• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes

Chicken Lo Mein

30 minutes
4.65 from 270 votes
136 Comments
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 1200
  • 207
by: Joanna Cismaru
05.20.19

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Chicken Lo Mein is a take out classic! My recipe is quick, easy, and oh so delicious. Forget ordering in, whip this up at home instead!

Chicken Lo Mein on a platter with a bowl full of chicken lo mein in the background

Chicken Lo Mein

It’s always such a treat whenever I get to go to an Asian market in my city. Does anyone else feel like a kid in a candy store? I used to feel intimidated going in, worried that I wouldn’t read the labels properly and would end up buying the wrong things, but I’ve learned to just have fun with it!

There’s so many different types of snacks, the best drinks I’ve bought in a store, and hundreds of types of noodles. I bought so many noodles and I’ve been dying to start using them. There’s just nothing that takes a stir fry to the next level like fresh noodles.

Lo Mein

This is a Chinese dish that uses long egg noodles as its base. Traditional Cantonese style preparation of this dish would just be making a wonton soup broth and serving these noodles dry (but cooked) on the side. I, however, prefer the American version of lo mein, a saucier dish with lots of meat and veggies.

If you have a Cantonese style lo mein recipe that would totally knock my socks off please feel free to share! I’m always hunting for new favorites and you guys clearly have great taste!

stir frying chicken in a wok for chicken lo mein

Ingredients In Chicken Lo Mein

Sauce
  • Brown sugar – We want a syrupy base that will really stick to our noodles and add a bit of color. I prefer brown sugar but white corn syrup (most definitely in Asian markets) will work.
  • Soy sauce – I used both low sodium soy sauce and dark soy sauce for this chicken lo mein recipe. Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and has more concentrated flavor than light soy sauce.
  • Oyster sauce – Yes there is oyster in this sauce, so avoid it if you’re allergic to shellfish. If not this is a great way to add some umami to your dish!
  • Hoisin – I love Hoisin sauce, I even mix it with a little hot sauce and vinegar for a great dip. Anyways, this sauce is rich, thick, dark, and savory. If you don’t have any on hand this recipe is a quick way to replicate that flavor.
  • Pepper – Black pepper to taste, don’t add any additional salt as all our sauces have that base covered.
  • Sesame oil – Such a secret weapon for flavor! I can’t rave enough about sesame oil, it adds a nice toast-iness and complexity to dishes. I like to buy roasted sesame seed oil as its flavor is richer.
Chicken
  • Chicken – Skinless and boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces is what I like to use in this lo mein recipe but chicken thighs will work as well.
  • Soy sauce – Just regular old soy sauce for this component, I prefer to use low sodium.
  • Ginger – Fresh and minced is best! If powdered is all you have on hand that is fine just keep in mind 1/2 teaspoon equals 1 tablespoon of the fresh stuff.
  • Garlic – American lo mein calls for fresh garlic, but if minced is all you have just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoon equals 1 clove.
  • Olive oil – I used olive oil today but Chinese recipes often use soybean, peanut, or vegetable oil instead.
Lo mein
  • Veggies – Fresh shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and onion.
  • Egg noodle – Or any other style asian noodle.
  • Green onion – Optional garnish.
  • Olive oil – For sautéing.

process shots for making chicken lo mein

How To Make Chicken Lo Mein

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Prepare the noodles: Boil the noddles according to package instructions, set aside.
  • Combine sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Prepare the chicken: In a medium sized bowl toss the chicken with the ginger, garlic, and soy sauce.
  • Saute the saute-ables: Heat your oil in a large wok, making sure everything is nice and hot before adding the chicken. Stir the chicken well and allow it to brown for 5 minutes or until it browns. Remove from the heat and set aside, don’t worry if it’s still pink inside. Add more oil and saute the veggies till they soften, stirring regularly.
  • Finish lo mein: Add the chicken back to the wok along with the cooked noodles and prepared sauce. Toss everything together well and turn off the heat. Garnish with green onion and serve steaming. Delish!

process shots of noodles in chicken lo mein

Tips For Making The Best Lo Mein

  • If you decide to use ramen noodles for this dish, keep in mind that rice ramen noodles have a tendency to break when stir fried in a dish like this.
  • If you choose to use regular flat rice noodle for this dish be sure to let them soak according to package instructions before boiling.
  • There’s no need to go out and buy a wok for this recipe (although they are amazing to have on hand), just use a large skillet instead, we need something with lots of surface area to cook up all these ingredients.
  • Beef and shrimp also taste amazing in this dish.
  • Don’t confuse this dish with the very popular chow mein, check out my recipe for chow mein where I talk a bit more about the difference between the two.
  • BBQ sauce can be used in place of hoisin and additional soy sauce can be substituted for the oyster sauce.

finished Chicken Lo Mein on a white plate

Storing Lo Mein

No more styrofoam containers for our left over Chinese! Just store this in an airtight container and it will last 3 – 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Allow to thaw completely before reheating.

