Easy Chicken Lo Mein Recipe - To Simply Inspire

Name: Easy Chicken Lo Mein
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, thinly sliced); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced); 1 red bell pepper (chopped into strips); 8 ounces white mushrooms (sliced); 1 cup snow peas; 1 large carrot (chop into julienne strips); 3 green onions (sliced)

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Our Chicken lo mein is made with thin strips of chicken, crisp veggies, and lo mein noodles tossed and stir-fried in a simple, flavorful sauce for a great, easy dinner that’s ready in under an hour!

A skillet filled with chicken lo mein with chopsticks on the side.

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Chicken Lo Mein Stir Fry

Chicken lo mein is a classic Chinese recipe that you can easily made at home instead of ordering takeout! You get to customize it to your tastes and toss in any favorite veggies you’ve got in the fridge!

Once you have all your ingredients diced, chopped, and prepped, it all comes together pretty quickly. The entire dish is ready in 45 minutes, including 15 minutes of marinating time.

Serve it with any of other favorite Asian recipes like beef and broccoli stir fry, Chinese eggplant, and cashew chicken.

A white bowl of chicken lo mein garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Chicken Lo Mein Ingredients Notes

The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.

Ingredients for a chicken lo mein recipe arranged on a countertop, including lo mein noodles, chicken breast, snow peas, ginger, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, carrot, vegetable oil, garlic, mushrooms, rice vinegar, green onions, soy sauce and red bell peppers.

Chicken and marinade: Thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, soy sauce, olive oil, and cornstarch. Tossing the chicken in cornstarch helps to brown the outside as well as thicken the sauce.
Lo mein noodles: These are long, thick noodles made from wheat. You can use chow mein noodles or regular spaghetti noodles too if you’d like. Cook the noodles according to your package directions.
For the stir-fry sauce: You’ll need soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Use regular soy sauce, light soy sauce or dark soy sauce, whichever you prefer.
Minced garlic and ginger: A necessary addition to most stir-fry recipes! You can use ginger paste instead of fresh. I find it in tubes in the produce department of most grocery stores.
Veggies: Sliced red bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, julienned carrots, and sliced green onions. Use shredded carrots for quick prep. You can also substitute a medium white onion, thinly sliced, for green onions.

Variations

1. Make it gluten free. Use rice noodles and coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce)
2. Use different vegetables like bean sprouts, baby corn, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, shredded cabbage different colors of bell peppers, or any fresh vegetables you have on hand.
3. Try a different protein. This recipe not only works with boneless skinless chicken thighs but also strips of beef or pork. Use extra firm cubes of tofu for a vegetarian version too.
4. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce for some added heat.
5. Add brown sugar and hoisin sauce to the sauce for more of a teriyaki sauce.

How to Make Chicken Lo Mein Recipe

A wooden bowl with raw chicken, vegetable oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch on a countertop.

Raw chicken pieces marinating in a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 1: Make the Marinade. In a large bowl, add the sliced chicken, soy sauce, oil and cornstarch. Stir gently to completely coat the chicken. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Step 2: Cook the noodles according to package directions to al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the noodles aside.

A bowl of soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil mixed together.

Step 3: Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil and whisk together.

Raw chicken pieces in a black skillet ready to be cooked.

Cooked chicken pieces in a black skillet.

Step 4: In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat, and once the oil is hot, transfer the pieces of chicken into the skillet to cook and discard the marinade. Do not add it to the pan.

Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.

A skillet with chopped garlic and ginger, along with vegetable oil.

Garlic sautéing in a large skillet with vegetable oil.

Step 5: Swirl in more oil and cook the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers, snow peas and carrots are arranged in a skillet.

A stir-fry of snow peas, carrots, red bell peppers, and mushrooms in a black skillet.

Then, toss in the veggies to cook until tender yet still crispy.

Then, add the cooked chicken, cooked noodles, and green onions.

A black skillet with cooked noodles, chicken, red bell peppers, and snow peas.

Step 6: Pour the chicken lo mein sauce over everything and gently toss to coat. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until everything is nicely heated through. Garnish with sesame seeds, more green onions, and a drizzle of sesame oil and enjoy!

A white bowl of chicken lo mein garnished with green onions and sesame seeds with a pair of chopsticks holding noodles.

Tips

Only cook the noodles to al dente. This way they won’t overcook and become mushy when added to the sauce.
Be prepared! As with most stir-fry recipes, it moves quickly! Have all the ingredients chopped, sliced, and measured beforehand.
Whether cutting thin slices or larger chunks, be sure to cut your veggies to a similar size for even cooking.
Just after draining the noodles, before you set them aside, you can toss them in a bit of oil so that they don’t clump together while they wait.
Make sure the skillet is hot before doing anything! It’s the key to quick cooking.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate: Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and keep everything frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it when you’re ready to serve it again.

Reheat: Truth be told, sometimes I’ll eat cold leftovers. It’s delicious! If you want to warm yourself up, you can do this quickly in the microwave. If you have a lot to reheat toss it in a large pan with a splash of water to loosen it up again.

FAQ’s

What kind of oil is best for this classic Chinese noodle dish?

Although it’s not considered completely neutral tasting, I still use olive oil. Mostly because it’s what I keep on hand, and I don’t find the flavor overpowering. You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil. Reserve the sesame oil for the stir-fry sauce. Do not use it to cook the chicken and veggies, as that will be too strong of a flavor.

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Chicken Lo Mein