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This simple Beef Lo Mein recipe is made with flank steak, cooked vegetables and a simple soy sauce-based marinade. It's an easy, flavorful weeknight meal that's ready in about 20 minutes and tastes similar to your favorite Chinese takeout.
Who doesn't love takeout? I know I do, but I often feel a lot better making my own similar homemade versions, and this Beef Lo Mein is just that!
It's similar (but different) to my shrimp lo mein, and in the same family as my Instant Pot orange chicken and my ground pork stir fry. Simple, one-skillet meals that come together quickly are my jam, and I have a feeling you're going to love adding this lo mein to your recipe rotation.
Recipe features
- A quick meal made with noodles, beef and cooked vegetables, so you get a little bit of everything (protein, fiber and carbs).
- The sauce is made with just 4 ingredients but is incredibly flavorful and a good mix of savory and sweet.
- Can easily be customized based off what you have in your refrigerator.
Ingredients
Flank steak - Flank steak is cut thin, meaning it cooks more quickly, making it ideal for a weeknight meal.
Vegetables - I used a mixture of napa cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, snow peas, garlic, and green onions, but other vegetables such as broccoli or mushrooms would work well too.
Noodles - Lo mein noodles, or, if you can't find those, spaghetti noodles work just fine.
Soy sauce - This is the mai ingredient in lo mein sauce; however, I think coconut aminos would be delicious as well. If you're going to go that route, either omit the sugar or only use half the listed amount, since coconut aminos is sweeter than soy sauce.
Sesame oil - Another must-have sauce ingredient for this recipe. Regular sesame oil or toasted sesame oil is great.
Sugar - A little bit goes a long way and helps to balance things out. I used regular granulated sugar, but coconut sugar or even honey would be good substitutions.
Instructions
Step 1: Make the sauce. Start by whisking the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup; set aside.
Step 2: Cook the noodles. Next, cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the beef. While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef and cook for 4 minutes, or until it's cooked to your liking. Remove it and set aside.
Step 4: Sauté the vegetables. To that same skillet, add oil, along with carrots, bell pepper, peas, and green onion whites and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Then, add the cabbage and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Step 5: Combine. Add the beef back into the skillet, along with the cooked noodles and use kitchen tongs to toss together. Turn the heat off, then pour in the sauce and stir until everything is coated in the sauce. Garnish with the remaining green onions and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- I used lo mein noodles, which I was able to find in the Asian food aisle at the grocery store. Other good noodle options are classic or whole wheat/whole grain spaghetti noodles, or even egg noodles work well.
- I personally think flank steak works best, but other options include skirt steak, flat iron steak or tri-tip steak.
- If you want a sweeter-tasting sauce, try adding a teaspoon of hoisin sauce in with the sauce mixture.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note: when reheating, you may need to make a half batch of the sauce and re-pour it over everything because a lot of the sauce will get absorbed while the food sits in the fridge.
Freezer: To freeze, wait for the dish to cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before you want to serve it.
More quick dinner recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Beef Lo Mein
Ingredients
for the sauce:
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
for the lo mein:
- ¾ lb. flank steak thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup snow peas
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 green onion whites and greens separated
- 5 oz. lo mein noodles or spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Start by whisking all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. At this time, you should also start boiling water for the noodles, then cook them according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, then add the beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until it's done to your liking; remove from the skillet.
- To that same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or oil of your choice), then add the bell pepper, carrots, peas, and the green onion whites and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Then, add the cabbage and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef back into the skillet, along with the cooked noodles, and toss to combine. Turn the heat off, then pour the sauce into the skillet and stir until everything is coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and enjoy!
Lauren says
Loved this so much! I added mushrooms instead of peppers and it was still so good! Making this again soon for sure!
Curtis (and Cheryl) Ford says
I really loved this recipe! It was flavorful and added a tasty twist with the four-ingredient sauce that was both tangy and sweet. I added mushrooms and extra peas and used sirloin steak but the recipe was easy to follow and featured ingredients I had on hand. I make a lot of your chicken recipes so it was nice to make a beef recipe. This will become a family standard!