This Chicken Lo Mein Recipe is made with tender pieces of chicken, soft lo mein noodles, and crisp veggies tossed in a simple sauce. Ready in less than 20 minutes, it’s the perfect alternative to ordering takeout!
Chinese is one of our favorite cuisines and we used to order takeout quite frequently, at least until I started recreating all of our favorites at home. This chicken lo mein is my latest takeout copycat recipe and it’s SO good. Not to mention quick and easy!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
I’m not joking when I say this is one of our favorite Chinese recipes. Here are a few reasons why.
- Better than takeout. Yup, I said it – this homemade chicken lo mein is better than what you can order at any restaurant. I credit it to the fresh veggies!
- Quick & easy. From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes to prepare this recipe. Faster than waiting for takeout!
- Customizable. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that I can customize it based on the ingredients on hand and the preferences of whoever is going to be eating.
What’s The Difference Between Lo Mein and Chow Mein?
Chow mein and lo mein are both Chinese noodle dishes. Literally speaking, lo mein means “tossed noodles” and chow mein means “fried noodles”. Lo mein noodles are soft and chewy and the dish itself is pretty saucy while chow mein noodles can be soft or crunchy and the dish is a bit lighter on the sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
This takeout-inspired recipe is loaded with fresh veggies, tender pieces of chicken, and a few other ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Veggies – I used carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, snow peas and broccoli florets in my chicken lo mein. See below for more ideas.
- Chicken breast – You can either cook the chicken by grilling, baking, or frying on the stovetop or you can use rotisserie chicken to save additional time. Chicken thighs can also be used.
- Lo mein noodles – You can get the dry noodles and cook them according to package instructions or the pre-cooked noodles.
- Garlic – Adds an earthy bite.
- Broth – Use low-sodium for the best flavor.
- Soy sauce – Adds the classic umami flavor.
- Brown sugar – Sweetens the sauce just a bit.
- Sesame oil
More Veggie Add-In Ideas
Feel free to customize this lo mein recipe with your favorite veggies. Here are some ideas:
- Onions
- Edamame
- Zucchini
- Baby corn
- Green or orange pepper
- Celery
- Water chestnuts
How To Make Chicken Lo Mein
This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the printable instructions.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chicken broth until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the veggies. Heat a few tablespoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or wok. Cook the mushrooms until slightly browned, remove and set aside, then saute the remaining veggies until crisp-tender. Return the mushrooms to the pan and continue stir-frying.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the cooked noodles to the pan, pour the sauce over the top, and mix together with tongs. Enjoy!
Here are some things that I’ve found helpful when making this recipe.
- Make extra sauce. You may desire to double the sauce recipe as the noodles will continue to absorb the sauce with time. Just add a little sauce while heating to coat everything to your preference.
- What if I don’t have lo mein noodles? I used lo mein noodles, but you can use angel hair, spaghetti or egg noodles and it’ll work just as well.
- Toss the noodles with oil. To keep noodles from becoming a sticky mess, return the drained noodles to the pan and add a splash of olive oil and water. Cover until ready to use.
- Add water to the veggies if needed. You may want to add a splash of water or broth when sauteing the veggies to steam them a bit.
- Make a veggie lo mein. To turn this into a vegetable lo mein recipe, simply omit the chicken. (And feel free to add extra veggies!)
Serving Suggestions
Chicken lo mein makes a great meal on its own. One of the reasons I love it is because it doesn’t really require any side dishes. That said, my family is obsessed with crab rangoon and egg rolls so I typically make one of those as a side.
Sometimes we’ll also pair this with another of our favorite Chinese takeout recipes, such as sweet and sour chicken or General Tso’s chicken. In that case, this recipe will feed more than 4 people.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover chicken lo mein in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. You can reheat this in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may want to add a bit of extra sauce or a splash of broth to prevent it from drying out, as the noodles will continue to absorb the sauce.
More Chinese Takeout-Inspired Recipes
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Add the brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and chicken broth to a small bowl and whisk to combine making sure the sugar is dissolved. (Or, you can add the ingredients to a mason jar, tighten the lid and shake to combine.)
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In a medium pan, heat a few Tablespoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat.
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Add the mushrooms first and cook until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.
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Add additional oil if necessary and then add the remaining vegetables and sauté until crisp tender. (You may need to add a splash extra of broth or water to assist with cooking/steaming the veggies.)
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Once cooked through, add the mushrooms back to the pan.
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Add the cooked noodles to the same pan.
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Pour the sauce over the top and use a tongs to mix together.
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Serve immediately!
Last Step:
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Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Potassium: 826mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 6820IU | Vitamin C: 92mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
