Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

Home All Recipes

By Chris Joe

5 from 13 votes

May 12, 2022, Updated Jun 05, 2022

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Beef and noodles are such an amazing combination, and this Beef Lo Mein is no exception! In my opinion, Lo Mein is one of the most versatile stir-fry dishes on the planet. You can make it with pretty much any vegetables you’d like, and in this case, super tender beef is paired with a medley of crisp vegetables and a savory sauce that is incredibly delicious!

I absolutely love making this dish when I have friends or family over, and every single one of them had said this is the best Beef Lo Mein they’ve ever had! The noodles are chewy and paired with the crisp vegetables and tender beef, and I’m so excited to share my recipe with you all!

Watch the Beef Lo Mein Recipe Video Below!

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (2)

Prepare Your Vegetables

One of my most important tips for a successful Lo Mein is to prepare all your vegetables and ingredients ahead of time! The dish comes together so quickly in the wok or pan, so it’s important to have everything beside your stove and at your disposal so they can be added quickly!

Additionally, cutting your vegetables to similar size pieces is also an important note to keep in mind. Similar size pieces will cook evenly, and ultimately result in a dish that is easier to eat! I cut the carrot, onion, scallions, and cabbage into 1-2″ strips below.

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (3)

Slice, Marinate, and Cook Your Beef

Slice the flank steak at an angle against the grain to create 1/4″ wide strips. Cutting at about a 45 degree angle will give the beef nice surface area, but keep it thin enough to cook quickly in the wok! Once the beef is sliced, marinate the strips with the following:

  • Kosher Salt
  • White Pepper
  • Baking Soda
  • Shaoxing Wine
  • Light Soy Sauce
  • Cornstarch
  • Neutral Oil
Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (4)

A small amount of baking soda is used here as a tenderizing agent to the beef, while the oil and cornstarch help coat the beef to form a beautiful crust when it is cooked quickly in the pan. This is a process called velveting.

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (5)

Add the seasonings and mix them well and marinate for 20 minutes, then fry them over high heat for 2-3 minutes until the beef is cooked through and set them aside!

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (6)

My Key Ingredient Tips for Beef Lo Mein

INGREDIENTS TIPS

NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.

NOODLES
The #1 question I always get is which noodles do I use? My favorite brand is Twin Marquis for lo mein noodles – I find them in the refrigerated section at my local 99 Ranch!

VEGETABLES
One of the reasons why I love Lo Mein so much is you can put basically whatever you want in it! Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms, celery, and bean sprouts!

MSG
Feel free to leave this out if you prefer!

Bring the Dish Together in the Wok

Once the beef is removed, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil into the pan and fry the chopped garlic for a few seconds until fragrant. Add your vegetables, season with salt, and cook for another two minutes, followed by the cooked beef, noodles and sauce. Mix together until the sauce has thickened (thanks to the cornstarch we added), then at the last minute, add the scallion greens and finish with sesame oil!

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (7)

My Top Recipe Tips for Beef Lo Mein

RECIPE TIPS

CORNSTARCH HACK
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I love to add the cornstarch to the sauce to avoid having to add a cornstarch slurry at the end – this saves you both time AND an extra step!

CUT YOUR VEGETABLES!
I always recommend cutting your vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly – this little step makes a huge difference!

SUCCESS IS IN THE PREP!
Once you start cooking, this recipe will come together very quickly. The key to pulling this off successfully is having all of your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your beef, premixed sauce, noodles, and vegetables ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.

NOODLES

  • UNDERCOOK YOUR NOODLES: Don’t forget that the lo mein noodles will finish cooking in the pan! I always cook my lo mein noodles 1-2 min less than the package instructions call for. This way, they come to my preferred doneness by the time the dish is done in the pan!
  • RINSE & TOSS IN OIL: After boiling, rinse the noodles immediately with cold water to stop the cooking. Shake them dry and then toss in a tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking while you prepare & cook the other ingredients.

5 from 13 votes

Beef Lo Mein

Servings: 4

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Save

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (8)

This Beef Lo Mein is a variation of a classic Chinese takeout dish with tender beef, crisp vegetables, savory sauce, and chewy lo mein noodles!

