Feast on the holy grail of lo mein with all your favorite juicy meat and seafood tossed into one epic 30-minute dinner. Craving steak? Chicken? Shrimp? Why settle for one when you can have it all?? Indulge in this one-pot House Special Lo Mein with endless possibilities when you’re feeling boujie (on a budget lol).
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🎥 Watch How to Make House Special Lo Mein
🥘 Ingredients
What Kind of Noodles Are Used For Lo Mein?
I love using fresh egg noodles—they save cooking time and who can resist that thick, chewy texture?? You can easily find them in the refrigerated section of your local Asian store, typically labeled “Lo Mein Noodles.” But honestly, any fresh yellow egg noodles will work (I’ve even used ones labeled for pancit haha).
Dry noodles are a great option too, especially for those last-minute dinners since they have a great shelf life! If you’re using spaghetti (yes, that works too!), just remember to use half the noodle weight called for in the recipe since dry pasta expands when boiled.
Protein
Okay so here’s the fun part! The best part about cooking at home is that you’re the top chef / shot caller! Mix and match any proteins you’d like.
You can do surf & turf with beef and shrimp. Or only seafood for you seafood lovers. Or a combo of chicken, pork, & shrimp. The possibilities are endless & it’s really up to you!
Whatever you decide though, stay within the combined weight in the recipe so you know you have enough marinade.
Vegetables
Just like the protein, the vegetables in this combination lo mein recipe are flexible. Feel free to swap out or add in any of your favorite vegetables! This is also a great way to clean out any veggies hanging in the back of your fridge begging to be used before they go bad. 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 Lo Mein Sauce
This lo mein sauce recipe is a total game-changer because it doubles as a marinade! Who doesn’t love a good 2-for-1? It infuses your protein with extra flavor without wasting extra time or dirtying more dishes. And when you're finished cooking, your noodles will be glistening in that irresistible sauce, practically begging to be devoured! Here are a few key ingredients:
- Dark Soy Sauce: Unlike regular or light soy sauce, used for flavor, dark soy sauce is the not-so-secret ingredient used by restaurants for the deep rich color it gives food. You can easily find it at local Asian markets.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is the base of this lo mein sauce for its saltiness and umami. My fave brand is Lee Kum Kee.
- Shaoxing Wine: This Shaoxing wine is a cooking wine that amplifies flavor in marinades, sauces, and dishes. If you’re looking for that authentic restaurant-quality taste, reach for this Chinese cooking wine.
- Oyster Sauce: A must-have in every Asian pantry, oyster sauce adds a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavors to sauces and marinades. Lee Kum Kee is my go-to brand.
- Sesame Oil: This sesame oil is the final touch to your lo mein that gives the classic subtle nuttiness you love from your favorite Chinese takeout dishes.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥘 What is House Special Lo Mein
Lo mein has many variations with various vegetables and protein, but at its core, lo mein includes wheat-based egg noodles, vegetables, sauce, and typically protein (if you’re not making it vegetarian).
House special lo mein varies for each Chinese restaurant but unlike Chicken Lo Mein, Shrimp Lo Mein, Beef Lo Mein, or Pork Lo Mein that uses only one protein, the House Lo Mein is usually a combo of more than one protein.
🔪 How to Make House Lo Mein
Step 1: Cook Protein. Heat wok or large skillet on high with a little oil, then cook each protein separately until each is browned and cooked through. When cooking shrimp, cook until JUST pink so they don’t overcook and turn rubbery. Remove and set aside proteins.
Step 2: Cook Vegetables. Add onions and garlic, and cook for a few seconds until fragrant and onions are slightly tender. Toss in the carrots, bell peppers, and cabbage. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until slightly tender but still crunchy in the middle.
Step 3: Toss in noodles and pour in lo mein sauce. Gently stir and cook the noodles, being careful not to break the noodles. Cook for another few minutes, until the sauce is fully absorbed and noodles are tender. If the noodles look dry & need a little extra liquid, you can add a little water at a time. Be careful not to add too much so your sauce doesn’t get watered down.
Step 4: Add meat back in, and give it a final few tosses to combine. Turn off heat & garnish with green onions if you’re feeling fancy. Remove and enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Thin & Even Cuts: Slice your veggies thinly and uniformly for fast and even cooking. No one wants to bite into a stir-fry with both raw and mushy veggies!
