Chicken Lo Mein is a classic takeout dish we’ve all probably enjoyed. We find, however, that it’s getting harder than ever to get a good lo mein these days! Hence the need for this recipe.
A Personal Takeout Favorite
Growing up, having Chinese takeout for dinner was an uncommon occurrence. Usually, my mom or dad would prepare dinner.
On the rare occasion that both my parents were too tired or busy to cook, however, we would order from No. 1 Chinese Restaurant. An apt name, because that particular place made some of the best takeout food I’ve ever had.
While you may think the dishes we ordered from the standard takeout menu were similar to what we were eating every night for dinner, nothing could really be further from the truth. Dishes like beef and broccoli, Singapore Mei Fun, and chicken lo mein were a rare treat.
When it came to Chinese takeout, I ALWAYS requested chicken lo mein. It’s still my go-to when I order out these days, but too often, the noodles lack flavor and are soggy or overly greasy.
Which is why I decided to make it myself, with spectacular (if I may say so) results in just 30 minutes. If you’re a lo mein fan, give this recipe a try! The key to the deep color of these noodles is dark soy sauce, which you can find at any Chinese grocery store.
Best Noodles for Lo Mein
There are two main noodle options for making lo mein: uncooked lo mein noodles, and cooked lo mein noodles. Both contain egg, so they should be yellow in color (note, they may also be labeled “Hokkien Noodles”). The main difference is that the uncooked noodles must be pre-boiled before stir-frying, while the cooked noodles are ready to go straight into the wok.
If using uncooked lo mein noodles, be sure to follow the directions on the package. Boil them until they are just cooked (al dente), dump them into a colander, give them a quick rinse in warm water, and drain thoroughly.
If you’re lucky enough to find them, get the cooked lo mein noodles readily available today from Chinese grocery stores. Give them a quick rinse in hot water to break up the block of noodles, but that’s all the prep needed!
Chicken Lo Mein Recipe Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 2 teaspoons each of cornstarch, water, and oil. In a wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, and sear the chicken for a couple minutes until browned. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok, and add the garlic. After 10 seconds, add the cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry on high heat for a minute and add the wine in a circle around the perimeter of the wok.
Add the noodles and chicken back to the wok and mix well from the bottom up for about 30 seconds. If the noodles aren’t coming apart, add about 1/4 cup water to the noodles to loosen them up a bit.
Then cover the wok for one minute. Remove the cover and add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the bean sprouts and scallions.
Stir-fry for one more minute…
And serve your home cooked Chicken lo Mein!
Restaurant-Style Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 8 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs (225g, cut into thin strips)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons oil (plus more for cooking)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 4 cups cabbage (shredded)
- 2 medium carrots (julienned)
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (or dry sherry cooking wine)
- 16 oz. fresh lo mein egg noodles (450g)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 2 scallions (julienned)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 2 teaspoons each of cornstarch, water, and oil. In a wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, and sear the chicken for a couple minutes until browned. Remove from the wok, and set aside.
- Add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok, and add the garlic. After 10 seconds, add the cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry on high heat for a minute and add the wine in a circle around the perimeter of the wok.
- Add the noodles and chicken back to the wok and mix well from the bottom up for about 30 seconds. If the noodles aren't coming apart, add about 1/4 cup water to the noodles to loosen them up a bit.
- Then cover the wok for one minute. Remove the cover and add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the bean sprouts and scallions. Stir-fry for one more minute and serve.
nutrition facts
Note: This recipe was originally published on our blog on August 22, 2016. We have updated it with nutrition information, metric measurements, and clearer instructions. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
I love fresh bean sprouts but no one seems to carry them anymore. Is there a substitute?
Hi Anne, you can use more snow peas or extra napa cabbage, but there is nothing like the crunch and flavor of fresh mung bean sprouts. in recent years, I have seen more supermarkets stocking small cellophane-wrapped bags of bean sprouts so keep searching :)
Can not wait to make these recipes :)
Enjoy, Mary, and let us know if you have any questions!
Love the recipe can’t wait to try it . Thank you for sharing your family recipes.
You’re very welcome, Sarah! We hope you like it!
Absolutely delicious!!! The only thing is I can’t find mung bean sprouts by me and I love it so much! I am now seeing if I can’t somehow grow it myself! But even without, absolutely delicious! So glad I made heaps so having it for lunch (basically breakfast haha!)
Thank you Beatrix! So happy you’re enjoying it!
The only vegetable I had bok choy instead of cabbage, but it still came out very delicious! It has less sweetness than my local takeout, but in this case that’s a good thing. I’m actually exhausted of trying to find take out restaurants that don’t over-sweeten things for American palettes. :/
Glad you liked it, Lee! Thanks for the stars!
Tq for sharing. Have a nice day.
Hi Sarah I cooked many of your families recipes and find them easy to follow and cook living in the west of Melbourne Aust some items are hard to find I have learned that some products have a different name here or I add what I have on hand at home I also add vegetables of choice I feel it’s best to do what we like as long as the taste stays the same.
Good recipes taste good and easy for a evening meal that you and your family for giving us your recipes your are all magic.
Cheers Wally M
Thank you so much for those kind words, Wally! :)
I made this the other day but I struggle a lot with Maillard reaction. I can now somewhat coat the pan with oil but I cannot get that smoky flavour. Do I need to imagine it similar to grilling. Because how can I get wok hei without burning the food
Hi Muniba, heat the wok until smoking before adding the oil. Then add the chicken, and allow it to sit on the hot wok for just a few seconds before you begin stir-frying it. That way, the chicken is constantly moving and turning and won’t burn, while also getting that seared smokiness.
Really good and easy to make!
Thank you!
Thanks Katrina!
I made this last night and everyone I served it to loved it. I’m the pickiest of the bunch and felt like it could be better. I found it difficult to mix the noodles into all the veggies and I think I over cooked the noodles a bit because I took too time much stirring it all together. Do you have any tips to speed up this process? I used fresh noodles from our Asian market. One thing I thought is that I might cut them in half next time. They’re really long and that seemed to make stir frying more difficult. Noodles are much more difficult to stir fry than veggies and rice!
Hi Pepper, you can stir-fry the noodles using an upward scooping motion, lifting the noodles high up to distribute the ingredients. If you don’t have a sturdy wok spatula to do this, you can use tongs. Hope that helps!
I just made it. So, I used half a head of medium cabbage (on sale because of St. Patrick’s day), 2 carrots, and a bag of bean sprouts. Some of these items, I don’t measure, but eyeball. It was yummy. I had to stop before I ate the whole thing. Thanks.
You’re welcome, John!