Ingredients

Beef Marinade

Vegetables + Aromatics

  • 1 carrot, medium
  • 3 cups cabbage, sliced
  • 1/2 cup white onion, sliced
  • 5 scallions, greens and whites separated
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped

Sauce

Noodles + Oil

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Slice beef at an angle against the grain to ¼” thick strips and marinade for 20 minutes with the Beef Marinade.

  • Cut the vegetables to ½” pieces and chop garlic. Set aside near the pan.

  • In a bowl, mix together sauce by combining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, water, and msg. Set aside near the pan.

  • Cook noodles 1 minute under package directions in boiling water, drain and remove.

  • In a wok or large pan, heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil over high heat, fry beef for 2-3 minutes (in batches) until golden brown and cooked through.

  • In the remaining oil over high heat, fry garlic for a few seconds until fragrant, then immediately add onions, scallion whites, carrot, cabbage. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

  • Add back beef, noodles, sauce then mix to combine until the sauce has thickened. Add back the scallion greens, finish with a 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, mix and enjoy!

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (9)
Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (10)

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

Read more about me

You May Also Like:

Spaghetti and Meatballs (Video)

Jajangmyeon (Video)

Garlic Noodles with Crab (Video)

Chicken Lo Mein

Beef Lo Mein - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is beef lo mein sauce made of? ›

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and chile paste together in a small bowl; pour over the spaghetti. Dump spaghetti and sauce mixture into the wok with the vegetables and steak; cook and stir until the spaghetti is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

What makes lo mein taste so good? ›

The defining feature of any lo mein dish is the sauce, so make sure you take the time to get it right. Using dark soy sauce will give the lo mein color and a bolder taste while adding light soy sauce will give the dish some extra saltiness and flavor without staining the noodles darker.

What is the difference between beef chow mein and beef lo mein? ›

Lo mein usually uses the fat, chewy noodles, while chow mein uses the thin type of noodles that sometimes contain egg.” Lo mein uses fresh noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, while chow mein uses dried noodles that are parboiled for five to six minutes. Then there's the difference in cooking method.

How to make beef tender like Chinese restaurants? ›

There are a few methods, but this is the easiest way:
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What can I substitute for oyster sauce? ›

What Are Some Good Oyster Sauce Substitutes?
  • Fish Sauce. Fish sauce makes a great substitute because of the flavor backbone similarities. ...
  • Hoisin Sauce. ...
  • Soy Sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki Sauce. ...
  • Black Bean Paste. ...
  • Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) ...
  • Mushroom Broth. ...
  • Worcestershire Sauce with Soy Sauce and Sugar.

How do you thicken lo mein sauce? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

What are the best noodles to use for lo mein? ›

You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly.

Is Chinese beef lo mein healthy? ›

Worst: Lo Mein

This mound of noodles has about half the carbohydrates you need all day. The noodles are made from white flour, which raises your blood sugar faster than fiber-rich whole grains. Plus, they're cooked with oil and soy sauce, so you get extra fat and sodium. Can't pass it up?

Can you use spaghetti for lo mein? ›

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook and stir celery, carrots, onion, and green onions in hot oil until slightly tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spaghetti and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

What does lo mein mean in English? ›

The term lo mein comes from the Cantonese lou1 min6 (撈麵), meaning "stirred noodles".

What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein sauce? ›

Meanwhile, vegetables and meat or seafood are stir-fried, then everything gets tossed together with a sauce before serving. (That's another distinction between chow mein and lo mein: Lo mein is a saucy dish, while chow mein is typically drier or less liquid-y.)

What is Chinese chow mein sauce made of? ›

Combine soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth to make the signature sweet and savory sauce that makes chow mein taste authentic.

What does lo mein sauce taste like? ›

What does Lo Mein taste like? Lo Mein is slightly sweet and savory because garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and oyster sauce are tossed lightly with a sesame oil base during the cooking process.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Trent Wehner

Last Updated:

Views: 6506

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Trent Wehner

Birthday: 1993-03-14

Address: 872 Kevin Squares, New Codyville, AK 01785-0416

Phone: +18698800304764

Job: Senior Farming Developer

Hobby: Paintball, Calligraphy, Hunting, Flying disc, Lapidary, Rafting, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.