Slippery Lo Mein Noodles tossed in a Lo Mein Sauce with tons of veggies and protein of your choice. This takeout mainstay comes down to the right sauce and the right noodles – then you’re just 6 minutes away from noodle heaven!
Lo Mein Noodles
The actual noodles pictured above were my dinner last night, albeit I was a little heavy handed with a big dollop of chilli sauce that had me gasping and sweating (and swearing) through every bite.
Don’t fear, it was self inflicted torture. Those red strips you see are capsicum / bell peppers, not chilli. There is no sign of chilli in this recipe – Lo Mein is not spicy!!!!
What goes in Lo Mein Noodles
Here’s what goes into the noodles (see below for sauce):
• Lo Mein noodles – for takeout style, use fresh yellow noodles (usually labelled “egg noodles”) that are about 3mm / 1/8″ thick. By “fresh”, I mean the ones you get in the fridge section of grocery stores (Aussies – Coles, Woolies etc, find it in the pasta section of fridge). These noodles have the chewy, slippery texture you love about take out.
Next best is dried egg noodles, or vac packed “fresh” egg noodles.
But really, you can also totally make Lo Mein with any noodles – thick, thin, fresh, dried, egg or rice – or ramen noodles, or even spaghetti or other long pasta. Lo Mein doesn’t judge! This is going to be delish with ANY type of noodles (or pasta – trust me, no one will know!).
• Protein – use either chicken, pork, beef, turkey, prawns/shrimp or tofu. Directions on how to cut and cook with each of these included in the recipe (PS hard tofu is so delish in this!)
• Vegetables – I used capsicum/bell peppers, carrot and green onion. Use 5 cups in total (packed) of whatever vegetables you want. Plus 1/2 an onion and garlic – these are part of the flavour base!
Lo Mein Sauce
A gold standard Lo Mein calls for a great Sauce – and here’s what you need for truly takeout grade Lo Mein! You see these ingredients in virtually every one of my stir fries and noodles – they’re the holy grail of Chinese cooking!
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Dark soy sauce is labelled as such on the bottle, and sold at most large grocery stores nowadays. It adds colour and flavour to the dish – notice how my noodles are nicely bronzed? Thank you Mr Dark Soy!
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Soy Sauce – the other one can be any generic soy sauce or light soy sauce (bottle will be labelled as such). This soy sauce adds salt and some flavour to the dish, but it doesn’t stain the noodles like dark soy.
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Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian noodles. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic substitute – sub both the cooking wine AND water with low sodium chicken broth/stock, reduce light soy sauce to 1.5 tbsp.
Lo Mein making TIPS!
The making part is a breeze – and moves super fast, so make sure you have all the ingredients ready to toss into the wok!
Here are some tips to make your Lo Mein cooking life a breeze, even if you’re a first timer:
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Be prepared! As with all stir fries and noodles, have everything chopped and ready to toss straight in because once you start cooking, it moves FAST! You’ll be done 5 – 6 minutes.
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Double duty sauce – whatever protein you use, season it with some of the Sauce before cooking. Makes it extra tasty!
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TWO wooden spoons will make your tossing life a whole lot easier
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Wok or skillet – you don’t have to cook stir fries in a wok, but it does make it easier to toss enthusiastically, as is called for with stir fries. If you don’t have a wok, just use a very large skillet, preferably one heavy based that holds heat well.
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Keep things MOVING! Once you start cooking, keep stirring for the whole time otherwise things will start stewing i.e. leeching liquid. This will make your vegetables soggy and your noodles watery.
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CRISP tender vegetables – all stir fries and noodles are supposed to have “crisp tender” vegetables, meaning the vegetables are just cooked but are still a tiny bit raw inside. This not only retains their flavour, colour and nutrients better, but also is integral to the dish because overcooked vegetables leech water which waters down the flavour of the sauce.
