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20-Min Chicken Teriyaki Lo Mein Recipe
Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein is the kind of weeknight noodle dish that hits all the right notes—savory, slightly sweet, and ready in just 20 minutes. Faster than takeout and honestly more satisfying, this teriyaki chicken lo mein is perfect when you’re craving noodles but don’t want to overthink dinner.
Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
Serves: 2 to 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
For the chicken:
1 pound chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
For the teriyaki sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake, or water
3 tablespoons mirin, or water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
For the stir-fry:
1 package (16 oz) lo mein noodles
3 tablespoons cooking oil, separated (high-smoking-point oil like avocado, grapeseed, or peanut)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 medium carrot, shredded
1 cup cabbage, sliced
3 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein Instructions
1. Marinate the chicken
- In a bowl, add the chicken thighs and sprinkle with salt. Mix thoroughly until the chicken absorbs the salt and becomes slightly tacky.
- Add white pepper, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and the cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water). Mix well.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to lock in moisture and prevent sticking.
- Set aside to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the vegetables and sauce
- Slice the onion, shred the carrot, slice the cabbage, cut the scallions, and mince the garlic.
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sake, mirin, brown sugar, and chicken stock until combined.
3. Boil the lo mein noodles
- In a pot over high heat, bring water to a boil.
- Add the lo mein noodles and cook for about 3 minutes, until just al dente.
- Transfer the noodles to cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well.
4. Stir-fry the chicken
- In a wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
- Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until fully cooked, about 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, about 10 seconds.
- Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
5. Stir-fry the vegetables
- In the same wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
- Add onion, carrot, and cabbage. Stir-fry until slightly softened, about 1 minute.
- Remove and set aside.
6. Make the teriyaki chicken lo mein
- In the wok over high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
- Add the lo mein noodles and cook until heated through.
- Return the chicken, vegetables, and teriyaki sauce to the wok.
- Stir-fry for about 1 minute, allowing the noodles to absorb most of the sauce.
- Stir in the scallions and serve immediately.
Tips & notes
- Add salt first when marinating: This helps the chicken retain moisture and stay tender during stir-frying.
- Time-saving tip: Pre-shredded cabbage and carrots are a great shortcut when you need dinner on the table fast.
- Make ahead: Mix the sauce in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Don’t overcook the noodles: Cooking them just until al dente prevents mushy lo mein after stir-frying.
- High heat is key: Keep the wok over high heat to avoid steaming and to get that classic lo mein texture.