Craving More Asian Recipes? Try these:

  • Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms
  • Hoisin Chicken Udon Noodles
  • Spicy Black Pepper Shrimp with Udon Noodles
  • Tofu Drunken Noodles
  • Shrimp Shiitake Noodles
  • Beef Broccoli Noodle Stir Fry
  • Spicy Thai Chicken And Veggie Noodles
  • Chow Mein

Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

a plate of chicken lo mein

Chicken Lo Mein

4.65 from 270 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate
Chicken Lo Mein is a take out classic! My recipe is quick, easy, and oh so delicious. Forget ordering in, whip this up at home instead!

Ingredients

For Sauce

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar packed
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

For Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For Veggies

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup Chinese cabbage shredded
  • 1 cup carrots julienned
  • 1 large onion chopped

Other

  • 16 oz ramen noodles or any other Asian style noodles
  • 3 green onions chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together, then set aside.
  • In another medium sized bowl toss together the chicken with the soy sauce, ginger and garlic.
  • Heat the olive oil well in a large wok. Your wok should be nice and hot before adding the chicken to it. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken starts to brown and is no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add the other 2 tbsp of olive oil to the wok then add the shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and onion to the wok. Cook for a minute while tossing around.
  • Add the chicken back to the wok. Add the cooked noodles, prepared sauce and toss everything together. Turn off the heat.
  • Garnish with green onions and serve.

Recipe Notes

Cook time includes time to cook noodles.
You can also use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
If you don't have hoisin sauce, you could replace that with a bit of barbecue sauce for that bit of sweetness.
Oyster sauce could also be replaced with a soy sauce or fish sauce.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 578kcal (29%)Carbohydrates: 63g (21%)Protein: 27g (54%)Fat: 24g (37%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 48mg (16%)Sodium: 2438mg (106%)Potassium: 832mg (24%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 3745IU (75%)Vitamin C: 6.9mg (8%)Calcium: 55mg (6%)Iron: 4.5mg (25%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Asian
Keyword:chicken, lo mein, stir fry
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

side view shot of a hand holding a cracker dipped in bacon corn dip
Previous Post
Bacon Corn Dip
side view shot of a slice of banana cake with a bite missing
Next Post
Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Recipes

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet

Salisbury Steak

closeup of beef stew in a dutch oven with a ladle inside.

Beef Stew

overhead shot of zucchini lasagna in a baking dish

Zucchini Lasagna

a white bowl full with american goulash and a fork inside stacked on top of an empty bowl

American Goulash (Chop Suey)

two plate with sloppy joes and buns next to a greens salad

Sloppy Joes

beef barley soup in a white bowl with a spoon inside.

Beef Barley Soup

overhead shot of chicken broccoli and rice casserole in a pot

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

creamy chicken lazone in a skillet garnished with parsley.

Chicken Lazone

Popular Now

a hand dipping a chicken tender in ranch dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

a fork stabbing a garlic butter steak bite in a skillet full of them

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

side view shot of a cinnamon bun with a bite taken out of it on a plate

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

side view shot of a hand dipping a piece of naan bread into the bowl of chicken tikka masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

close up of the layers on the homemade croissant

Homemade Croissants

overhead shot of crusty bread loaf

No Knead Bread

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

The Best Chicken Salad

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
spring rolls cut in half in a black bowl with peanut sauce.

Asian

overhead shot of a fork with spaghetti twirled around it in a plate full of spaghetti.

Italian

tex mex seasoning in a tiny wooden spoon.

Mexican

sweet cheese buns stacked on top of each other with the top one broken in half.

Romanian

sideview shot of butter chicken on a plate over white rice garnished with parsley

Indian

overhead of falafel on a plate with tzatziki, feta, tomatoes and onions.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

a whole roast chicken surrounded by potatoes

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!

234577shares
  • 1200
  • 2
  • 207