These Lo Mein Noodles have enough vegetables in them to make it a complete meal, but if you’re really busting for some extra greens, you can either cram in another 2 cups or so of vegetables (ideally something like shredded cabbage, spinach or bean sprouts that are “noodle shaped” once cooked so they kind of disappear into the noodles), or add a Side Salad like one of these:
Side salad suggestions
And with that, I get to sign off. It’s your turn. Go forth and be a Noodle Master! And remember, toss with abundance! That is the very essence of stir fried noodles. Toss, toss, toss!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Lo Mein Noodles
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced (Note 1)
- 1/2 onion , finely sliced
- 300g / 10oz chicken or other protein , sliced 0.5cm / 1/5" thick (Note 2)
- 2 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 4 x 0.75cm / 1.75 x 1/3" batons
- 1 large red capsicum / bell pepper , sliced (or 2 small)
- 6 green onions , cut into 5 cm/2” lengths
- 500g / 1lb Lo Mein, Hokkien or other medium thickness egg noodles, fresh, , prepared per packet (Note 3 for dried)
- 1/4 cup (65ml) water
Sauce:
- 4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 4)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or light soy sauce (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (Note 5 subs)
- 1 tsp white sugar (omit if using Mirin)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted, optional (Note 6)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (sub black)
Garnish (optional):
- Green onion , finely sliced
Instructions
- Sauce: Mix cornflour and dark soy until lump free, then add remaining Sauce ingredients.
- Season Chicken: Transfer 2 tsp Sauce into bowl with chicken. Toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a wok or large heavy based skillet over high heat until smoking.
- Add onion and garlic, stir 30 seconds.
- Add chicken, stir until white on the outside, still raw inside - 1 minute.
- Add carrot and capsicum/bell peppers, cook 2 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- Add noodles, Sauce and water. Use 2 wooden spoons and toss for 30 seconds.
- Add green onions, toss for another 1 minute until all the noodles are slick with sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra green onions if using.
Recipe Notes:
- Beef, pork, turkey - slice and cook per recipe
- Ground / mince meat - cook garlic and onion per recipe, then cook ground / mince. Once cooked, add 1 tbsp sauce, stir, then proceed with next steps in recipe.
- Hard tofu - cut into 1 x 4cm / 1/3 x 1.5" batons, cook per recipe.
- Prawns/shrimp - use small peeled, cook per recipe.
- More veggies - use another 2 1/2 cups chopped veggies.
- Dark soy sauce is labelled as such, provides colour and gives more flavour to the sauce than other soy sauces. Sold at Aussie grocery stores nowadays. Fallback: sub with more ordinary or light soy (below)
- Soy Sauce - ordinary all purpose soy sauce, they just say "soy sauce" on the label (eg. Kikkoman). Can also use Light soy sauce - bottle is labelled as such.
Nutrition Information:
Noodle Lovers – wait!
Your life will not be complete without these noodles too!
Life of Dozer
You wouldn’t believe how often people ask me if I crimp his ears…. NO I DO NOT!!! 😂
(Though I cannot blame anyone for asking, being the crazy Dog Lady that I am)
Karen Taylor says
Have your “bible” but these are super, hubby reckons the best yet.
Dot Middlemass says
Made the lo mein tonight. Fantastic. I also have Dinner, and have been working my way through it; all with great results!
Mindy Bence says
agi & Dozer – LOVE your site and cookbook! My husband Jeff and I feel like you are part of our family! I have many dietary restrictions and they have changed over the years (and change how I can cook). I only used to use coconut aminos but I was ok after I added in some Bragg liquid aminos (soy based) and some legumes (YAY!). I have tamari in stock as well. We went to Asian supermarket yesterday – it was an adventure ;-0! I bought a variety of noodles that I can eat (It’s been a decade since I had noodles!) I bought Japchae (I’m going to make that) and use rice sticks in your Lo Mein recipe; also bought Longkou pea noodles, high grade Shaoxing, Lee Kum Kee brand Gluten free soy sauce and Vegan oyster flavored sauce. Nothing there said Dark Soy that was gluten free. Could you tell me if any of the sauce ingredients I have would stain like dark soy and/or what combo and amounts to use in your Lo Mein? I so appreciate being able to travel the world with the food I make that I can tailor to my health needs! (still can’t eat nightshades, wheat (gluten), or dairy) Asian was the last to tackle because of prevalence of wheat, corn, MSG, sugar, potato in many sauces. My husband and I love reading your travel stories and sharing your life and Dozer with us! I’m also going to try the tenderizing of sirloin tip steak when I make Japchae. Thanks so much for all you do!!!! (I realized I posted this on tenderizing, so re-posted it here)
Kim says
Hi Nagi, just want to say love all your recipes. Your are my go site for excellent recipes and guidelines….Hey Dozer the sweetest lab ever!
