Chicken and Egg Lo Mein

I have become quite adept at cooking lo mein. This is the third time I’ve made the Chinese-American favorite  (try this beef and red pepper recipe or, if you’re attempting the paleo diet, this Faux Mein) and each time I make it, it’s like I’m working off of muscle memory.

I’ve figured out the best possible way to describe how to make a great base sauce for lo mein; I call it the 3-2-1 System. Lame name, I know. But bare with me here. You need these KEY ingredients for your lo mein sauce:

• 3 TBS. soy sauce
• 2 TBS. oyster sauce
• 1 TBS. sambal oelek (red pepper paste)

Boom! Get it? It’s in descending order, starting with the most important ingredient in Asian cuisine, soy sauce. Next is the oyster sauce, a thick, slightly sweet sauce that gives your lo mein body and soul. Mmmmm. Finally, you end with the sambal oelek. No lo mein is complete without this fiery red paste. Stir it all together and you’ve got the best 3-2-1 system known to man. I think.

Most lo mein recipes will call for you to sort of marinate your protein in at least one tablespoon of your 3-2-1 sauce. The rest of the sauce gets added at the very end of cooking, to combine with all of your ingredients: veggies, protein and noodles.

That is, in a nutshell, how to make your very own lo mein at home. No more excuses to get takeout! It’s that easy to make yourself. Now you can try your newfound wisdom out on this chicken lo mein recipe that’s packed with protein!

Chicken and Egg Lo Mein

• 12 ounces (uncooked) spaghetti noodles
• 3 TBS. soy sauce
• 2 TBS. oyster sauce
• 1 TBS. sambal oelek
• 1 lb. sliced chicken breast tenderloins
• 2.5 TBS. vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 TBS. finely grated, peeled ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 oz. broccoli slaw

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
2. In small  bowl, mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce and sambal oelek. In another small bowl, combine strips of the chicken with 1 TBS. of the sauce. Rub all over chicken and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 TBS. olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Pour lightly beaten eggs into skillet. Let cook without stirring for at least 1 minute, until set. Flip the eggs and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cut into thin strips.
4. Heat the remaining 1.5 TBS. olive oil in your skillet or wok. Add the chicken and stir fry until golden brown but not fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cut down into smaller pieces if you wish, or you can keep them in the strip form.
5. Add scallions, ginger and garlic to the skillet and stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add broccoli slaw and red pepper and continue to stir-fry for 2 more minutes.
6. Return chicken to the skillet and add the cooked noodles, 1/2 cup water, and remaining sauce. Stir fry until the chicken is cooked through, at least 4 minutes. Stir in the sliced egg.

Look at how easy, and delicious that is! From start to finish, this dish takes probably 40 minutes. That’s including all of the slicing and dicing. You can top each dish with your favorite topping: sesame seeds, red chili flakes, peanuts, cashews, sliced scallion tops or flaked coconut. I’ve tried them ALL, and they all taste wonderful. 

I love all of the flavors that this lo mein has, and I was munching on it for 3 days after I made it. The leftovers held up pretty well for my lunches at work, even if some of the purple cabbage in the slaw mix dyed the eggs blue after a few days…

-Leen