Easy Chicken Lo Mein
Updated Sep 29, 2026
Chicken lo mein with chewy noodles, chicken, cabbage, peppers, and carrots in an easy homemade lo mein sauce. A quick 30-minute dinner that beats takeout.
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I’m kind of annoying about lo mein noodles. If they’re soft and mushy, I don’t care how good the sauce is, I’m already disappointed. Chicken lo mein needs that chewy, springy noodle texture for me, so that’s the part I pay the most attention to. Once the noodles are where I want them, I add chicken, cabbage, peppers, and carrots and toss everything with the sauce. When I make chicken lo mein at home, I also use way more vegetables than I ever seem to get in the takeout container.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this recipe.
I ruined the noodles a couple of times before I stopped cooking them all the way in the pot. They looked fine when I drained them, but once they went back into the pan with the sauce, they got softer than I wanted and lost that chewy bite I like in lo mein. Now I take them out while they still feel a little underdone. I’ve made them both ways enough times that I can tell the difference right away.
I also made a version of the sauce without cornstarch because I wanted to see if I really needed it. I did. The flavor was there, but the sauce mostly slid off the noodles and collected at the bottom of the pan. With the cornstarch, it actually hangs onto the noodles, so that one stayed in the recipe.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Chicken Lo Mein Ingredients
- Lo mein noodles: I recommend using fresh lo mein noodles if you can find them! You can find fresh lo mein noodles in the refrigerated section of most Chinese grocery stores. Dried lo mein noodles also work. They may also be called Chinese noodles or Hokkien noodles.
- Chicken: I use chicken breasts here. Slice them thinly across the grain, keeping the pieces about the same thickness so they cook evenly. You can substitute 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but they may need a little longer in the pan.
- Vegetables: I use sliced cabbage, matchstick carrots, sliced red bell pepper, and sliced green onions for this recipe. Use whatever vegetables you have! Snow peas, sliced mushrooms, broccoli florets, and bok choy are all great options.
- Aromatics: Minced garlic and chopped ginger are essential for any stir-fry and add so much flavor.
- Lo mein sauce: Oyster sauce, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chicken broth, and cornstarch make the sauce. If you don’t have oyster sauce, fish sauce is a good substitute. I use reduced-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium chicken broth so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. You can also use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, but just know the sauce will be sweeter.
- Oil: I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point, making it ideal for stir-frying.
How to Make Chicken Lo Mein
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make chicken lo mein with vegetables. Cook and drain the noodles before starting the steps shown here. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
1. Make the lo mein sauce
Place the oyster sauce, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chicken broth, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
2. Whisk until smooth
Work out any visible cornstarch lumps, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. Set the mixture aside while you cook the chicken and vegetables.
3. Brown the chicken
Heat some of the avocado oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced chicken and cook until lightly browned, then transfer it to a plate. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Cook the garlic and ginger
Add the remaining avocado oil to the skillet with the garlic and ginger. Stir constantly until fragrant, watching closely so the garlic doesn’t burn.
5. Soften the vegetables
Add the cabbage, red pepper, carrots, and white parts of the green onions. Stir frequently until the cabbage begins to wilt.
6. Add the chicken and sauce
Give the sauce another quick whisk before pouring it into the skillet with the browned chicken. Cook until the vegetables are tender, the chicken is cooked through, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
7. Add the lo mein noodles
Transfer the cooked noodles to the skillet, gently loosening any strands that have stuck together.
8. Finish the chicken lo Mein
Use tongs to lift and turn the noodles until they’re evenly coated and mixed with the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with the dark green parts of the green onions and serve.
Full Chicken Lo Mein with Vegetables Recipe
Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lo mein noodles Chinese egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pound chicken breast thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1- inch fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 3 green onions thinly sliced diagonally, white and dark green parts separated
Instructions
- Cook lo mein noodles in a pot of boiling water until just cooked (they should still be very chewy). Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Keep warm.
- In a small bowl, stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, and cornstarch until well combined to make the sauce. Set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add cabbage, pepper, carrots, and white parts of green onions and cook, stirring constantly, until cabbage is wilted, 2 minutes.
- Add sauce and browned chicken and cook until vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes more.
- Add noodles and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with dark sliced green onions and serve.
Equipment
Notes
8 ounces lo mein egg noodles
8 ounces chicken breast cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
½ red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup sugar snap peas
For the Sauce
¼ cup tamari sauce or soy sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons Sriracha or more, to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Instructions
Cook the noodles according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together; set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp canola oil, then add the chicken with salt/pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken starts to brown and is no longer pink inside.
Pour about half the sauce over the chicken and stir-fry for an additional minute to coat. Then transfer the chicken to a bowl; set aside.
To the same skillet, heat the other 1 tbsp canola oil and add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and carrots, and cook for 2–4 minutes until fork-tender. Add the spinach and sugar snap peas and toss for an additional minute until spinach wilts.
