This chicken lo mein is sauteed chicken and vegetables tossed with egg noodles in a savory sauce. A remake of the take out favorite that tastes even better than the restaurant version!
I love to make our favorite Chinese food dishes at home including crab rangoon, fried rice and this easy and delicious lo mein.
Whenever we order from our local Chinese restaurant, my family requests chicken lo mein. I decided it was time to learn to make it at home, and it’s actually quite easy to make! This lo mein works great as a main course, or can be served alongside other Chinese dishes for a complete meal.
How do you make chicken lo mein?
First, cook thinly sliced chicken in a pan until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and place onions, carrots, celery and cabbage in the pan. Cook the veggies until just softened. Next, cook the garlic in the pan for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and cooked chicken to the pan and toss everything together.
While the chicken and veggies are cooking, in a separate bowl make the sauce by whisking together chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Pour the sauce in the pan with the chicken, noodles and veggies and bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened. Once the sauce is thickened, add a sprinkling of green onions and enjoy!
Tips for chicken lo mein
- If you have an Asian supermarket nearby, you can find a wide selection of refrigerated noodles that are suitable for lo mein. Most grocery stores also carry a selection of fresh Asian noodles in the refrigerated produce area. If you can’t find the egg noodles shown here, you can also use yaki soba noodles, or a dried lo mein noodle.
- Place your chicken in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm it up, it makes it much easier to cut thin slices this way.
- You can use a variety of vegetables in your lo mein including bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy and bean sprouts. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand!
What kind of noodles are used in lo mein?
I used an egg noodle here which was labeled as Shanghai noodles and it came from the refrigerated section of my local Asian market. You want a thicker, longer noodle. If you can find noodles that are labeled “lo mein” noodles, those will also work. In a pinch, you can also use spaghetti or Japanese udon noodles.
What is lo mein sauce made of?
Lo mein sauce is a mixture of chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. If you prefer a spicy lo mein, you can add sriracha to the sauce. Looking for more of a sweet and savory combination? Try adding 1/2 teaspoon of honey to the mix.
What’s the difference between lo mein and chow mein?
Lo mein and chow mein are very similar dishes. Chow mein noodles may be thinner than lo mein noodles. Also, lo mein noodles are boiled, while chow mein noodles are boiled and then stir fried. Due to the stir fry process, chow mein noodles tend to be crispier and greasier than lo mein noodles. This lo mein recipe uses pre-cooked noodles that are heated and simmered in the lo mein sauce. Consequently, the noodles remain nice and tender.
This lo mein recipe is a great way to enjoy a classic Chinese dish in the comfort of your own home.
More great Asian recipes
Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin slices
- 10 ounces fresh egg noodles pre-cooked
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup shredded or julienned carrots
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion tops (only the dark green part)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the onions, carrots, celery and cabbage to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the noodles to the pan, along with the chicken. Toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute or until sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with green onions, then serve.
Jamie says
OMG This was so delicious! My whole family LOVED it! Will be adding it to our favorites list! Thank you so much!
Cristin says
Tastes great! I was using a 16 oz package of dry rice linguine noodles so I did the recipe for 8 and then doubled that. I made it last week and only doubled the recipe and it didn’t have enough sauce. This was the perfect amount of sauce to noodle ratio. I used 3 chicken breasts, 1 whole onion, and 4 cups of cole slaw mix rather than cutting up carrots or cabbage. I added half a can of bean sprouts as well. This is a favorite of mine and the kids and it’s cheaper than getting it at a restaurant, but the taste is even better than some of the local restaurants.