Chicken Lo Mein

Picking up some takeout from Chinese (or ordering delivery) is perfect on those busy nights when you just don’t want to cook. *raises hand* been there!!

But lately I’ve been really loving making our own versions of those classic Chinese-American recipes at home. They’re surprisingly easy to make, and usually take less than or about the same time that it would take for the delivery driver to knock on the door.

Plus, when you make your own version at home you can control the quality of ingredients, the amount of ingredients, the salt/sweetness level, and more!

And you don’t need a fancy wok to make a great Asian-stye recipe… just a big skillet. Of course if you have one, by all means, feel free to use it, but just know that you don’t need fancy tools to make these recipes.

In fact, you can even use any pasta you’d like to make lo mein. Traditional Chinese egg noodles, Hokkien noodles, spaghetti, linguine, or even plain ramen noodles!

How to make chicken lo mein?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Prep ingredients. Also get started with boiling the noodles.
2. Season chicken. This is done simply with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
3. Cook chicken. Once chicken is mostly cooked, add garlic and ginger.
4. Cook vegetables. Slide the cooked chicken to a plate and saute the vegetables until crisp tender.
5. Combine. Add the chicken back to the skillet, along with the drained noodles.
6. Add sauce. Pour in the sauce and cook a few minutes until it’s thickened a bit and coated everything.

Variations of this recipe

• Lo mein noodles – if you can’t find dried lo mein noodles in your grocery store, they’re also available on Amazon. Hokkien noodles are another great alternative. You can also use regular spaghetti in a pinch.
• Chicken – this recipe works great with boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Other protein – if you’re not a huge chicken fan, feel free to swap it out for an equal amount of pork, shrimp, beef, etc.
• Vegetables – I chose the vegetables in this recipe because they’re our favorites, but they can be swapped out for approximately 5 cups of the vegetables of your choice.
• Spicy/Sweet – the great thing about making lo mein at home is that you can make it spicier, milder, sweeter, or more savory.
• Saucy – if you like a lot of sauce, feel free to double the sauce ingredients.

Making lo mein ahead of time

Personally, I find this recipe tastes best when made fresh, but it can be made entirely ahead of time if you’d like.

Or you can also prep ahead, cutting down the total time it takes to make this meal.

• Chicken – the chicken can be sliced and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
• Veggies – the veggies can be sliced and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
• Sauce – the sauce can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
• Pasta – the lo mein noodles can be boiled, cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Storage

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-4 days.

Reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat.