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Easy Chicken Lo Mein

This Chicken Lo Mein is scrumptious and easy to make at home.  Use fresh egg noodles or linguine for an easy, flavorful, and healthy meal.  Ten times better than takeout. Perfect for meal prep.

Chicken Lo Mein with Napa Cabbage in wok
Chicken Lo Mein with Napa Cabbage

Easy Chicken Lo Mein

Lo mein is a favorite Chinese takeout menu item, consisting of chewy soft noodles, vegetables, and bite-size pieces of chicken, beef, or shrimp. This stir fry noodle dish is popular for its richly succulent flavors.

Count us in for occasional Chinese takeout on a Friday night, but more often you’ll find us serving up this homemade chicken lo mein. It’s a better-than-takeout meal that’s big on flavor without being greasy. Peppered with lean chicken, vegetables, and mushrooms, it’s a healthy yet scrumptious dish the entire family devours.

Bonus: lo mein reheats exceptionally well and is perfect for meal prep. Serve half of it the day you cook and save the other half in individual meal prep containers for lunch, or use a family size container for another dinner that week.

Chicken Lo Mein Noodles in wok
Linguine works just as well as long egg noodles

What kind of noodles?

Classic lo mein typically calls for fresh Chinese egg noodles, shaped similarly to spaghetti.   Fresh egg noodles for lo mein is found at Asian grocery stores. In certain cities, major grocery stores might even carry it in their refrigerated Asian section.

If you can’t find fresh egg noodles, just use regular dry spaghetti or linguine noodles.  I often use fettuccine noodles I already have in my pantry when I’m too lazy to go to the store. That said, fresh long egg noodles will give you the most authentic experience.

Whichever noodles you choose, you’ll cook the noodles to al dente according to package instructions prior to using it for stir fry.

Tips for Homemade Chicken Lo mein

  • Generally speaking, the meat and veggies are stir-fried separately, and then added back in with the cooked and seasoned noodles at the end.
  • Season the chicken and veggies and sauté until the aroma makes everyone ravenous.
  • Stir it all together with your seasoned noodles.
  • Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for best tenderness.
  • Thinly sliced Napa Cabbage is deliciously sweet once cooked, which adds balance here.
Chicken lo mein with napa cabbage in wok
Baby bellas or shiitake mushrooms both work well

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

  • We often use broccoli and carrots in chow mein with much success.
  • Feel free to go with your favorite veggie combo. Ideas include sliced bok choy, spinach, or even cole slaw mix (just the veggies.)
  • Use shiitake mushrooms, mini bella mushrooms, or button mushrooms.
  • Shiitake mushrooms are most often in dehydrated form and are easily rehydrated once soaked in water. It boasts an earthy, aromatic flavor you won’t find in other mushroom varieties.
  • Try thinly sliced beef, shrimp, or ground meat of your choice. To make it meatless, forgo the protein.
chicken lo mein with napa cabbage in wok
Chicken Lo Mein is great for meal prep, as it reheats nicely.

More to Cook and EAt:

Try this thai fried rice, too


Did you make this?

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chicken lo mein with napa cabbage in wok

Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

5 from 13 ratings
This Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein is extremely versatile, hugely flavorful, and better than any takeout! Make it meatless and add any of your favorite veggies for your perfect weeknight meal!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • Oil for cooking
  • 16 ounces fresh Chinese long egg noodles, shaped similarly to spaghetti OR dry Italian linguine/spaghetti noodles
  • 3 TB Asian sesame oil, brown in color, highly fragrant
  • 1 pound uncooked skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3 TB oyster sauce, divided
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 3 TB rice cooking wine, divided
  • 3 TB regular soy sauce, divided
  • table salt
  • white pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Half of a Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms, or 4 oz dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water until fully softened, thinly sliced
  • Optional: thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large, heavy pot, bring well-salted water to a boil. Cook noodles just until al dente, according to package. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse with cold water in a colander, and toss with 3 TB sesame oil. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, combine uncooked chicken, 1 TB oyster sauce, sugar, ginger, 1 TB rice cooking wine, 1 TB soy sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Mix well.
  • In a large wok or large frying pan, add 2 TB cooking oil over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, stir fry the marinated chicken until almost cooked through. Add sliced mushrooms to the chicken. Stir fry until cooked through, but not overcooked. Transfer chicken/mushroom mixture to a bowl. 
  • In same wok/pan, add 2 TB cooking oil on medium-high until hot. Add minced garlic and sliced Napa cabbage, with 1/4 cup water and 1/8 tsp salt. Cover and stir occasionally about 7 minutes or until cabbage is soft and wilted. Transfer to bowl with chicken-mushroom mixture. 
  • In same wok/pan, add 2 TB cooking oil on medium-high until hot. Add cooked noodles, 2 TB cooking wine, 2 TB soy sauce, and 2 TB oyster sauce. Stir well. Add pinches of salt and white pepper to taste.
  • Add back the chicken/mushroom mixture, Napa cabbage, and all their juices to the wok of noodles. Stir and cook on medium high until lo mein mixture is fully heated through. Serve warm, with sliced scallions as garnish.

