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!
Hello! This was a lovely recipe but I needed to double the sauce amount and still didn’t get that lovely dark color. I used all of the same brands too. Any ideas?
Hi Kristine, you used pearl river bridge dark soy sauce? You can always add a little more dark soy sauce—just be careful not to overdo it, or it can become too salty. Also make sure the dark soy sauce is well mixed in.
Genius recipe. Super forgiving in terms of ingredient substitutions.
Thank you Angela!
Recipe was delicious! I love lo mein and can never find a local Chinese restaurant that makes it well. I wish the recipe steps included a note about pre-cooking the noddles though, since I clearly didn’t read the paragraphs before—oops! Don’t make this mistake like me. Definitely recommend dark soy sauce.
Thank you for sharing, Adriana!
Wow, this was so good and not overly salty. My husband who is not a big fan of LoMein really liked this. Thanks for your teaching blog.
You’re very welcome, Deb! So glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe!
Lovely! I used chicken breast as it’s what I had in and I brined them for half an hour before adding. It was so good. Thank you. I’ve been looking for a great lo mein as my daughter loves it. This was a massive hit with her.
You’re welcome, Lily! So happy you and your daughter enjoyed it!
Why use both soy sauce and dark soy sauce in this recipe? Is there anything that dark soy sauce adds to enhance that regular doesn’t?
I’m cooking with everything except for dark soy sauce and it still tastes off. What am I doing wrong?
Yes, the dark soy sauce actually adds color and additional flavor to the dish! Read more about dark soy sauce here: https://thewoksoflife.com/dark-soy-sauce/. Also make sure you’re cooking on high enough heat!
My wok was wayyyyyy too small for this recipe. I really need to be taught how to authentically stir fry. My wok does not get hot enough at all either.
Hi Logan, making a smaller batch could be the answer (click on the number of servings in the recipe card and use the slider to scale the recipe down). Here’s our post on how to stir-fry properly at home: https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-make-stir-fry/
Hi Sarah!
Curious why this recipe doesn’t use oyster sauce but the other lo meins do?
Hi Samik, you can certainly add oyster sauce to this recipe if you’d like, but I just chose not to! The other lo mein recipes were developed by my dad, while this one was developed by me. Chalk it up to different chef’s preferences!