Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • A balanced marinade helps to tenderize meat as well as provide superior browning characteristics and better flavor.
  • Par-cooking the noodles gives them optimal texture when they're fried.
  • The ingredients are cooked in batches so as to maximize wok hei, the smoky effect of a hot wok.

From crispy pan-fried noodles to a bowl of wonton noodle soup, fresh Chinese egg noodles are a staple of Chinese restaurants. Just like Italian pasta or ramen, when cooked properly, they should have a firm bite and springy texture, and the wide variation in thickness and springiness makes Chinese egg noodles some of the most versatile to cook with.

Beef and broccoli might only be a classic combination in the American Chinese repertoire, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. In most restaurants, you'll find it served with rice, but I like to stir-fry it with hearty lo mein noodles.

Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (1)

The thickest variety of egg noodles, lo mein is great for stir-fried dishes with hearty flavors and rich sauces. Because the noodles are thick and dense, they're never as springy or bouncy as thinner noodles, which can be a good thing if you plan on making this dish ahead: lo mein's biggest advantage is that it holds up well to time, making it the perfect option for a buffet, a potluck, or when traveling.

The recipe starts with marinating beef in my basic meat marinade, which includes soy sauce, corn starch, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, and sesame oil. It's designed to help improve browning and bring out the meaty flavors of the beef.

While the beef marinates in the fridge, I par-cook my noodles. All egg noodles should be par-boiled in water before stir-frying (though be careful, some brands sell their noodles pre-boiled and ready-to-fry). Lo mein noodles take about three minutes. After they're cooked, I briefly run them under cold water to chill them rapidly.

When they're ready to cook, I start with the beef, stir-frying it in a couple tablespoons of smoking hot vegetable oil just until it's browned all over and mostly cooked. Then I remove it to a separate bowl to let my wok re-heat for the broccoli.

You can stir-fry the broccoli in just oil, but I like to add a little bit of water so that the broccoli steams and turns bright green. A couple minutes and it can join the beef in the bowl.

Finally, I stir-fry the noodles, making sure to get the wok hot again. You can use a spatula to stir-fry, but chopsticks will work better, allowing you to separate any clumps of noodles that stick together without breaking them. Once the noodles are hot, I add a simple sauce made of sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and wine, before tossing all the ingredients back in together.

Give it a few more tosses, and it's ready to serve. Chewy, al dente noodles in a rich sweet-and-savory sauce, along with tender marinated slices of beef and bright green broccoli florets. So much better than take out!

April 2014

Ingredients

For the Beef:

  • 1/2 pound flank or skirt steak,sliced thin for stir-frying

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon Shaoxingwine

  • 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxingwine

  • 1 tablespoon water

For the Noodles:

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 pound freshlo mein noodles

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/2 pound broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions

  1. For the Beef: Combine beef, salt, sugar, pepper, wine, soy sauce, oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss with fingers to coat. Set in refrigerator to marinate.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (2)

  2. For the Sauce: While the beef marinates, combine sesame oil, light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, wine, and water in a small bowl. Stir with a fork and set aside.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (3)

  3. For the Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring with chopsticks, until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water until chilled. Drain well and set aside.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (4)

  4. When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add beef, spread it out with a spatula, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Toss and cook, stirring frequently, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (5)

  5. Add another tablespoon oil to the wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add the broccoli and season with a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring, until very lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring, until broccoli is steamed and water has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with beef.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (6)

  6. Heat remaining tablespoon oil over high heat until smoking. Add the noodles. Using tongs or chopsticks, cook the noodles, stirring and mixing constantly until the noodles are coated in oil, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats the noodles, about 1 minute longer. Add the garlic, broccoli, and beef and continue cooking until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Serve immediately.

    Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

Wok

Read More

  • Chinese Noodles 101: The Chinese Egg Noodle Style Guide
  • Chinese
  • Stir-Fry Noodles
  • Steaks
  • Noodles
  • Broccoli
Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is lo mein sauce made of? ›

Most commonly, lo mein involves chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp or tofu. Sauce components: Lo mein sauce is mainly composed of sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and a dash of sugar. If you like your noodles to have a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

How to make bland lo mein taste better? ›

Give your lo mein a quick taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add more salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or white pepper according to your preference. Plate your lo mein and serve with homemade chili oil or hot sauce on the side!

How do you thicken beef and broccoli? ›

Mix equal parts cornstarch & cold water and add to the mixture. Let the sauce start to thicken then add back in the meat. Let everything cook together until the sauce coats the meat evenly. Serve over white rice, garnish with green onions & sesame seeds and enjoy!

What is the difference between lo mein and chow mein stir fry? ›

The biggest difference between chow mein and lo mein lies in the translations of their names: chow mein is fried, and lo mein is tossed. The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness.

What makes lo mein taste so good? ›

The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

What are the best noodles to use for lo mein? ›

You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly.

What do they put in Chinese food to make it taste better? ›

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that has been widely used for roughly 100 years ( 1 ). In addition to being naturally present in certain foods, it's a common food additive in Chinese recipes, canned vegetables and soups, and other processed goods.

How do you thicken lo mein sauce? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

Why does lo mein make my stomach hurt? ›

Chinese food and soups contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the main addictive ingredient. A sensitive individual may suffer from headache, giddiness, sweating, abdominal pain, and urticaria within a few hours of consumption of MSG.

What is Chinese beef and broccoli sauce made of? ›

The sauce is a combination of beef stock, light and dark soy sauce, Chinese rice wine (you can swap for sherry if you haven't got rice wine), sesame oil, sugar, white pepper and black pepper. Fry up slices of very thinly sliced flank/skirt steak. Remove from the pan, then fry up plenty of tenderstem broccoli.

What can I use instead of beef broth in beef and broccoli? ›

Water + Soy Sauce – Combine 1 cup water with 1 tbsp soy sauce, and voila! You have “beef broth.” You can mix in some parsley, garlic, or bay leaves to make it more convincing.

What is a good substitute for lo mein noodles? ›

The best substitute for lo mein noodles are chow mein noodles because they are both essentially the same thing. In fact, lo mein and chow mein dishes are famously confused for each other and, while they are two separate meals with different preparation methods, the noodles used in both are the same.

Is lo mein healthy for you? ›

Worst: Lo Mein

This mound of noodles has about half the carbohydrates you need all day. The noodles are made from white flour, which raises your blood sugar faster than fiber-rich whole grains. Plus, they're cooked with oil and soy sauce, so you get extra fat and sodium. Can't pass it up?

Which nationality does beef lo mein belong to? ›

Lo mein (traditional Chinese: 撈麵/撈麪; simplified Chinese: 捞面; Cantonese Yale: lou1 min6; pinyin: lāo miàn) is a Chinese dish with noodles. It often contains vegetables and some type of meat or seafood, usually beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called? ›

Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.

What sauce do Chinese restaurants use? ›

In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most popular types of Chinese sauces, including soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and more. From sweet and tangy to rich and savory, Chinese sauces are a crucial component of many dishes, and can completely transform the taste of a meal.

What is chow mein sauce made of? ›

All you need is soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. The flavor that is often missing in homemade chow mein is the tanginess. Black Vinegar is less harsh than regular vinegar, which gives the chow mein a subtle hint of tanginess that brings the dish together.

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