Lo mein might already be one of your go-tos when ordering Chinese takeout. Skip spending money and make this dish at home in only 30 minutes!
If you enjoyed this lo mein recipe, you’ll love the Best Beef Stir Fry Recipe or try our Ultimate Philly Cheesesteak.
Lo Mein
If you haven’t tried lo mein before, you are probably wondering what the heck it is. In short, lo mein is a stir-fried noodle dish. Long, soft egg noodles are tossed with a savory and sweet sauce and either beef or chicken. The end result is a bowl of slurpy deliciousness!
You have probably heard of lo mein’s close cousin “chow mein”. Wondering what the difference is between the two? Lo mein is a dish of soft noodles tossed in a thick sauce. Chow mein, on the other hand, calls for a longer frying time to make the noodles crispy. Both are delicious and super easy to make!
Lo Mein Sauce
Sweet, savory and rich, lo mein sauce is oh-so comforting. It’s also VERY easy to make. My interpretation only requires brown sugar, beef broth and soy sauce. You simply bring all the components to a boil together and just like that, you have a homemade lo mein sauce.
What Meat Goes with Lo Mein?
- Beef: Flank steak, skirt steak, ribeye or top sirloin will all work great in this recipe. Whatever cut you choose, make sure the beef achieves a nice golden color. It will have so much flavor.
- Chicken: If you are going to opt for chicken, use boneless breasts. Skip the browning step, but still slice the chicken into two-inch pieces. When sauteeing your chicken slices in your sauce, make sure to cook them all the way through!
- Veggie Lo Mein: if you are skipping out on the meat, you can always make our incredible Veggie Lo Mein.
Lo Mein Noodles
Most grocery stores will carry lo mein noodles in the Asian aisle. You can find these wheat and egg based noodles dried or fresh. If you get lucky, you will find fresh lo mein noodles in the refrigerated section (sometimes in the produce aisle, sometimes in the Asian aisle). These will allow you to skip the boiling step entirely, as they are already cooked!
If you can’t find dry or fresh lo mein noodles, don’t panic! I often use spaghetti noodles when I am in a pinch. They work great and don’t sacrifice taste!
Lo Mein Ingredients
- Noodles: Any egg noodles will work. Try to snag authentic lo mein noodles, but like I said above, spaghetti noodles will work also.
- Note: After cooking the noodles rinse them with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
- Sesame Oil: If you don’t already have sesame oil on hand, grab some! It is a key ingredient in most Asian cooking. It adds a toasted, nutty flavor to dishes. You will toss your cooked noodles in sesame oil to prevent them from sticking while you prepare the rest of your lo mein components.
- Better than Bouillon (Beef flavor): This broth concentrate is a game changer! It has an amazing beef flavor and has become a staple in my kitchen. You will use it to make a beef broth that will serve as the base of your lo mein sauce.
- Soy Sauce: You can’t make Chinese food without soy sauce! Soy sauce will elevate your broth and give it that signature Asian flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds the necessary thickness to your sauce. Chinese sauces almost always contains brown or white sugar for this reason!
- Garlic: Lo mein calls for fresh garlic. Don’t use garlic powder or marinated garlic if you can avoid it. The fresh stuff makes all the difference!
- Veggies: For my interpretation of lo mein, you will use carrots, onions and broccoli. Carrots and broccoli are perfect for stir-fry, as they keep a nice bite and provide a perfect contrast to soft lo mein noodles. You can also add bell peppers.
Storing Lo Mein
Store your lo mein in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-5 days! Bonus: The sauce gets richer as it marinates in the fridge. Can you say BOMB leftovers?!
Other Asian Recipes to Try
- Simple Yakisoba Noodles Recipe
- The Best Beef Stir Fry Recipe
- One Pot Beef & Broccoli Recipe
- Chicken Chow Mein
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
Share Some Love ❤️
Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles (cooked according to instructions)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup hot boiled water
- 1 tbsp Beef Better Than Bullion
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- oil (olive or sesame) for frying
- 1 lb beef
- 2 large carrots
- 2 cup broccoli
- 1 large onion
- 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Into hot, boiled water add Better Than Bullion and brown sugar; stir to dissolve. Into the mixture, add soy sauce and set aside.
