Chicken Lo Mein
Homemade Chicken Lo Mein is a classic Chinese noodle dish that tastes so much better than takeout! Noodles drenched in a delicious savory sauce paired with perfectly cooked chicken and tender peppers and carrots makes for a yummy and satisfying meal.
I love Asian food in general. My kids also love Asian flavors so we end up making a LOT of Chinese and Korean food at my house. I may not always get it completely traditional, but it still turns out incredible and even better than takeout. Not to mention I get to choose the quality of ingredients which always makes me feel better. If you are in the mood for some other yummy Asian inspired dishes, you’ve got to try this Asian Ramen Salad, this delicious Cashew Chicken, and this Teriyaki Chicken.
Lo Mein Chicken
Chicken lo mein is a classic Chinese dish that you can easily make at home. It’s so flavorful and filling, and something that everyone will enjoy! Fresh peppers and carrots are cooked in a flavorful Asian inspired sauce, and that sauce gets sucked up by the noodles. They are the most flavorful noodles you’ll have! I like to add chicken to make the meal filling and hearty. This is a great dish to have on the menu.
I really love chicken chow mein, and the difference is mainly in the noodles. Chicken lo mein is made with wider and chewier noodles. You will find both on the menu at pretty much every Chinese restaurant. The flavors in this homemade version are SO much better than takeout, and it’s really fun to make too! The best part about this recipe is you don’t have to prepare any white rice or extra veggies because it’s a whole meal in one! I do like to take the extra step to make homemade wontons for the full restaurant experience, and I never regret it!
Ingredients
I like to keep things simple on this chicken lo mein recipe. You can include other ingredients like onion, eggs, and broccoli. Pretty much any veggie you want could work because this is similar to a stir fry. If you don’t have a wok you can just use your favorite frying pan. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
Lo Mein Noodles: You will want to buy the wide egg noodles, they should be labeled as lo mein noodles.
Chicken Breast: You will cut it up into smaller pieces so they are easier to eat and cook.
Vegetable Oil: To cook the chicken. You could use your favorite oil instead.
Carrot: Cooks until it’s perfectly tender and soaks up the sauce.
Red Bell Pepper: Adds a mild sweet flavor to the dish.
Shiitake Mushrooms: So savory and umami, I love them! You could use other mushrooms, these are just my favorite.
Garlic: For extra flavor. I like to use fresh minced garlic.
Brown Sugar: Helps balance out all the salty flavors and makes the sauce sticky and delicious.
Soy Sauce: This is a must have ingredient, it’s the base for the sauce!
Hoisin Sauce: You can easily make your own at home! I love making my own because it’s just a few easy ingredients and tastes so fresh.
Sesame Oil: This is a no brainer, so full of flavor!
Ground Ginger: I like using ground ginger so you don’t end up with bites of really spicy ginger. You could use fresh ginger if preferred.
Red Pepper Flakes: Use as much as you like. I don’t make my food very spicy because my kids don’t like it, so add more if you want it.
Black Pepper: Freshly ground is best!
Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
Chicken lo mein is actually super simple to make at home! If you’ve mastered spaghetti and a stir fry, then you can definitely make this meal. I recommend having two pots going at the same time. One is a deep pot to cook the noodles, and the other is a wok or frying pan to cook the chicken and veggies. You make the sauce separately, then put it all together. So simple, and so yummy!
Cook Noodles: Cook your noodles according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.
Cook Chicken and Veggies: While the noodles are cooking, heat your vegetable oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat, add your chicken with some salt and pepper to taste, cook your chicken until it is nearly cooked through. Then add the garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together your garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper.
Put It All Together: Add your cooked noodles to the skillet with your chicken and vegetables. Then pour your sauce mixture over the skillet and toss to coat, sauteing everything together until your sauce thickens and everything has come together, about 5-8 minutes.
Enjoy: Remove from heat and serve fresh.
Tips for Making Chicken Lo Mein
I always love hearing other people’s tips when it comes to making new recipes, so I put together a few for you. Hopefully these tips plus my instructions give you all the confidence you need to whip up this easy chicken lo mein recipe.
Substitutions for Noodles: If you can’t find the right noodles or don’t have any on hand, I have used spaghetti and fettuccini noodles and both have worked great.
Switch Up the Protein: You can make this dish with pork, beef, shrimp, or even tofu. You can switch it up at any time! Just make sure the meat is cooked the way you like it before adding it to the noodles.
Adjust or Add Spice: I personally like spice in my Asian food. You can add sriracha or extra pepper flakes to kick up the spice level. Or you can leave the red pepper flakes out entirely if you don’t want any spice at all. This dish is very mild as is, so you can taste it before adding any more spice.
Storing Leftovers
Like all noodle dishes, this chicken lo mein won’t last too long in the fridge. In just a few days the noodles will start to dry out. I would definitely recommend eating this dish fresh! Here is how to store leftovers.
In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, cover with a wet paper towel and heat in the microwave until warm.