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Lo Mein is the better-than-takeout noodle dish I throw together on a busy weeknight when everyone is hungry and the delivery wait feels impossible. Chewy noodles, crisp-tender veggies, and a glossy savory sauce come together in one pan in about 20 minutes. If you love copycat takeout like our beef and broccoli, this is going straight into your dinner rotation.
The homemade sauce is the secret, and you control exactly what goes in.
Lo Mein Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 190kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, garlicky, and lightly sweet
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, one pan, as quick as our orange chicken
Quick Answer
Whisk together a quick sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and mirin. Cook the lo mein noodles and set them aside. Stir-fry your vegetables in a hot skillet until tender-crisp, then add the noodles and half the sauce, tossing until everything is coated and glossy. Add more sauce to taste, finish with scallions, and serve. The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Homemade sauce wins. A quick mix of soy, sesame oil, brown sugar, and mirin tastes fresher and less salty than any bottled version.
- High heat keeps veggies crisp. A hot skillet or wok chars the vegetables fast so they stay tender-crisp, never soggy.
- Add sauce gradually. Tossing in half the sauce first lets you control how dark and saucy the noodles get.
- Lo mein noodles hold up. Their chewy texture stands up to tossing and soaks in the sauce without falling apart.
- One pan, fast cleanup. Everything finishes in the same skillet, so dinner and dishes are both done in 20 minutes.
- Totally customizable. Use whatever vegetables you have, and add chicken, beef, or shrimp to make it a full meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is faster than takeout and costs a fraction of the price.
- You control the sodium, the veggies, and the protein for a healthier bowl.
- It is endlessly adaptable, like a noodle version of our kung pao chicken.
Key Ingredients
A short list of pantry staples and fresh veggies is all you need. Here is what each one brings.
- Lo mein noodles: Chewy Chinese egg noodles are the classic choice, but spaghetti or ramen work in a pinch.
- Soy sauce and dark soy sauce: Regular soy brings the salt while dark soy adds deep color and a richer flavor.
- Sesame oil and mirin: A little toasted sesame oil and sweet rice wine round out that signature takeout taste.
- Brown sugar and garlic base: A touch of sweetness and savory garlic balance the salty soy perfectly.
- Fresh vegetables: Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, and broccoli add color, crunch, and nutrition.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Lo mein is one of the most forgiving dishes you can make. Try these easy swaps.
- Add a protein: stir in cooked chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu to make it a full main dish.
- Use any vegetables you have, like cabbage, bok choy, zucchini, or baby corn.
- Make it spicy with a drizzle of chili oil or a spoonful of sriracha.
- Serve it alongside another takeout favorite like our kung pao chicken for a spread.
How to Make Lo Mein
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the lo mein noodles according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli, and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry about 5 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Add the noodles and half of the sauce, tossing until everything is coated. Add more sauce to taste.
- Toss in the remaining scallions, heat through, and serve right away.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Prep everything first. Stir-frying moves fast, so have your sauce mixed and veggies chopped before you turn on the heat.
- Do not overcook the noodles. Cook them just to al dente since they keep cooking when tossed in the hot pan.
- Get the pan hot. A ripping-hot skillet gives the veggies that char and keeps them crisp.
- Add sauce to taste. Start with half and build up so the noodles do not get too dark or salty.
- Use a big pan. A large skillet or wok gives you room to toss everything without crowding.
- Make it a meal. Toss in a cup of cooked protein at the end for a complete dinner.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Lo Mein is a satisfying meal all on its own, but it also makes a great side for a bigger Chinese-takeout-style spread at home. Pile it into bowls and let everyone grab chopsticks, or plate it next to your favorite protein for a restaurant-style dinner without leaving the house.
Pair it with our orange chicken, beef and broccoli, or a batch of kung pao chicken for a full takeout night. The savory, garlicky noodles balance sweet and spicy mains beautifully, so it plays well with almost anything you set on the table.
Round things out with a bowl of coconut rice or a warm bowl of wonton soup to start. Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, making this a smart dish to double when you want planned-overs.
For an easy entertaining spread, set out small takeout-style boxes and let guests build their own bowls with the lo mein plus a couple of proteins and toppings. It is a fun, low-stress way to feed a crowd on game day or a casual weekend night in.
Lo Mein FAQs
Lo mein noodles are boiled and then tossed with sauce and vegetables, so they stay soft and chewy. Chow mein noodles are pan-fried until crispy. Both are delicious, but lo mein is saucier and softer.
Fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles labeled lo mein are the most authentic choice for their signature chew. If you cannot find them, spaghetti, linguine, ramen, or even udon all make a great substitute for Lo Mein. Just cook whatever you use to al dente so it holds up to tossing in the hot pan.
Absolutely. Cooked chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu all work great. Stir your protein in at the very end with the noodles so it heats through without overcooking your Lo Mein. About one to two cups of cooked, sliced protein turns this side into a hearty main dish for the whole family.
Store leftover Lo Mein in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water or in the microwave until warmed through.
This Lo Mein is made with vegetables and a soy-based sauce, so it is vegetarian as written. Just double-check that your soy sauce and garlic base do not contain any animal products.
Lo Mein is best fresh, but you can prep the sauce and chop the veggies a day ahead. Cook the noodles and stir-fry everything together right before serving for the best texture.
Hungry for more takeout at home? Make our beef and broccoli next.
Pair it with our pan fried pork dumplings for a full Asian dinner.
Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon mirin
For the lo mein
- 8 ounces Chinese Mein Noodles
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup matchstick carrots,
- 1/2 cup bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 cup snow peas
- 1/2 cup broccoli bite sized pieces
- 2 green onions white part and green part divided
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together, set aside.
For the lo mein
- Cook the noodles per the instructions on the back of the bag, drain, and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, the vegetables, and the white part of the scallions to the pan. Stir fry for 5 minutes until charred but still tender crisp.
- Add the noodles to the pan and add half of the sauce. Toss to combine, until everything is coated in the sauce. Add more sauce if you like a darker look to the noodles, I typically only use half.
- Once everything is coated in the sauce and the noodles are heated through, add the rest of the scallions, and serve.
Notes
- We use fresh vegetables for this recipe, but you can also use a vegetable blend from the freezer section at the grocer.
- This recipe can be froze, see my tips above on how you can do that.
- You can easily make a double batch for serving larger crowds.
- You will want to use the whole green onion in this recipe the green and the white part!
Nutrition
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