Lo Mein

Late night cravings hit differently when you’re staring at a takeout menu. But after dropping $20 on noodles one too many times, I finally figured out the secret to restaurant-style lo mein at home. Spoiler: it’s all in the sauce ratio.

Most lo mein recipes overcomplicate things with fancy ingredients you’ll use once and forget about. This version? It uses stuff you probably already have, plus whatever protein you’re in the mood for. I went with beef here, but chicken, shrimp, or just extra veggies work just as well.

The best part about making this at home is controlling the sauce. No more swimming-in-oil noodles or barely-there flavor. Plus, you can actually see your vegetables instead of hunting for that one piece of carrot in the takeout container.

What You’ll Need

For the Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For the Main Dish:

• 8 oz beef, sliced thin
• 8 oz dry egg noodles
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1 small red pepper, julienned
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups spinach

Steps

1. Start by cooking the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Don’t rinse them – the starch helps the sauce stick better.
2. Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. In a separate bowl, take 1 tablespoon of your sauce mixture and toss it with the sliced beef until evenly coated.
4. Heat your wok or pan until it’s smoking hot. Add a splash of oil and quickly stir-fry the beef until it’s just barely cooked through. Remove and set aside with its juices.
5. Wipe down your wok, add fresh oil, and toss in the minced ginger over medium-high heat. Once it’s fragrant and golden, add mushrooms, carrots, and red pepper. Keep things moving for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add garlic and stir-fry for another 30 seconds – don’t let it burn!
7. Toss in your cooked noodles, spinach, and the remaining sauce. Use two spatulas to lift and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes.
8. Finally, add the beef back in with all its juices. Give everything one final toss and serve immediately while it’s steaming hot.

Substitutions That Actually Work

• Swap beef for 8 oz of chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Replace oyster sauce with 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• Use baby bok choy instead of spinach (use 3 cups chopped)

Making It Diabetes-Friendly

• Use shirataki noodles instead of egg noodles to reduce carbs by 40g per serving
• Replace sugar with 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
• Double the vegetables and reduce noodle portion to 4 oz total

Tips & Storage

• Cook noodles just until al dente – they’ll continue cooking in the wok
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge
• To reheat, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water and microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through
• Prep all ingredients before heating the wok – this moves fast once you start cooking