Turn that juicy steak into a hearty one-pot meal that makes your tastebuds sing and happy dance… while stretching your money! This 25-minute meaty veggie-packed Beef Lo Mein recipe is rescuing you from boring weeknight dinners with a budget-friendly meal you never knew you needed. Plus, it’s made in one pot for easy cleanup!
🎥 Watch How to Make the Recipe
🥘 Ingredients for Beef Lo Mein
Lo Mein Noodles
You have a couple of noodle options for the lo mein with beef! My fave is using fresh egg noodles because they’re thick and chewy, but choose whichever your heart desires!
- Fresh Noodles: Find them at any local Asian market in the refrigerated section. They’re usually labeled “Lo Mein Noodles”, but really any fresh yellow egg noodles will work! Just make sure to gently separate the noodles before cooking & read the package instructions for any other recommended prep!
- Dry Noodles: If you want something more shelf-stable for last-minute meals, dry noodles work too! Yep, even spaghetti 😉 Just be sure to half the noodle weight in the recipe when using dry pasta since it’ll double once it’s boiled.
Lo Mein Sauce
This powerhouse sauce is a 2-for-1 deal that saves you so much time! This sweet & savory lo mein sauce 1) marinades your beef for incredibly tender and flavorful meat, then 2) seasons the entire dish for deliciously saucy and slurp-worthy noodles! Here are a few key ingredients:
- Dark Soy Sauce: This is what gives your noodles that restaurant-quality rich deep color! It’s different than regular soy sauce since it’s primarily used for its color rather than flavor. If you have ever wondered how restaurants or Chinese recipes get that rich color in their food, this is it!
- Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce is the base of this sauce and adds saltiness and umami!
- Shaoxing Wine: This Chinese cooking wine is commonly used in restaurants to enhance flavors in sauces, marinates, and dishes.
- Oyster Sauce: An absolute must in every Asian pantry for sauces, marinades, and all things needing sweet, salty, umami flavor! The Lee Kum Kee is my fave brand!
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way to add that signature nuttiness you know and love from your fave Chinese Takeout Dishes.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Cuts of Beef
Flank steak is a commonly used cut of beef for stir-fries and they’re usually more budget-friendly compared to other cuts too! If it’s not available, skirt steak, top round, or flat iron steaks also work!
Cut the beef thinly against the grain for super tender ribbons of steak that cook quickly. Do this SUPER easily by slicing the beef while it’s still partially frozen! Fully defrosted meat will lead to bigger chunks that take a slightly longer cooking time.
If you’re not in the mood for beef, swap it out for Chicken Lo Mein or Shrimp Lo Mein for leaner versions! Pork Lo Mein is also a super flavorful alternative, but if you can’t choose, use a combo like in my House Special Lo Mein!
Vegetables
You are the master chef of your kitchen! Mix & match your favorite veggies (or use the ones in your fridge that have been there so long, that they’ve been plotting their escape lol). Need more inspo? I gotchu:
- Thinly sliced carrots
- Thinly sliced onions
- Shredded napa cabbage
- Thinly sliced bell peppers
- Snow peas
- Sliced mushrooms (shiitake, button, or cremini)
- Baby bok choy leaves
- Bean sprouts
- Spinach
🔪 How to Make Beef Lo Mein
Step 1: Cook Beef: Heat wok or large skillet on high with a little oil, then add the beef. Cook for a couple of minutes, until browned and cooked through. Keep a close eye since it’ll cook quickly & don’t want the steak to turn tough. Remove and set aside.
Step 2: Cook Vegetables. Add onions and garlic, cook for a few seconds until fragrant and the onions are slightly tender. Toss in carrots, bell peppers, and cabbage. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the veggies are slightly tender and still crunchy.
Step 3: Add Noodles & Lo Mein Sauce. Gently stir in the noodles and lo mein sauce, so the noodles don’t break. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce is fully absorbed and the noodles are tender. If the noodles are a bit dry, add a splash of water, but be careful not to add too much water so your steak lo mein doesn’t get diluted.
Step 4: Combine & Serve. Add beef back in, combine well, then turn off heat. Garnish with green onions if you’re feeling fancy. Remove and enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Cut Like a Pro: No one wants to bite into a stir-fry with one veggie that’s crunchy and another that’s mushy. Slice your veggies thinly and uniformly, so every bite is cooked quickly and perfectly!
- Unclump Those Noodles: Before tossing your noodles into the pan, make sure they’re not stuck together. If you’re using fresh noodles & they’re stuck from packaging, quickly heat them in the microwave until they’re soft, pliable, & easy to separate. Tossing cold clumpy noodles straight into the pan can lead to breakage aka short sad noodles.
- Crank Up the Heat: When stir-frying, bigger is better—so grab that large wok or skillet, and blast the heat! This way, your ingredients get a gorgeous golden sear instead of steaming and turning into a sad mushy mess.
- Don’t Step Away: Stir-fries are weeknight lifesavers because they cook super fast, but you gotta stay ready! Make sure everything’s prepped and ready to go before you start cooking. Otherwise, you might turn around to find burnt epic sadness.
- Get That Perfect Crunch: Stir-fry your veggies until they’re tender but still have a bit of crunch in the middle. That perfect texture adds the perfect contrast to the chewy noodles—and keeps those colors popping!
💭 Recipe FAQs
🥡 What to Serve with Chinese Lo Mein
This Steak Lo Mein is a full meal on its meal but if you’re looking for more pairings, what can’t you eat this with??
- Serve a comforting bowl of Hot & Sour Soup that warms the body and soul in under 20 minutes!
- Juicy caramelized Char Siu Pork is the dish to make to impress (even though the marinade does all the hard work) or crispy & tangy Beijing Beef!
- For you spicy lovers, Mapo Tofu is filled with chili for kick of heat and silky creamy tofu that begs to be devoured over steamy rice.
- A meal isn’t complete without dessert and who can resist chewy crispy Sesame Balls that have been fried to golden perfection??
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Beef Lo Mein
Watch How to Make It!
Ingredients
LO MEIN SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
MARINADE:
- 8 ounces beef – flank steak or sirloin thinly sliced against the grain into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon lo mein sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces lo mein noodles
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 carrot julienned
- 2 green onion cut into 2-inch slices
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients – dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, & white pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the meat & 1 tablespoon of the lo mein sauce. Set aside to marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Prepare noodles according to the package. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil then once it’s hot, add the beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown & cooked through. Remove & set aside
- Toss in onions & cook for a few seconds, until they start to begin to turn tender but still crunchy. Add garlic & saute for a few more seconds, or until they’re fragrant.
- Add cabbage, bell peppers, and carrots. Cook for about 1 – 2 minutes, or until they begin to turn tender but still crunchy.
- Toss in noodles, pour in sauce, & gently mix together being careful not to break the noodles. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the sauce is completely absorbed into the noodles. Add the beef back in along with its juices & combine well.
- Turn off the heat, add the green onions, & give a final few tosses to allow the green onions to wilt from the residual heat. Garnish with sesame seeds if you’re feeling fancy & enjoy!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