- Dice carrots, broccoli and onion into two-inch pieces. Pre slice beef into very thin strips. Using a hot skillet with sesame oil, cook beef until it's golden brown, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Using the same skillet that was used to cook beef, sautee onions until golden brown with sesame oil. Remove from the skillet. In the same skillet, saute carrots until softened, add broccoli and cook for about three minutes. Press garlic into the same mixture.
- Add cooked beef into the skillet with vegetables. Pour sauce over the ingredietns and let them simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add cooked noodles and toss everything together.
- Into a large dish, combine noodles, vegetables and beef. Toss to bring everything together and serve while it's still hot.
so delicious!!! I followed the recipe exactly except I had frozen asian style veggies and cooked those in the skillet with the sliced onions and garlic....thought it might be mushy because of the frozen veggies, but it turned out great!!! we have been wanting lo mein like we used to get before we moved away and this is it!!
I love this kind of feedback, Susie! This recipe works well with veggie substitutes. So glad you found a lo mein recipe that you've been on the hunt for! 🙂
thanks yuo
I marinated my steak and smoked-cooked-grilled till medium rare. Then thin sliced and used the steak. OMG! The whole family loved it.
Glenn, thats such an amazing tip! I love this idea. I can see that taking this recipe to the next level. I am trying it!
This was vey good and my whole family enjoyed!! I added mushrooms and cabbage to the sautéed veggies
Awwwww, that's awesome Andrea. So happy your fam could gather around this lo mein and that you were able to tweak it a bit and make it your own. Thanks so much for sharing.
How much does this recipe feed so what is the yield?
Hi Levi - It makes 6 servings. Thanks for reaching out.
I made this and added mushrooms and bean sprouts, and doubled the sauce it was better than a Chinese restaurant’s, I can’t wait to make it again so yummy!!!!!!
Hi Pam - That sounds sooooooooo tasty. I love adding more veggies too - it's such an easy way to sneak in a couple of servings. Glad you enjoyed, friend.
thanks turned out to be great !!also saved recipe will use it again
Hi Rick - Yay! Glad you enjoyed this recipe. We love it for meal prep and easy weeknight dinners. It's awesome because you can swap in and out different veggies and customize the heat to your liking.
I was craving Lo Mein and this recipe definitely hit the spot. I sub’d the broccoli for peas and it turned out fantastic.
My husband wants it added to the recipe box
Hi Heike, oh... love this feedback! Literally smiling hugely as I am reading it. Thank you for taking the time to share it.
I tried this for a quick lunch today and it turned out great! Got a thumbs up from my hubby too!
Hi Janet- thanks for the feedback, this recipe is a winner for so many. Glad you both loved it!
I’ve made this quite a few times……Delish!
Glad you enjoy it, Melissa! It's loved by many and that makes me so happy!
Muy buena receta con el paso a paso, muchas gracias por tu tiempo y dedicación.
Hello, Alex. You're very welcome, enjoy!
What kind of noodles is best for this recipe?
Hello, Willi; lo mein noodles would be best but in a pinch you can use spaghetti or angel hair!
Hi. I'm new to all this but my daughter bought me a wok for Christmas and I don't know how to use it? I'm the cook here at home and your recipes look delicious!! Does a wok work the same as a skillet? I'm a stay at home Dad.
Hi Alfred - Thanks for the question! A wok actually distributes heat a little bit differently than a typical skillet. It allows you to cook at a higher heat because you can push the ingredients up onto the sides once they are fully cooked. It's also best to cook the ingredients in heats and add them all together at the end for best results. Hope this helps!
I struggle with cooking, so many failures, tried to prepare my husband by telling him “trying a new recipe tonight, dinner will probably be terrible”. It was great! Thanks for the recipe, making it again tonight 😆👍
Hi Beverly, you have no idea how much joy you have brought me!! I love that this recipe turned out delicious. I started off as a terrible cook, so don't say that, you did incredibly! We have tons of simple and easy recipes on here I hope you try more and get more and more confident in your skills in the kitchen 😊 You will do great!
