Beef Lo Mein is made with tender beef, fresh vegetables, and thick lo mein noodles tossed in a homemade savory sauce. It’s easy to make and perfect for when those takeout cravings hit!
Need more inspirations for one pot meals? You’ll love this One Pot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac, One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe, and One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta!
Table of Contents
This easy Beef Lo Mein recipe is inexpensive to make and tastes just like your favorite Chinese restaurant!
First, you’ll cook the beef, then the veggies, then add the sauce and noodles, and toss! It’s an easy dinner recipe that will have the whole family begging for seconds.
The vegetables have just the right amount of crunch, which pairs perfectly with the soft noodles. I don’t blame you if you eat this right out of the skillet!
Why we love this easy beef recipe:
- Quick: In 35 minutes, you’ll have a restaurant-worthy dish that will make you rethink takeout forever!
- Fridge clear-out: Got untouched veggies sitting in your fridge? This recipe works with a variety of vegetables!
- Simple ingredients: You only need a few basic ingredients to make this easy meal.
Beef Lo Mein Ingredients:
- Sirloin or flank steak: This is a leaner cut of steak that’s thinly sliced and cooks easily, making it perfect for this recipe. You could also use skirt steak or strip steak if you like.
- Veggies: Carrots, snap peas, cabbage or cole slaw mix, and red bell pepper make up the veggies in this recipe, but you can easily swap these for what you have.
- Lo mein sauce: I make my own sauce using beef or chicken broth (low sodium), soy sauce, hoisin sauces, fresh garlic and ginger, and red pepper flakes! It’s a savory-sweet sauce that perfectly compliments the beef, noodles, and veggies.
- Sesame oil (optional): This is what Chinese restaurants use to make their dishes so darn addicting! It adds a toasty, nutty flavor to the dish, but you can leave it out if you don’t have it or don’t like it.
- Fresh steamed Lo Mein noodles: These are soft egg noodles that are slurpy, unlike chow mein noodles, which are pan-fried and crispy. I like using fresh lo mein noodles for convenience, but you can use dry noodles if you like! You can usually find fresh lo mein noodles in the refrigerated section near the fresh pastas or at your local Asian market.
How to make delicious Beef Lo Mein:
It’s so easy to make this Asian-inspired recipe! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of recipe instructions.
- Sear the beef strips and remove from the pan.
- Add carrots, snap peas, cabbage, and red bell pepper to the skillet.
- In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Return the steak to the pan with the vegetables. Add the sauce and fresh noodles.
Recipe Tips
- Slice the beef against the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes the beef super tender!
- Don’t overcook the beef! Since we’re using a leaner cut of beef, it can dry out and become tough when overcooked. You just want to brown the beef for a few minutes on each side.
Variations and Substitutions
- Toppings: Play around with different toppings like cashews, green onions, bean sprouts, or sesame seeds for a little crunch!
- Protein: You can swap the beef for ground beef or use chicken instead! If you prefer a vegetarian dish, try my Vegetable Lo Mein.
- Veggies: Feel free to use what you have on hand! Mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, or green beans would be delicious.
- Noodles: If you don’t have fresh lo mein noodles, you can use dry ones. If using dry lo mein noodles, it’s easiest to cook them al dente and then add to the skillet with the sauce. Spaghetti noodles will also work in a pinch!
- Cut the carbs: Swap the noodles for zucchini noodles for a low carb dinner.
How to store leftovers:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a small pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave for a minute or two! Add a splash of broth to prevent the noodles from drying out.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the noodles and vegetables will lose their texture over time.
Prep-ahead option:
Here are a few ways to make this recipe ahead of time:
- Chop the veggies: Chop up the veggies and store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Slice the beef: Slice the beef and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Prep the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients together and store in a jar or airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Boil the noodles: If using dry, shelf-stable noodles, boil them ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Serving suggestions:
This recipe is delicious on it’s own, but you can have an all-out takeout night where you mix and match dishes for the ultimate Asian-inspired feast! Here are some of my favorites:
- Easy Orange Chicken recipe
- One Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles — if you can’t get enough slurpy noodles.
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef — super quick to prep!
More Asian-inspired recipes you’ll love:
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe — we make this on repeat!
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Crockpot Orange Chicken recipe — better than takeout!
Beef Lo Mein recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb sirloin or flank steak
- 2 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 large carrots (peeled and julienned, or 1 cup matchsticks)
- 1 cup snap peas (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage or cole slaw mix
- 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup low sodium beef or chicken broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- 1 lb fresh steamed Lo Mein noodles
Instructions
- Thinly slice steak and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the skillet.
- Season steak on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the steak in a single layer for 2-3 minutes per side, working in multiple batches if necessary. Remove from the pan.
- Add the carrots, snap peas, cabbage and pepper to the pan and saute just until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and sesame oil.
- Add the sauce, seared steak, and fresh noodles to the pan with the vegetables and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring often, until noodles are tender.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your tastes before serving.
Notes
- steak: any kind of steak will work here, and you can also use chicken (use chicken broth), ground beef, or omit the meat completely.
- vegetables: this recipe is super customizable so feel free to use whatever veggies you have that need to be used up!
- Broth and soy sauce: use a low sodium variety or you may find the sauce too salty.
- Lo Mein noodles: you will find these noodles refrigerated in the produce section or near the deli, and not in the pasta aisle. They are steamed and usually cook in about 3 minutes.
Nutrition Information
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Bill says
If i use broccoli in this recipe instead of the other vegetables how much broccoli should i use?
Ashley Fehr says
This recipe is really adaptable, so you could use the same amount or eyeball it.