If you like lo mein then you are going to love this Better Than Take-Out Lo Mein recipe because you can make it at home ANY TIME YOU WANT. It’s delicious and you can customize it any way you’d like.
This recipe is adapted from the 20 Minute Garlic Beef and Lo Mein recipe by The Recipe Critic. Alyssa’s recipe is totally delicious, but I wanted to make a few adaptations. (I encourage you to check out her recipe and to try it, too!)
What I love about this recipe is that you can use different types of noodles: spaghetti, gluten-free, lo mein, soba – whatever you like. You could even use zucchini noodles to keep the calories down and increase the veggies.
When I make this, I like to prepare the sauce first because I tend to get distracted. Once I have that out of the way, I get started on the rest.
Below are directions on how to make this tasty lo mein dish at home:
How To Make Lo Mein
The first thing you need to do is decide what protein you’d like: chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. For my family, chicken is an easy choice.
- For beef or chicken, cut thin slices on the bias.
- For shrimp, remove the tails and shells. Shrimp cook in only a couple of minutes.
- For tofu, use a firm variety and make sure it is well-drained. (If using tofu, check out this post on Vegetable Lo Mein by Simple Veganista.)
Next, decide which noodle to use as a base. You will need to cook the noodles according to the package directions. For best results, cook them al dente.
1. Prepare the delicious sauce that will enrobe the noodles, meat, and veggies. This is done by whisking all of the ingredients together. If you like your lo mein a little less sweet, only use 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
2. Once the sauce has been made, it’s time to multitask! Start the noodles and start preparing your protein. The directions in the recipe are for chicken, but they work the same if beef is your pick.
3. Once the protein is cooked, add garlic followed by shredded carrots. Add the sauce and toss well. Add broccoli to the boiling noodles during the last 2-3 minutes of cook time.
4. Finally, drain the noodles and broccoli and add it to the skillet. Toss well with the chicken (beef), veggies, and sauce.
5. (Optional) If you like a thicker sauce, you can add a few tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken it up. I recommend that you use organic cornstarch (I buy it at Whole Foods).
What I do is move the food away from one corner of the skillet and allow the sauce to pool there. I whisk in a little bit of cornstarch and when there are no clumps, stir it back into the rest of the dish.
Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 4 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp pepper
- 8 ounces lo mein noodles
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 8 ounces chicken sliced on a bias
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded carrots
Instructions
- Make the sauce by combining the brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare lo mein noodles according to directions on the package. Add the broccoli to the boiling noodles during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
- Meanwhile, cook chicken in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the garlic and shredded carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Add the sauce.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the mixture in the skillet. Stir well to ensure that the noodles are well coated with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
While the lo mein is cooking, bake some egg rolls to go along with the main course. Finish it off with some cute store-bought fortune cookies for a meal the whole family will love.
Suzanne Reginato says
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