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With 5 main ingredients plus a quick sauce, this Easy Chicken Lo Mein is a great meal to toss together when you are short on time!
Chicken. Again. How many possible ways can there be to cook this little bird? And how many times a week can I serve it to my family before they revolt?
The versatile nature of chicken and its low cost make it a very popular protein option for dinner. So sometimes you just have to get creative when it comes to disguising preparing it. 🙂
Even my kids will gobble it up this Easy Chicken Lo Mein (vegetables included, believe it or not!) and it tastes great as leftovers the next day.
Ingredients needed for Easy Chicken Lo Mein:
- cooked chicken-this is a great way to use up leftovers, or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Sometimes I’ll cook a whole chicken in the Crockpot Express and use it for several recipes like this one.
- spaghetti noodles-you can also use thin spaghetti or find actual lo mein or chow mein noodles on the international foods aisle.
- carrots-julienne the carrots (cut into matchsticks) for even cooking-see photo below
- onion-cut into long, thin slices
- cabbage-about 1/2 head, cut into thin strips
- vegetable oil-for sautéing the vegetables
- soy sauce-use low sodium soy sauce if you’re watching your sodium intake
- sugar-either white granulated or brown sugar will work
- sesame oil-this adds great flavor and really makes it taste like your favorite Chinese takeout!
Anytime we get takeout from Red Ginger (our local and most favorite Chinese food restaurant) I order the lo mein. I really prefer the soft, flavorful noodles over all the fried and sauced entrees.
Instructions
1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
2. While the noodles cook, prep and sauté the vegetables
Start by cutting the carrots into matchsticks. If a recipe is calling for you to “julienne” something, that’s what it means.
Begin by cutting the carrots into equal segments. Then slice a small amount off one of the sides so you have a flat edge to to lay on the board. Cut the segments into planks about 1/8″ thick.
Stack the planks on top of each other and then cut them into thin strips. This will help the carrots to cook evenly, and it looks nice, too!
Next, cut the onion and cabbage into thin strips. Toss all the vegetables together in a skillet and sauté in oil until tender.
3. Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. If you prefer your noodles to be even more “saucy”, you can add some chicken stock to the mixture.
4. Toss together the noodles, chicken, sauce and vegetables
If your skillet is large enough, you can pour the noodles into the skillet, add the chicken and then toss it all together with the sauce. If not, you can easily toss it all in the pot with the noodles.
Give me a big bowl of this easy Chicken Lo Mein and some cream cheese wontons and I’m a happy girl! I think making my own fried cream cheese wontons will be the next item on my TO DO recipe list. Yummy!
Other favorite take-out “copycat” recipes we love:
- Crunchwraps (Taco Bell copycat)
- Crockpot Express Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera copycat)
- Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (Red Lobster copycat)
- Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Steakhouse copycat)
- Honey Jalapeno Bacon (Denny’s copycat)
- Shamrock Shakes (McDonald’s copycat)
- Southwest BBQ Chicken Tacos (On the Border copycat)
- Chocolate Covered Banana Bites (Trader Joe’s copycat)
- Monster Cookie Milkshake (Black Tap NYC copycat)
- Fried Apples (Cracker Barrel copycat)
Easy Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds of chicken cooked and removed from the bone
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles cooked
- 2 carrots julienned
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- ½ head of cabbage
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional
Instructions
- 1-2 pounds of chickenCut cooked chicken into small pieces. I used several chicken thighs that I cooked in my slow cooker for 4 hours on high with teriyaki sauce. I’ve also used a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery deli.
- 1 pound spaghetti noodlesBoil spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain.
- 2 carrots, 1 medium onion, ½ head of cabbage, 2 tbsp vegetable oilWhile noodles are cooking, saute vegetables in oil until tender. Add to the noodles, along with the chicken.
- 6 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oilIn a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pour over the noodle mixture. Be sure to mix well to thoroughly coat the noodles.
- Serve with egg rolls, fried rice, steamed rice or on its own!
Nutrition
Published in 2016; Updated 1/23
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Barbara D says
Nicole, you didn’t say what to do with the cabbage! I’m a novice at cooking, so I have no idea.
Nicole Burkholder says
Step 3 of the recipe instructions says “while the noodles are cooking, saute the vegetables…” and that would include the cabbage. I’ll update the recipe card to include the ingredients required for each step. That should make it easier for anyone else who is a novice. Thanks.
Trish says
I have also used packaged Ramein noodles (without the flavor packet) and frozen package of stir fry vegetables. Super simple with your great sauce.
Nicole Burkholder says
That’s a great idea!!!
Celebrating Sunshine says
That looks a-ma-zing! I can almost feel the flavors. I will definitely try your recipe this weekend. Thanks for sharing! #let’sgetrealfridayparty