Chinese Lo Mein
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Lo mein is a Chinese noodle dish where boiled noodles are tossed gently with vegetables, protein, and a soy-based sauce, resulting in a soft, glossy finish that sets it apart from the crisper chow mein.
Read more
The sauce - soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a small amount of sugar - is premixed so it coats evenly during the brief time in the pan. Shrimp is seared first until half-cooked, then broccoli and carrot are stir-fried just until they lose their raw crunch. The warm, drained noodles go in last, and everything is tossed together until the sauce is absorbed and the noodles gleam. The key is restraint: lo mein should stay moist and supple, not charred or dry. The protein can be swapped freely - chicken, beef, or tofu all work with the same sauce and technique.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Mix 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar before cooking.
Boil the lo mein noodles, drain them well, and keep them warm so the sauce can coat them smoothly later.
- 2Season
Rinse 140 g shrimp in salted water, then pat them very dry so they sear instead of steaming.
Cut the broccoli and carrot into small, even pieces so they soften quickly during the short stir-fry.
- 3Control
Heat the pan over medium heat and stir-fry 1 teaspoon minced garlic for about 20 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the shrimp and cook until the outside turns pink but the center is still slightly underdone.
- 4Heat
Add 90 g broccoli and 50 g carrot, then stir-fry for about 1 minute.
Stop when the color looks brighter and the vegetables have lost their raw edge but still keep a light crunch.
- 5Season
Add the warm noodles to the pan, then pour the prepared sauce around the edges.
Lower the heat to medium-low and toss gently with chopsticks or tongs, loosening clumps without breaking the noodles.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat once the sauce coats the noodles with a glossy finish.
Do not leave them in the pan too long, because lo mein should stay moist and soft, not dry or crisp.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Lo mein features a glossy sauce of soy and oyster sauce coating soft, tossed wheat noodles.
- Finish cue
- Do not leave them in the pan too long, because lo mein should stay moist and soft, not dry or crisp.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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