This beef lo mein recipe is just like your favorite takeout featuring colorful stir-fried veggies like carrots, bell pepper, red onion, snow peas, and broccoli with tender beef strips and lo mein noodles all tossed in a savory sauce.
Why this recipe works
Beef lo mein brings together fresh veggies with tender sliced beef and lo mein egg noodles. It’s a popular dish for obvious reason. Combining bold Asian flavors in a rich ginger, garlic, soy, and brown sugar homemade lo mein sauce with thinly sliced beef, noodles, and stir-fried veggies is so simple yet incredibly flavorful.
We love to recreate our favorite takeout dishes right at home and just like with our Mongolian beef recipe, most times it comes out even better than you could have imagined.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
BEEF – Our favorite beef for stir fries is flank steak. Other cuts that work well are sirloin and skirt steak, just be sure to slice it thin. Partially freezing the meat can make it easier to cut thin, especially if you do not have a sharp knife. It’s also best to slice the meat against the grain which will produce a more tender cooked meat.
VEGETABLES – Carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, snow peas, broccoli, and bean sprouts add color and texture to this dish. For an even more Asian flare, use broccolini instead of regular broccoli. You can certainly use fresh bean sprouts if you like, but they are harder to find than canned. Simply use the same measurement as the canned sprouts.
NOODLES – I highly recommend using authentic lo mein noodles, which can be found in the international aisle or even the pasta aisle at the grocery store. If you can’t seem to find them, you can replace them with chow mein, ramen, or even spaghetti noodles.
SAUCE – The homemade lo mein sauce is made with fresh garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. It’s tangy with a touch of sweetness.
How to Make Beef Lo Mein
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, pour 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil over the sliced meat. Mix together until meat is completely coated. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, 7 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Heat wok over medium-high heat for a few minutes to get it hot. Add meat to the wok and constantly stir fry until meat is no longer pink. About 4-5 minutes.
EXPERT TIP – No oil is needed for this step as there is already sesame oil on the meat.
- Using tongs, remove meat from wok leaving any remaining juices in the pan. Do not turn off heat as you will be adding the vegetables immediately.
EXPERT TIP – If you need to, you can turn off the heat then turn it back on when you are ready to add the vegetables. You want your wok to be hot.
- To juices in wok, add carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, and snow peas. Stir fry until tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour half of sauce over hot vegetables in wok. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add meat back to the wok with the vegetables. Pour the remaining sauce over the meat. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add bean sprouts and stir fry for one more minute.
- Turn off heat. Add cooked noodles to the wok and toss with meat and vegetables. Serve.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Optionally serve your beef lo mein with a garnish of sesame seeds or thinly sliced green onions. Egg drop soup is one of my all-time favorites sides to go with just about any Chinese dish. Enjoy warm and fresh from the skillet!
More Related Recipes
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Beef Lo Mein
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound flank steak sliced thin
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 cup carrots julienned, 3 ounces
- 1 cup red bell pepper julienned, 3.5 ounces
- 1 cup red onion julienned, 3 ounces
- ½ cup snow peas ends trimmed and julienned, 2 ounces
- 1 cup broccoli sliced thin, 2.75 ounces
- ½ cup canned bean sprouts drained, 2 ounces
- 3 ½ ounces lo mein noodles cooked according to package directions
Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce
- 7 Tablespoons soy sauce divided
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- We’ve used flank steak as its our favorite for stir fries. Other cuts that work well are sirloin and skirt steak. Just be sure to slice it thin.
- Partially freezing the meat can make it easier to cut thin, especially if you do not have a sharp knife. Slicing meat against the grain will produce a more tender cooked meat.
- You can certainly use fresh bean sprouts if you like, but they are harder to find than canned. Simply use the same measurement as the canned sprouts.
- For an even more Asian flare, use broccolini instead of regular broccoli.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, pour 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil over the sliced meat. Mix together until meat is completely coated. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, 7 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Heat wok over medium high heat for a few minutes to get it hot. Add meat to the wok and constantly stir fry until meat is no longer pink. About 4-5 minutes.TIP: No oil is needed for this step as there is already sesame oil on the meat.
- Using tongs, remove meat from wok leaving any remaining juices in the pan. Do not turn off heat as you will be adding vegetables immediately.TIP: If you need to, you can turn off the heat then turn it back on when you are ready to add the vegetables. You want your wok to be hot.
- To juices in wok, add carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, and snow peas. Stir fry until tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour half of sauce over hot vegetables in wok. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add meat back to the wok with the vegetables. Pour remaining sauce over the meat. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add bean sprouts and stir fry one more minute.
- Turn off heat. Add cooked noodles to the wok and toss with meat and vegetables. Serve.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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Stela says
Thank you Amanda for another great recipe!
My family loved it!