Chewy lo mein noodles, tender beef, and crisp vegetables are tossed in a savory sauce. This easy beef lo mein recipe comes together in one pan in 30 minutes. It's a quick homemade alternative to Chinese takeout with plenty of flavor and texture.
Jump to:
Beef lo mein is a Chinese noodle dish made with thick lo mein noodles tossed with juicy beef, vegetables, and a savory noodle sauce. I started making it at home to save about $20 on weekly takeout, and my husband and I especially loved the contrast of chewy noodles, tender beef, and crisp vegetables.
I've cooked homemade beef lo mein countless times, tweaking the recipe until I got it right. My early versions tasted a little flat, so I adjusted the sauce until it had more savory depth while staying balanced and not overly salty.
Why It Works
- Baking soda velveting: A quick baking soda marinade tenderizes the beef so it stays tender during high-heat stir-frying.
- Brief noodle blanching: Blanching the fresh noodles for just 30 seconds loosens them without overcooking, so they stay chewy during the final toss.
- Separate high-heat cooking: Cooking the beef, vegetables, and noodles in stages prevents overcrowding so the beef browns and the vegetables stay crisp.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Fresh Lo Mein Noodles: Use thick Chinese egg noodles, usually sold refrigerated at Asian grocery stores. Thick udon or cooked spaghetti also work.
- Flank Steak: My preferred cut because it slices thinly and becomes tender when velveted. Sirloin tip or hanger steak also works.
- Green Cabbage: Napa cabbage also works.
- Carrot: Bean sprouts also work.
- Red Bell Pepper: Orange or yellow bell pepper also works.
- Green Onions
- Water
- Vegetable Oil: Use a high smoke point oil. Refined avocado oil or canola oil also works.
Beef Marinade
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce also works. Low-sodium soy sauce works too but will make the beef less salty.
- Shaoxing Wine: Dry sherry also works.
- Cornstarch: Helps the beef retain moisture during cooking. Potato starch also works. Avoid tapioca starch because it can make the beef stick together.
- Baking Soda: Tenderizes the beef during the short marinade.
- Vegetable Oil
Beef Lo Mein Sauce
- Garlic Cloves: Jarred minced garlic also works.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce also works, but the latter will make the sauce less salty.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Adds deeper color to the noodles. Mushroom dark soy sauce also works.
- Oyster Sauce: Vegetarian stir-fry sauce also works.
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- White Granulated Sugar: Cane sugar also works.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it coats the noodles. Potato starch also works.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or online.
Expert Tips
- Firm up the beef first by freezing it uncovered for 45-60 minutes for easier slicing.
- Have everything prepped first because the stir-fry moves quickly once cooking starts.
- Drain the noodles well so excess water doesn't dilute the sauce.
- Don't overcook the beef since it cooks again briefly during the final toss.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make beef lo mein:
- Prepare the beef: Thinly slice flank steak against the grain on a 45-degree angle into ¼-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl, toss with the marinade ingredients, and let marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the listed sauce ingredients until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Blanch the noodles: Fill a wok or large pan with enough water to cover the noodles and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and blanch just until loosened, about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse under cold water, shake off excess moisture, and toss with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Cook the beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through with lightly browned edges. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the carrots, red bell pepper, cabbage, and water to the pan. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.
- Finish the dish: Add the noodles. Whisk the sauce again, pour it over the noodles, and stir-fry until the sauce coats the noodles. Return the beef to the pan with the green onions and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: I don't recommend freezing beef lo mein because the noodles and vegetables can become mushy after thawing.
- Reheating: Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water for 3-4 minutes until hot.
Variations
- Chicken: Replace the flank steak with thinly sliced chicken breast and use the same marinade. Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free spaghetti, tamari in place of the soy sauces, gluten-free oyster sauce, and dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve this takeout-style beef lo mein with:
- Garlic Bok Choy: Adds a crisp, garlicky vegetable side without making the meal too heavy.
- Egg Rolls: Add a crispy appetizer that contrasts with the chewy noodles.
- Hot and Sour Soup: Adds a tangy, warming starter that balances the savory lo mein.
FAQ
The noodles may have been overcooked or not rinsed well enough after blanching. Blanch them just until loosened, rinse under cold water, drain well, and toss with a little vegetable oil before stir-frying.
