), and your pre-mixed sauce.
Continue stir-frying with a scooping motion until the sauce is evenly distributed, making sure to scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent the noodles from sticking. High heat and a well-seasoned wok should also prevent this.
Next, add the snow peas…
Mung bean sprouts…
And the beef (along with any juices that may have collected in the bowl).
Continue stir-frying until the noodles are heated through and everything is thoroughly mixed.
Toss in the green parts of the scallions, and taste the lo mein. Adjust the seasoning to your liking (feel free to add more salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or white pepper according to your own palate).
Plate and serve with homemade chili oil or hot sauce on the side!
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Recipe
Beef Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the beef and marinade:
- 12 ounces flank steak
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
To complete the dish:
- 1 pound fresh lo mein noodles (we recommend using cooked lo mein noodles, but you can also use fresh uncooked noodles of a similar thickness)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 carrot (medium carrot, julienned)
- 1/2 red bell pepper (julienned)
- 1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots (strips or sliced)
- 2 cups Napa cabbage (shredded)
- 2/3 cup snow peas
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 scallions (julienned, white and green parts separated)
Instructions
- Slice the beef into thin strips against the grain. Place the sliced beef in a small bowl with baking soda, corn starch, soy sauce, and oil. This velveting step will make the beef tender and flavorful, with a glistening look. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the lo mein sauce by combining the soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and ground white pepper in a small bowl.
- If using cooked lo mein noodles, rinse them under hot tap water to loosen them and drain thoroughly. If using uncooked noodles, cook them according to package instructions until they’re al dente, and drain thoroughly. Set aside. Prepare the garlic and all the vegetables to have them ready for cooking. Arrange them in the order you will add them to the wok.
- Place your wok over high heat until it’s smoking lightly. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to coat the wok, and add the beef so it’s all in one layer on the hot wok surface. Sear each side for about 30 seconds. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the bamboo shoots and the white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds, and then add the napa cabbage. Make sure your heat is at its highest now, and stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds.
- Add the prepared noodles. They should be warm or at room temperature, and not stuck together! If they are, just rinse them in hot water to loosen them up.
- Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and toss the vegetables and noodles together using a scooping motion. After the noodles are warmed up (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), and your pre-mixed sauce.
- Continue stir-frying with a scooping motion until the sauce is evenly distributed, making sure to scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent the noodles from sticking. High heat and a well-seasoned wok should also prevent any sticking.
- Next, add the snow peas, mung bean sprouts, and beef (along with any juices that may have collected in the bowl). Continue stir-frying until the noodles are heated through and everything is thoroughly mixed.
- Toss in the green parts of the scallions, and taste the lo mein. Adjust the seasoning to your liking (feel free to add more salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or white pepper according to your own palate). Plate and serve with homemade chili oil or hot sauce on the side!
