• Prep ingredients first: Stir-fries cook very quickly, so having all the vegetables, noodles, and sauce prepared before turning on the heat helps the cooking process go smoothly.
• Season the beef before cooking: Mixing the soy sauce and dark soy sauce into the beef beforehand helps distribute the flavor evenly and encourages better browning in the hot wok.
• Cook noodles just until al dente: The noodles will continue cooking briefly in the wok, so slightly undercooking them helps keep the final texture springy.
• Rinse noodles in cold water: Rinsing stops the cooking process and removes excess surface starch so the noodles stay loose and don’t clump during stir-frying.
• Use high heat for stir-frying: Cooking over high heat helps the beef brown quickly and prevents the vegetables and noodles from becoming soggy.
• Don’t overcrowd the wok: If the wok becomes too full, ingredients can steam instead of stir-fry, which prevents proper browning.
• Add bean sprouts and scallions last: These ingredients cook very quickly, so adding them at the end keeps them crisp and fresh.
• Protein swap: This recipe also works well with ground chicken, sliced beef, shrimp, or tofu instead of ground beef.
15-Min Beef Lo Mein Recipe
Beef Lo Mein is a quick Chinese-American noodle stir-fry made with springy egg noodles, savory ground beef, crisp vegetables, and a flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
For the stir-fry
- 1 package lo mein noodles, 16 ounces
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided (high-smoking-point oil)
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 cups cabbage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
For the beef
- 1/2 pound ground beef, or ground chicken
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
For the stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3/4 cup chicken stock, or beef stock
Instructions
- To prepare the ingredients, slice the onion and cabbage, cut the scallions into 2-inch pieces, and mince the garlic.
- To season the beef, in a bowl, combine the ground beef with the soy sauce and dark soy sauce and mix until evenly coated.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chicken stock.
- To cook the noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the lo mein noodles for about 3 minutes, until al dente. Transfer the noodles to cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well.
- To cook the beef, in a wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the ground beef and stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- To stir-fry the vegetables, in the same wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the onion and cabbage and stir-fry for about 1 minute until slightly tender. Add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until fragrant.
- To finish the lo mein, add the noodles to the wok with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry until heated through. Return the beef and vegetables to the wok, pour in the sauce, and toss everything together for about 1 minute until evenly coated. Add the bean sprouts and scallions, toss briefly, and serve hot.