Next time you get a craving for a little take-out, bee bop back into your kitchen and whip up this Chicken Lo Mein. It is quick, flavorful, and totally satisfying. Noodles, veggies and chicken are tossed in that classic savory lo mein sauce. It comes together in about 40 minutes and it’s super flexible—toss in whatever veggies you have on hand and make it your own.
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Ingredient Details
Lo Mein Noodles – Look for them fresh in the refrigerated section or dried near other Asian noodles. If using dried, be sure to cook them per package instructions just until tender and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
Chicken Breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a lean protein that cooks quickly and evenly. For lo mein, slice the chicken thinly against the grain. See tips below for getting even, thin slices.
Napa Cabbage – this mild, slightly sweet cabbage adds volume and a tender crunch. It wilts down quickly in a hot pan, so slice it thinly so it cooks evenly and blends well with the noodles. If you have an Asian market nearby I highly recommend checking it out for these veggies – they will tend to be less expensive there.
Carrots – keep it simple here and buy shredded/julienned carrots at the store!
Ginger – as always I recommend buying the frozen grated ginger cubes at the grocery store! I buy the Dorot Gardens Frozen Minced Ginger.
Oyster Sauce – A thick, savory sauce made from oyster extract, it adds rich umami flavor and a slight sweetness to the dish. It helps create the glossy, flavorful coating you expect in lo mein. A good-quality brand makes a noticeable difference.
Dark Soy Sauce – is darker in color, thicker, and slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce. It is used to add a deeper, richer flavor and a darker color. Your regular soy sauce is used more for seasoning and flavor as it is thinner and tends to be saltier.
Shaoxing wine – is a type of Chinese cooking wine, and is alternatively spelt Shao-hsing or Shaohsing. It is a type of rice wine. If you can’t find this you can sub white wine or dry sherry.
Sesame Oil – this is a very strong oil but adds such a nice nutty, umami flavor to the lo mein! Don’t skip this ingredient.
Optional Substitutions or additions
- Chicken breast – You could use chicken thighs, but getting even slices may be more challenging.
- Shaoxing wine – Dry sherry or a dry white wine will also work.
- Napa cabbage – Using a regular green cabbage is possible but it may take a little longer to cook down.
- Granulated sugar – Honey makes a good substitute.
- Veggies – If you would like to add extras like mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli or peppers to the dish, you can do that as well.
Tip for Getting Thin & Even Chicken Slices
To get evenly thin slices on the chicken breast you want to ensure that you have a very sharp knife. That will help tremendously, but be careful not to cut yourself.
Another trick is that you can pop your chicken breast in the freezer for 30-45 minutes so that it starts to freeze up slightly. This will make it firmer and hold its position so that when slicing, it is not moving as much, allowing for a cleaner cut. Remember, you do not want to freeze it; you just want it to start to freeze.
How To Make Chicken Lo Mein
Step 1
Marinate the chicken for 10 mins in the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and pepper.
Meanwhile prep the lo mein noodles per package instructions.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet, cook the chicken until it turns golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 3
Add more oil to the empty pan and sauté the napa cabbage, white parts of the green onions, and carrots for 2-4 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger, cook for 30 seconds.
Step 4
In a glass measuring cup whisk together the water, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper. Pour into the pan.
Step 4
Toss in the noodles, cooked chicken and collected juices with the sauce, cooking until the sauce thickens.
Serving Ideas
This is a pretty filling dish that has your veggies, starch and protein all in one, so it is totally acceptable to serve this on it’s own. However if you want to bulk the meal up a tad, here are some fun side dishes to think about:
- Egg Rolls
- Potstickers
- Crab Rangoons
- Sushi
- Salted Edamame
More Asian Inspired Dishes
Simple Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast - thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Lo Mein
- 14 oz lo mein noodles - could also use ramen noodles with seasoning packet discarded
- 2 tablespoon olive or canola oil - divided
- 2 cups Napa cabbage - thinly sliced
- 4 green onion - whites and greens separated and cut into ½-1 inch pieces
- ½ cup carrots - julienne (store bought shredded carrots work great!)
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger - grated
- ¼ tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Add chicken breast, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and pepper to a medium mixing bowl, toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 10 minutes.1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Meanwhile prepare the lo mein noodles according to the package directions, rinse with cold water, and set aside.14 oz lo mein noodles
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and any liquid to the hot pan, cook until it begins to turn golden brown and is cooked through. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and stir in the Napa cabbage, white parts of the green onions, and carrots**. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the carrots start to soften and the cabbage wilts. ** at this point add any extra veggies you want to use too!!2 cups Napa cabbage, 4 green onion, ½ cup carrots
- Add garlic and ginger to the pan, stirring and allowing them to cook for 30 seconds.4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger
- In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the water, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper. Pour into the pan.¼ tablespoon water, 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Toss in the cooked noodles and cooked chicken with the sauce, cooking until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with the green parts of the green onions, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Shaoxing wine – Dry sherry or a dry white wine will also work.
- Napa cabbage – Using a regular green cabbage is possible but it may take a little longer to cook down.
- Granulated sugar – Honey makes a good substitute.
- Veggies – If you would like to add extras like mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli or peppers to the dish, you can do that as well.
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