Jane Reilly says
Perfect first time. I made it with frozen prawns and it was delicious.
Linda says
Hello,
Well I have purchased everything that is needed for the Lo Mein recipe.
I am single, elderly (although I don’t it), so I make a lot of something then freeze portions.
Do I automatically double everything on the recipe (or x3 or x4)?
If anyone can let me know, that would be great.
Greetings from Canada
Linda
Connie says
So yummy! And fast!!! 🔥
Wholesome Goodness says
When you can make a recipe that is spot on to takeout if not better, you are winning. This was delicious and I will definitely make this my go to. I didn’t have any shaoxing wine, but used a little cooking sherry and it still came out great, thanks for sharing!
Ted E Datz says
Just wonderful flavors for a couple where one enjoys spice and one does not! It worked for both of us and had leftovers for my lunch!
Paige says
So easy and delicious!!..added thinly sliced cabbage as didnt have green onions. Been using you recipes for a few yrs (and your cookbook since i got it) and never had a failed recipe yet!! 🙂
Tory says
Made it with tofu and soba noodles as that was what I had in the fridge/cupboard and everyone raved about it! Thank you
Joscelyn Fultz says
Loved the recipe! Only thing I would change is the corn starch. It threw the consistency off. We’ll make this again for sure!
eddie kirk says
As Always Nagi, spot on! I added a handfull of beansprouts and some fine chopped ginger too. You are always my go to and have been for years now! ; )
Judy D. says
I love this recipe so much that I keep a batch of the sauce made at all times in a squirt bottle in the fridge and I not only use it for lo mein, but for rice and ramen, too!
Thanks for introducing me to dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine!
Catherine Barker says
Another easy yummy dinner. Overcooked the noodles but the flavours are amazing!
Sue Heddle says
I’ve made this for tonight’s tea – my partner is a shift worker and it seems quite portable. I found a half tin of baby corn in my “scraps” freezer. When it thaws I will drain and stir them in. (Don’t judge me – people are often horrified by what I put in my scraps freezer, but I’m still alive and kicking!!
Michelle says
This was excellent as is. Better than the restaurants around here. I used thick spaghetti.
Carol says
Quick and easy tasty meal! Thank you, Nagi!
Trista Swinson says
I don’t typically leave reviews on recipes because honestly I end up making too many adjustments… but WOW! The only thing I changed was I used coconut aminos in place of the dark soy because of availability where I am & cooking sherry for the same reason. This recipe is spot on. We added broccoli, extra garlic, cabbage and carrots for our veggies and didn’t add meat. We will be making this again and again! I have wanted a good lo mein recipe for YEARS! Over a decade, easily! This is a GEM! Thank you!
Mark S says
I made this tonight for dinner. I did deviate from the recipe a tad by using pork and adding a green pepper, cabbage and a bit of fresh ginger. I followed the recipe exactly for the sauce and thought it was simple and had a nice depth of flavor. So nice to not need a long list of ingredients for a great stir fry sauce. My only change for next time would be to add some chilies and Szechuan pepper to add some heat. Thanks
Bill Wears says
I made this for a second time tonight. Its been a month of two.
This time my husband said, how “velvety this sauce is”, wonderful, “what did you do?”
A lovely dinner. Thanks.