Notes

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.4g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Cholesterol: 17.5mg | Sodium: 376.6mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 2.9g
Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: Asian American
Method: Stovetop

Try this Fried Rice, which is chock full of good ingredients:

Chinese Fried Rice 4

If noodles are what you’re hungry for, a heaping bowl of Dan-Dan Noodles will hit the spot!

Dan Dan Mien

If you like mochi, you can’t go through life without trying this Red Bean Mochi at least once.  They are crazy easy, soft and chewy, and ridiculously dee-licious!  One of the few desserts I can’t stop stuffing my mouth with.

Red Bean Mochi Bars

Add a comment

Recipe Rating




30 comments

    • Chef Dennis
    • 5 stars

    what a perfect week night meal! It went together in minutes and was absolutely delicious!!

      • chewoutloud

      Yay, glad you all liked this!

    • Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious
    • 5 stars

    Chicken Lo Mein sounds easy to make and is perfect for a date night in!

      • chewoutloud

      Thanks 🙂

    • Kushigalu
    • 5 stars

    Tried this lo mein over weekend and my family just loved it. Pinned this super easy and tasty recipe to make again.

      • chewoutloud

      So happy to hear they loved it!

    • Alexis
    • 5 stars

    My kids and I love this lo Mein dish! So easy to make and serve quickly on a weeknight.

      • chewoutloud

      Yay, so happy to hear this! 🙂

    • Julie
    • 5 stars

    This turned out so great. I was looking for a new meal to make for the family last week and did this. Everyone loved it.

      • chewoutloud

      SO happy you all loved it 🙂

    • Linda
    • 5 stars

    Weeknight dinners won’t taste the same again with this chicken lo mein. Such a simple dish but gives comfort in every slurp!

      • chewoutloud

      Yes! 🙂

    • Robin
    • 5 stars

    Vegetable Lo Mein is one of my favorite dishes to order at restaurants, so I’m thrilled to now be able to make it home!

      • chewoutloud

      Yay, so glad you like it!

    • Jacqueline Debono
    • 5 stars

    I love Chinese food but here in Italy, there are very few good restaurants, so I always make my own when I get a craving for Chinese food. This chicken lo mein was spot on. Easy to make and very flavourful!

      • chewoutloud

      So happy you all loved it!

    • Stine Mari
    • 5 stars

    You are right, it is 10 times better than takeout! I love the mushrooms too, they add a nice boost of umami.

      • chewoutloud

      Same, it’s so good!

    • Wanda
    • 5 stars

    I’m definitely adding this into the weekly meal plan rotation. It looks so delicious!

      • chewoutloud

      Thank you!

    • Jen Sim
    • 5 stars

    I’m always looking for takeout alternatives. So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. It tasted absolutely amazing and I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for sharing!

      • chewoutloud

      So happy you enjoyed this dish!

    • Leslie
    • 5 stars

    Oh this is so much better than take-out, I agree! This is one of those recipes guaranteed to hit the spot!

      • chewoutloud

      Thank you, Leslie!

    • Lesli Schwartz
    • 5 stars

    Such a yummy Asian classic! This looks so mouth-watering! Asian noodle dishes are my fave!

      • chewoutloud

      We love noodles around here, too! 🙂

    • Liz

    So many nice recipes. Thanks so much.

      • chewoutloud

      Thanks, Liz!

    • Carol at Wild Goose Tea

    Boy Howdy do I relate to the child going off to kindergarten—-going somewhere without you. I had the same feeling as each of my two boys drove off in cars without me. There was a change in how we related to each other and the world. Bittersweet is the appropriate word. I sure hope this Lo Mein noodle recipe works for me. I LOVE Lo Mein. Hang in there——

      • chewoutloud

      Oh, Carol, I will be so sad when they drive…freedom for us, yet a bit scary and bittersweet! Hope you enjoy the noodles! Thanks, Carol! 🙂

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