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Square overhead shot of chicken lo mein in a bowl
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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Lo Mein Recipe ("Chinese Noodles")

With a simple, flavorful 3-ingredient sauce, tender stir-fried chicken, and plenty of colorful vegetables, this easy chicken lo mein recipe is a perfect 30-minute meal!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword chicken lo mein, chicken lo mein recipe, easy chicken lo mein, homemade chicken lo mein
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 480kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

For the Sauce

For the Lo Mein

  • 8 ounces lo mein egg noodles or spaghetti
  • 2 cups small broccoli florets
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced with the white and green parts placed in separate piles
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds; chopped peanuts; lime wedges

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

  • Shake together all of the sauce ingredients in a jar; set aside.
    Shaking lo mein sauce in a jar

Make the Lo Mein:

  • Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. During the final 3 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain and toss with sesame oil.
    Cooked chicken lo mein noodles in a colander
  • Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook until no longer pink inside, 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
    Process shot showing how to make chicken lo mein in a skillet on the stovetop
  • Do not clean out the skillet. Add the bell pepper, the white parts of the onions, the garlic and the ginger to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the carrots; cook for 1-2 more minutes.
    Adding ginger garlic and chopped vegetables to a cast iron skillet
  • Add the cooked noodles and broccoli, the cooked chicken, and the sauce to the skillet. Toss everything together; cook for another 1-2 more minutes, until the ingredients are heated through.
    Pouring easy chicken lo mein sauce into a skillet
  • Garnish with the green parts of the onions, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts, if desired.
    Hands serving a white bowl of easy chicken lo mein recipe on a wooden table

Video

Notes

  • Be careful not to overcook the chicken or it can quickly become tough or dry.
  • Prep all of the ingredients in advance, because the cooking process moves very quickly and you want to be able to focus on the skillet.
  • Make separate piles of the white/light green parts of the green onions and the darker top parts of the green onions. The white parts have an oniony punch and a more substantial texture, so they withstand longer cooking times better. Wait to add the dark green tops as a garnish at the end.
  • If you can't find lo mein noodles, you can substitute with spaghetti.
  • Instead of cooking the chicken in the skillet, add 1-2 cups of cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken from a previous meal.
  • Chicken and Shrimp Lo Mein: use ½ lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast and ½ lb. of large, peeled and deveined shrimp that are cut into ½-inch pieces. The shrimp will only need about 1 minute in the skillet, so add it to the pan after you've added the chicken. You can also use 1 lb. of shrimp and omit the chicken altogether.
  • Use any vegetables that your family enjoys. Try water chestnuts, bean sprouts, zucchini, snow peas, sugar snap peas, corn, green peas or edamame.
  • Beef Lo Mein: thinly slice flank steak against the grain and cook for a total of about 1 minute.
  • Vegetable Lo Mein: omit the chicken and add an extra 1-2 cups of vegetables.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3797IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg