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Vegetable Chow Mein with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts mixed with chow mein noodles in a savory sauce, ready in 30 minutes!

Homemade versions of my favorite Takeout Dishes are some of my favorite weeknight dinners, like Chicken Lo Mein, Easy Mongolian Beef, and Panda Express Orange Chicken (Copycat)!

Easy Chow Mein is an EASY one pot dinner, loaded with veggies and tossed with chow mein noodles in a savory sauce. This recipe is a meatless take on my Classic Chinese Chow Mein, and is my go-to on weeknights because it takes a total time of 30 minutes to make.

If you’re looking for more homemade takeout dishes to complete your dinner table, check out my General Tso’s Chicken, Easy Sesame Chicken, Pad See Ew, and Egg Foo Young!

Can you freeze the noodles?

This is a great recipe to make and freeze for up to several months. Defrost the chow mein in the refrigerator. Then, reheat in a wok or skillet, adding extra sauce as needed if your noodles dried out at all.

What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein?

Chow mein and lo mein are made with egg noodles, but the main difference between the two dishes is the way the egg noodles are prepared. Chow mein noodles are thinner and fried, giving them a crispy texture, while lo mein noodles are boiled, making them softer. Lo mein is also usually stir-fried with the vegetables, while chow mein is tossed with them towards the end.

In a pinch, you can substitute lo mein noodles with spaghetti noodles. Lo mein noodles are usually a little thicker than those used for chow mein.

Chow mein also uses less sauce, while lo mein is stir fried in sauce until the noodles are totally coated. You can buy noodles specifically labeled for chow mein in the grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can substitute yakisoba noodles (minus the rest of the packet) for chow mein noodles, but I wouldn’t use these for lo mein.

What other veggies can be added?

• Bell peppers
• Green beans
• Bok choy
• Peas
• Snow peas
• Green onions
• Mushrooms

 

More homemade take-out recipes

Can you make this recipe ahead?

You can prep chow mein ahead of time by cooking the dish as usual. Then let it cool completely, and storing it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you are going to store this, I would also store extra sauce because the noodles may dry out when reheated.

Tips for Making

• You can swap the vegetable oil with sesame oil for a deeper savory flavor in the dish. Sesame oil has a distinct flavor, so make sure you like it before adding it to the wok. You can also mix a dash of sesame oil with the vegetable oil to add a small amount of sesame oil flavor.
• Depending on your cooking preference, you can make this recipe in a large skillet or a wok. Traditionally, this Vegetable Chow Mein is made in a wok over high heat. The heat of the wok makes a big difference in the dish’s flavor!
• If you decide to make your chow mein in a wok, be ready to stir the food constantly so it doesn’t burn or overcook. Woks come in plain or electric varieties.
• Tofu noodles can make this chow mein low-carb. I recommend soaking the noodles in water for 10-15 minutes first to freshen them.
• You can use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium chow mein.
• Add minced fresh ginger or a dash of ginger powder for extra flavor.
• This is a vegetarian chow mein if you use the vegetarian-friendly version of oyster sauce.
• Prep the ingredients early, including cutting up all of the vegetables, because they will cook quickly once in the skillet, and you don’t want anything to overcook while you’re chopping the next ingredient.
• When prepping this, you can whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, so you just have to pour them in. Add cayenne pepper to add heat.
• You can add boneless skinless chicken for chicken chow mein, or shrimp, beef, or tofu to add more protein to this recipe.
• Avoid dark soy sauce for chow mein. I like to use light or regular soy sauce because it has a better flavor with the noodles.