The noodles may have absorbed too much sauce or the sauce may have cooked down for too long. Stir-fry just until the sauce coats the noodles, then return the beef and green onions, toss briefly, and remove from the heat.
Lo mein uses thick lo mein noodles tossed with the other ingredients and sauce, while chow mein usually uses thinner yellow egg noodles that are pan-fried first for a drier texture. Chow mein can then be tossed with stir-fried vegetables and protein in a light sauce or served with the stir-fry and a thicker sauce over the noodles.
More Like This
Check out my other noodle recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy Beef Lo Mein (30 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 14 oz lo mein noodles fresh kind
- ½ lb flank steak
- 1 ¾ cups cabbage thinly sliced
- â…“ cup carrot julienned
- ½ cup bell pepper julienned
- ¼ cup water room temperature
- 4 green onions cut into 1" long pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Beef Marinade
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Noodle Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil toasted kind
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup chicken stock low-sodium
Instructions
- Thinly slice flank steak against the grain on a 45-degree angle into ¼-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl, toss with the marinade ingredients, and let marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the listed sauce ingredients until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Fill a wok or large pan with enough water to cover the noodles and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and blanch just until loosened, about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse under cold water, shake off excess moisture, and toss with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through with lightly browned edges. Remove and set aside.
- Add the carrots, red bell pepper, cabbage, and water to the pan. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.
- Add the noodles. Whisk the sauce again, pour it over the noodles, and stir-fry until the sauce coats the noodles. Return the beef to the pan with the green onions and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Mardel E Coven
First time making any Chinese dish from scratch and it was amazing! Now 2 weeks later I'm trying chicken! This recipe is on my homepage! Thank again can't wait to try some of your other recipes.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much making my recipe and for leaving this review, Mardel! I hope you enjoy my other recipes too.
lynn
I love this recipe! I don't marinade the beef, and sometimes I use pork or chicken and the sauce is so good that it all just works. I use all regular soy sauce. My son has some texture issues so I grate the garlic and let it sit for awhile in the sauce and then strain it out. The flavor is amazing! Everyone in the family loves it! Thank you so much!
Christie Lai
Happy to read this comment and glad it worked out well even for you and your family! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this positive review, Lynn!
Sara Danielle
I bought a package of lo mein noodles and then realized I had no idea how to make a lo mein dish! So I found your Beef Lo Mein recipe on TikTok, came here for the details and made it for dinner. The family loved it and I’ll keep it in the recipe book. And thanks for the tip on freezing the beef to make slicing easier!
Christie Lai
Woo hoo! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review, Sara! Happy that it's going into the recipe book.
Diana
Going to try this! Yummmy, glad I found this recipe plus, the video is super helpful!!
Christie Lai
I am so glad to hear that my video is helpful and I really hope you enjoy my beef lo mein recipe, Diana!
Dita Branta
So good! Actually, all your recipes are gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing them!
christieathome
Thank you so much for your very kind words, Dita! I am so happy you enjoy so many of my recipes. Appreciate your support! 🙂
Lori
Another EXCELLENT recipe Christie!!!! This was so delicious! Better than take out! Nailed it with flavor! I used purple cabbage because that's what I had on hand. I also increased the garlic because I love garlic. 10 out of 10! 100% recommend this recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Lori! I truly appreciate your support. I am also so happy that it was a 10/10 with cabbage! Glad you enjoyed it and have a lovely day! 🙂
Chan
Excellent!!! Yesterday a friend send me this recipe she's craving noodles so i cook it today and she really like your beef lo mein. I used olive oil instead of neutral oil and for the noodles i used brown spaghetti pasta, for regular soy sauce i used low sodium soy sauce. Its amazing taste and she likes it! Thank for your recipe!
😘😘😘
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Chan! I am so glad it was excellent. Happy that both you and your friend enjoyed it with the substitutions 🙂
Lori
2-6-25 : I made this again but subbed boneless skinless chicken thighs. The marinade basically "velvets" the chicken and it is so delicious! Having made this twice now with two different proteins, I think I prefer the chicken! Yum!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience with us! So glad you enjoyed it!