Chicken & Vegetable Lo Mein

Chicken and vegetable lo mein is the kind of weeknight wok dinner that beats takeout every time, especially when you’ve got a half-thawed bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables and not much else in the fridge. The technique is straightforward Chinese-American: hot pan, fast sear on the chicken breast, pull it out to keep tender, then build the vegetable side in the same pan to capture the chicken’s residual flavor.

A tablespoon of toasted sesame oil gets the wok smoking, sliced chicken cooks two to three minutes until just no longer pink, then frozen vegetables, snow pea pods, and cooked lo mein noodles tumble into the same pan with the cover on for seven to ten minutes (the steam helps the veg cook through). Chicken back in, toss everything until heated, finish with a generous scatter of dry-roasted peanuts for crunch.

Pro Tips

• Slice the chicken thin and across the grain. Thin slices cook fast and stay tender; thick chunks turn dry in the wok.
• Don’t crowd the pan. If you’re doubling the recipe, sear the chicken in two batches or it steams instead of browns.
• Add a splash of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a teaspoon of brown sugar with the noodles for a more authentic lo mein flavor (the recipe is light on seasoning).
• The frozen veg releases water as it thaws. Drain any pooled liquid before returning the chicken or the dish goes soupy.

Variations

• Swap the chicken for thin strips of beef sirloin, pork tenderloin, or shrimp.
• Use udon or thick rice noodles instead of lo mein.
• Add a tablespoon of sambal oelek or chili crisp to the finished dish for heat.