Add the chicken back to the skillet. Add the cooked noodles and remaining sauce, and gently toss everything together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make it with tofu: You’ll want to use extra-firm tofu, pressed of excess moisture so it doesn’t fall apart in the pan. You can bake the tofu ahead of time or sear it in the pan as you would the chicken.
- Stir in scrambled eggs: Scramble 2 eggs separately, then fold them in with the noodles at the end so they stay in soft pieces.
- Finish with some crunch: Sprinkle ¼ cup of chopped roasted peanuts or cashews over the noodles just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use a large pan with a heavy bottom. Lo mein is traditionally cooked in a wok: a deep-bottomed, high-sided pan that sits over a high flame. If you (like me) don’t have a wok, choose a large pan with a heavy bottom that will heat up quickly and hold heat well.
- Preheat your skillet. Stir-frying needs high heat and quick cooking, so make sure your pan is hot before you add any ingredients! This will help everything cook evenly and prevent the vegetables from getting mushy.
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Dried lo mein noodles only need to cook for about 3 minutes in boiling water. They should be tender but still have a little bite to them, since they’ll continue cooking when you add them to the pan later on.
- Drain the noodles well. Water caught between the strands can thin the sauce when you add them to the skillet.
Serving Ideas
- Add a cucumber salad: My Asian cucumber salad has a tangy rice vinegar dressing that goes well with the saucy noodles.
- Serve with broccoli: I like air fryer broccoli alongside it for the crisp edges. It also leaves the stove free for the lo mein.
- Add green beans: My sautéed green beans with garlic or roasted green beans work well when I want another vegetable on the table without making another sauce.
Troubleshooting
They likely cooked too long in the boiling water or stayed on the heat too long after being added to the skillet. Cook them until just tender with some chew, then toss them with the finished sauce only long enough to coat and heat through.
The sauce thickens as it heats, and it can tighten up further once you add the noodles. Toss in chicken broth or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the strands separate easily and the sauce coats them evenly.
The vegetables may have released extra moisture, or the sauce may not have simmered long enough for the cornstarch to thicken it. Let it bubble briefly before adding the noodles. Also, whisk the sauce again just before pouring it in, since cornstarch settles at the bottom of the bowl.
Lo mein and chow mein are two very similar Chinese dishes that are made with egg noodles, vegetables, and protein. The main difference is that the noodles in chow mein are stir-fried so that they are crispy, but in lo mein, they are soft.
Comments
Hi Yumna, I love this recipe but don’t have green onion on hand. Can you suggest an alternative ingredient and how much to use? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amira! You can leave out the green onions and use about 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow or white onion instead. Add it with the cabbage, pepper, and carrots so it has time to soften. You can also just skip the green onion altogether, and the lo mein will still be delicious!
Back to report it turned out so good! Thanks for another yummy recipe Yumna!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I used to make a version of this recipe, maybe even the same one, but with Ka-Me Hokkien Stir-Fry Noodles. I absolutely loved this recipe. Sadly I have lost it and want to make it again. Is this the same recipe, just with a different noodle? Thank you for such great recipe.
Oh yes it was updated back in 2022!! I just added it to the recipe notes since others might be looking for the original too. I hope that helps!!
Yes this does help! I made it for my grandson and couldn’t believe how much he ate (he is generally not a big portion eater). Thanks for a great easy and tasty recipe!
Yay, so glad you both liked it!! You’re welcome!
This was delicious! I used hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce and it turned out great. I doubled the recipe for a family event and used a large electric skillet.
Yay, love that!! So happy your hoisin sauce swap turned out great and that the recipe worked well for a larger crowd! Thank you!!
Could the noodles listed be subbed with spaghetti or thick rice noodles instead? If so, which would you suggest?
Yes, either of those would work! Personally, I would use rice noodles because I often use them in other stir-fry recipes.
Made it tonight, with suggested changes – delicious! Thank you so much!
Yay, so glad you liked how it turned out! You’re welcome!!
The best easy-to-follow recipes and I have your book!!
Aww, thank you so much! So glad you like my recipes and find them easy to follow!!
I love this recipe! The sauce was incredibly yummy. I’m thinking of using rice next time instead of noodles. Have you tried this??
Thank you! I haven’t tried that yet, but it’d definitely worth trying!
Just coming back to this recipe to make it again. 10/10 Yumna! 💓
Thank you so much!
I made this last week, and loved it so much. Thanks.
Yay!! You’re so welcome!
So easy! I’m not great at cooking, but all Yumna’s recipes are easy to follow and with a great outcome! This dish specifically has become my new go to!
So glad to hear it! Thank you!!
Wow! I loved this recipe for so many reasons! First of all, perfect taste, I didn’t have to add/subtract, yum yum yum! Second, it was super easy and quick. And best of all I only had to use 1 pan!!! Thanks for the recipe, keep ‘em coming!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for the 5 stars and the feedback!!