- Loosen Those Noodles: Before adding your noodles to the pan, prep them according to the package and make sure they’re not stuck together. If fresh noodles are clumped from packaging, pop them in the microwave until they’re soft, pliable, and easy to separate. Tossing cold clumped noodles into a hot pan ends with sad, broken noodles.
- Turn Up the Heat: The key to stir-frying is cooking quickly on high heat on a large surface! So grab a large wok or skillet, crank up the heat, and let your ingredients sear. If the pan’s too crowded, your food will steam, resulting in a soggy, watered-down stir-fry.
- Prep Before You Cook: Have I mentioned stir-fries cook incredibly fast? Lol. This isn’t the time to juggle prep and cooking. Have all your ingredients ready and within arm’s reach before you even turn on the stove—otherwise, you might end up with a burnt disaster.
- Perfectly Juicy & Tender Protein: Cooking times vary for each protein, so keep them juicy and tender by cooking each protein separately. Otherwise, you may end up with juicy chicken but rubbery overcooked shrimp, for example.
- Veggies Done Right: Stir-fry your veggies until they’re just tender with a slight crunch in the center. This gives a perfect contrast to the chewy noodles and keeps their colors bright and beautiful! Keep a close eye so your veggies don’t get overcooked. Otherwise, they’ll turn mushy and release more moisture, resulting in a watery soggy stir-fry.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Let your leftover combination lo mein cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (By the way, this is why it’s perfect for workday lunch meal prep!)
When you’re ready to reheat them, just cover the lo mein with a damp paper towel and microwave until warm. The steam will gently warm the noodles without making them bloated or soggy.
🥗 What to Serve with Combination Lo Mein
This House Special Lo Mein is a One-Pot Dinner you can easily serve on its own, but if you want to do a full Asian Takeout Dinner at home, here are a few more ideas!
- Who can resist crispy Honey Walnut Shrimp in a creamy (not too sweet!) sauce sprinkled with crunchy and slightly salty candied walnuts?!
- Convert non-tofu believers with this easy Eggplant Tofu that satisfies even meat lovers!
- The marinade does all the heavy lifting for this beautiful Char Siu Pork that’s caramelized on the outside and juicy on the inside (plus it makes your house smell amazing!)
- End the night with these beautifully golden Sesame Balls that are irresistibly crispy and chewy at the same time!
Let's Get Cooking!
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House Special Lo Mein
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
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
MARINADE:
- 4 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 ounces large or jumbo shrimp shelled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon lo mein sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces lo mein noodles
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ 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 two separate bowls, combine chicken with ½ tablespoon of the lo mein sauce. In another bowl, combine shrimp & ½ tablespoon of lo mein sauce. Mix well then 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 chicken. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown & cooked through. Remove & set aside.
- Add a little more oil if the wok is looking dry, then once hot, add shrimp & cook for another 1-2 minutes or until golden & cooked through. Remove & set aside with the chicken.
- 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 chicken & shrimp 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!
Notes
- Noodles: Fresh yellow egg noodles from the Asian market are typically use for lo mein, but instant noodles or even spaghetti noodles work too! Whichever kind of noodles you choose, prep the noodles according to the package. If you're using dry pasta like spaghetti noodles though, half the weight amount in the recipe.
- Protein: You can swap out or mix and match the protein for any of your favorites (beef, pork, tofu, chicken, shrimp), but whatever you choose, I highly recommend keeping it to the total weight noted in the recipe so you have enough marinade.
- Regular & Dark Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce is used for the saltiness & umami. Dark soy sauce is used for the rich dark color it gives the noodles & can be found online or any local Asian market. If you skip the dark soy sauce, just keep in mind your noodles will be much lighter in color than the photos (but still yummy!).
- Shaoxing Wine is a Chinese cooking wine that enhances the flavors of the sauce and gives that restaurant quality to the lo mein. You can find it online or Asian grocery store.
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.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who believes anyone can whip up a delicious meal - no matter your skill level! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal for you & the people you love most - without spending all day in the kitchen.
Now come on - Grab a seat & let's eat!
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