Tender chicken pieces, stir-fried with crunchy vegetables, plenty of noodles and a generous coating of my simple and flavoursome savoury stir-fry sauce.
You can swap out the vegetables for whatever quick-cook vegetables you have, so it makes a versatile recipe for clearing out your fridge.
One of the things I love about stir fry dishes like this, is that you barely have to cook the veg. This means not only do they stay sweet and crunchy, but they’re also super quick to cook and they keep their lovely vibrant colour.
Also, the kids will eat all the veg in a stir fry. I think it’s that crunchy element.
If I served them steamed/boiled carrots, they’ll eat them grudgingly, but quickly stir-fried carrot? No problem whatsoever.
📋 What do we need?
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP If you want to make this recipe even simpler, you can also use ready-cooked noodles, but you may need to run them under some hot water first to separate them.
There’s no need for complicated or shop-bought sauces for this recipe. This Lo Mein gets its flavour from garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, kecap manis and white pepper. There’s enough of the sauce to coat the noodles, chicken and veggies, without having a pool of sauce at the bottom, making everything soggy.
🍽️ What to serve it with
This recipe is a meal in itself, with no need for side dishes, but if you like a drizzle of extra sauce, why not try one of these:
🍲 More fantastic Stir Fry recipes
- Vegetarian Kway Teow
- Sticky chicken stir fry
- Crispy chilli beef noodles
- Kung Pao chicken
- Spicy ginger beef stir fry
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Chicken Lo Mein
- 200 g (7 oz) dried fine egg noodles
- 3 tbsp oil
- 3 chicken breasts chopped into bite size chunks
- 1 onion peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 1 large red pepper deseeded and sliced
- 20 sugarsnap (snow) peas
- 10 spring onions (scallions) cut into 2”/5cm lengths
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- ¼ tsp white pepper
To Serve:
- 2 spring onions (scallions) chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes (until just cooked through). Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent them from sticking together and put to one side.200 g (7 oz) dried fine egg noodles
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until cooked through.3 tbsp oil, 3 chicken breasts
- Add the sliced onion and cook for a further 2 minutes to slightly soften.1 onion
- Add the garlic, carrots, red pepper, sugarsnap peas, and spring onions (scallions). Stir and cook for 1 minute.2 cloves garlic, 1 large carrot, 1 large red pepper, 20 sugarsnap (snow) peas, 10 spring onions (scallions)
- Add in the noodles, oyster sauce, soy sauce, kecap manis, and white pepper. Fry on a high heat, tossing everything together until warmed through – about 3-4 minutes.4 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp kecap manis, ¼ tsp white pepper
- Serve topped with chopped spring onions (scallions), sesame seeds, and chilli flakes.2 spring onions (scallions), 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
If you don’t want to buy it, you can replace with an extra 1+1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a tablespoon of light brown sugar. It’s not quite the same, but will still taste delicious. White Pepper I’m using white pepper in this dish rather than black pepper. White pepper is often used in Chinese cookery and it has a very different taste to black pepper. White pepper is hotter, spicier and with a slightly smoky taste. Vegetarian Leave out the chicken, or replace with tofu, mushrooms or quorn pieces. Gluten free It’s a little difficult to make this recipe gluten free, as the noodles and most of the sauce ingredients contain gluten. You can:
- Replace the egg noodles with rice noodles
- Replace the soy sauce with tamari
- Use gluten free Oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee do a version)
- Remove the Kecap Manis (I haven’t seen a gluten free version of this) and replace with 1+1/2 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp light brown sugar.
Once cooked, cool quickly, and then cover and refrigerate. Serve straight out of the fridge the next day. .Nutritional information is per serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first published February 2019. Updated May 2023 with new photos, video and a bit of housekeeping.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
You stated not to prepare ahead, but if wanted for large group, grad party, could noodles be precooked and cooled, as well as chicken and then cook batches of veggies and sauce adding chicken and noodles as needed for serving?
This is really delicious and a recipe that I have now made several times and which has become a real favourite. So adaptable too. As with all Nicky’s recipes it really works. Hopefully there will be a new cookery book out soon. I’m working my way through the current one.
Looks amazing! Cant wait to make it
Great recipe. The difference between a chow mein sort of stir and this is the Keycap manis.
I read you could boil down equal amounts on light soy and brown sugar, it cools to a thick syrup. It’s this that lifts the taste.
Also added a bit of sesame oil once it’s all cooked.
It was really enjoyable.
What can be used in replace of the oyster sauce?
Thank you for all your hard in producing the amazing recipes and fabulous website.
I have pre-ordered your book and genuinely feel I can throw away all my others. I found your site by accident on Pinterest and all my cooking suddenly became so much easier. I do enjoy making food but I have never been a ‘natural’ cook so have to follow recipes to the letter and yours work every time. Thank you again, though my wife thinks I’m having an affair, I talk about Nicky all the time!
ha ha thank you so much Royston – both for buying the book and leaving such a lovely review 🙂
Apart from tasty, it’s really quick and easy to make which is always a bonus!
Delicious! I made this for two us, halving the quantity and using mushrooms instead of. Hi ken. Added a few extra veg, too. We really enjoyed its freshness and quickness to make! Will definitely make this again! ❤️
This looks so good. I love that it comes together so quickly and has tons of vegetables in it. I have been wanting to try some Chinese inspired recipes, so this is one I will have to make. Is there something to use in place of oyster sauce, since I’m pretty sure my grocery store doesn’t carry it.
Quick and easy. I used veg I had on hand…peppers, mushrooms red onion, Chinese broccoli, and carrots. YUM! Thanks for the tip on replacing the kecap manis as I couldn’t find it .