I made this beef lo mein and it was amazing. I used stir fry veggies as well as onions and peppers. My daughter absolutely LOVED it. Thank you for sharing this
Hi Mari, I am so glad you and your family loved the recipe, thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to comment!
It has been a hectic day. Found this recipe and feel like I won the lottery. Everyone thought it was so tasty. Thanks for posting it. The only thing I did differently was double the sauce and used linguine( only noodle I had on hand)
Sorry it was a rough day – definitely been there. Good call on the linguine! It works well and at the end of the day, a noodle is a noodle. Glad you enjoyed!
Followed the recipe exactly. Very disappointed, no flavor!!
Hi Dianne, the flavor comes from the sauce. It would depend on the ingredients you used for the sauce. You can always add more spices, if you enjoy the extra spices.
Can this be frozen and reheated?
Hello! I would not recommend freezing it, you can store your lo mein in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-5 days! Hope this helps.
We don’t do beef and are tired of chicken. How would it work using shrimp? Any suggestions on the best broth to use with shrimp? Love all your recipes!
Hello, I actually have a shrimp lo mein recipe: https://momsdish.com/shrimp-l… Enjoy!!
Can you use straight beef broth, from a can or carton? I would assume so as you’re just making broth with the boullion?
Hey Rebecca, you definitely can. Enjoy
Hi Natalya,
I ran across this recipe one day when I was craving Chinese food, and it turned out great. This was just as good or better than the restaurant. I also added some bean sprouts as well.I made this along with broccoli beef and crab casserole and my family really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I'm so glad you loved the recipe, Mary! Thank you for your feedback!
I made this for dinner tonight and my entire family loved it! My son is super picky about what veggies I use, but I followed the directions and he ate all of the carrots, broccoli, and onions. It was delicious! I doubled the recipe and am looking forward to leftovers. Next time I think I will add a little ginger and green onions. Great flavor! Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback, Cory! I am so glad your son loved the recipe too, thank you for taking the time to comment!
Honestly this is one of the best recipes! Super easy to make, now that I’ve cooked it once the next time will go way easier. So much better than take out!
I am so glad the recipe turned out good, and that you enjoyed it!
I adore this recipe! It makes our whole family happy! We use fresh broccoli, carrots, and onions from our garden, and it's just a magnificent meal. Thank you so much for this!
So good to hear that, thank you for taking the time to comment!
this needed so much help. i was very surprised at how bland it tasted before i added : fresh grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, ground coriander, cayenne and a dollop of hoisin sauce.
Hey Erica, the flavor comes from the sauce. It would depend on the ingredients you used for the sauce. If you enjoy the extra spices, I am glad you found your solution.
Natalya, you obviously are a very kind person. Rock on! 🙂
Thank you 😊
I was craving chinese food and noodles, amazing recipe, my first time making lo mein!! super easy to make and tastes better than one from a chinese restaurant. I used beef, pork and chicken to give it a mix and also added a bit of ground ginger
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for your feedback, Sofia!
This recipe was amazing. I didn’t use carrots or broccoli and just snow peas instead.
Stephanie, thank you for your feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This is a great recipe to follow and weight watchers friendly if you leave out the sugar. I used liquid stevia drops instead and some xantham gum to thicken the sauce. I also added half a bag of cabbage and carrot slaw mix to it. Next time I would throw in some ginger for more dimension in flavor, but overall it was a great recipe for my first time making lo mein.
Tori, thank you for all of those tips to make it weight watchers friendly; I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made the beef lo mein tonight! Better than take out! Delicious! A keeper & will make it again! Thank you for sharing your talents! Yum!
Kathy, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment your feedback!
Thanks for a great recipe! I made this last night. It goes together quickly with simple, everyday ingredients. I will definitely be making it again!
Tiffany, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!