Lo Mein

These saucy stir-fried lo mein noodles are packed with fresh veggies and they only take about 15 minutes to make! Enjoy this tasty vegetable lo mein as-is, or add your choice of protein for an incredible chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp lo mein!

Easy Lo Mein Noodles Recipe

Wave goodbye to takeout, because now you can make authentic lo mein noodles at home in a matter of minutes! This easy base recipe features a simple sesame soy sauce and a slew of crisp-tender vegetables.

Lo mein is the perfect family meal because it's easily customizable. Add spice, or don't, and your favorite meats or veggies and dig in!

Jump to:

• Easy Lo Mein Noodles Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥢 More Asian Inspired Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

🥘 Ingredients

The lo mein ingredients are incredibly flexible. So, if your craving some pork, chicken, or beef with your noodles, it can easily be added (*see note)!

Stir-Fry Sauce

• Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
• Cornstarch - 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for thickening the sauce.
• Oyster Sauce -2 tablespoons of oyster sauce.
• Mirin - 1 tablespoon of mirin or ShaoXing Wine, Sake, or Dry Sherry cooking wine.
• Sesame Oil - ½ teaspoon of sesame oil (be sure to measure or it can be overpowering).

Lo Mein (Stir-Fried Noodles)

• Peanut Oil - 1 ½ tablespoons of peanut oil, or your preferred cooking oil.
• White Onion - ¼ cup of white onion sliced thin, or use yellow onion.
• Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced.
• Ginger - ½ teaspoon of ginger, thinly sliced.
• Carrots - 2 medium carrots sliced into thin strips.
• Celery- 1 rib sliced into thin pieces.
• Red Bell Pepper - 1 large red bell pepper or a combination of red, orange, yellow, or green bell peppers.
• Lo Mein Noodles - 14 ounces of Lo Mein noodles. Hokkien, egg noodles, or ramen noodles will also work.
• Green Onion - 4 green onions sliced ½-inch in length.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

Stir Fry Sauce

1. Make the sauce. To make the stir fry sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of sopy sauce with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and mix until smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients- 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of mirin. and ½ a teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix and set aside.

Lo Mein Noodles

1. Heat the oil. In a large skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of peanut oil (or cooking oil) until it begins shimmering and is just about to smoke. Add ¼ cup sliced white onion, 2 cloves sliced garlic, and ½ teaspoon of sliced ginger. Stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Stir fry veggies. Once the onions are fragrant, add 2 medium sliced carrots, 1 rib of celery, and 1 large red bell pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables reach your desired level of tenderness.
3. Add the noodles. Once the veggies are tender, add 14 ounces of fresh or dry lo mein noodles and the prepared stir fry sauce. Toss the noodles with the sauce and veggies until coated evenly. If needed, add a splash of water to help coat the noodles.
4. Serve. Once coated, remove the lo mein noodles from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with 4 sliced green onions upon serving.

For an Asian-inspired spread, serve some easy spring rolls as an appetizer! Alternatively, you could opt for something lighter like this Benihana onion soup. Enjoy!

If you like your noodles a little less saucy, you can always try chow mein. For more on the difference between lo mein vs. chow mein, check out my article!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

• If you have both dark and light soy sauce, combine them! Bu using half dark and half light soy sauce, you can add even more depth and umami flavor.
• No mirin on hand? See the related substitutes linked in the ingredients or swap it for chicken or vegetable broth.
• Use fresh garlic. Pre-mined and tubed garlic have more moisture and will splatter in the hot oil.
• Add your favorite protein! If you'd like to add a protein (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, tofu) to your lo mein noodles, slice it into thin, bite-size strips against the grain. Add up to a half pound of protein after frying the onions and garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute (the meat can still be slightly raw on the inside, but cooked on the outside). Continue with the remaining lo mein instructions once seared.
• Use whatever veggies you like or have on hand. I love adding cabbage and greens to my lo mein. Bok choy, broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms, napa cabbage, bamboo shoots, mung bean sprouts, and zucchini are all delicious options.
• Whichever vegetables you choose to add to your lo mein, you'll need an amount of 2-3 packed cups worth.
• Lo mein is available as both fresh or dried noodles. The fresh packages are anywhere from 14-16 ounces each and you will need 1 pack. Smaller packs of dried noodles will need to equal about 1 pound (16 ounces) once they are cooked.
• Storing: Store leftover lo mein of any variety in an airtight container, refrigerated for 3-4 days. Simply reheat it in the microwave!

🥢 More Asian Inspired Recipes

• Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks
• Asian Cucumber Salad
• Leftover Ham Ramen
• Sweet Potato Sushi
• Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
• Shrimp with Garlic Sauce

📋 Recipe