Quicker Than Take Out Chicken Lo Mein

Chicken Lo Mein is an easy, budget friendly option you can make at home. Using vegetables you have on hand, simply toss this meal together with soy sauce for a crowd pleasing dinner. This meal is simple to meal prep as well so you can quickly heat it up for dinner or lunch leftovers. 

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My dad loves Chinese food. 

He also loves pizza, bread, butter, Cheetos, and popcorn. (It is a wonder he is in such good shape.)

His salty food love was passed to me as I always opt for salty options instead of sweet ones. In fact, all of the foods that he loves, I also love and have to reign myself in when faced with them. I have been known to take down a full pizza alone and have an inappropriate amount of butter go missing over popcorn. 

Chinese food fits that salty bill perfectly. 

It has been a long time since I have had good Chinese food. When I was teaching full time in Arizona just after college and going to graduate classes at night, I swung by a Panda Express after my classes ended at 10 pm at least twice a week for some salty goodness that I did not have to cook. The goal was to get food in my body as quickly as possible before passing out.

As far as convenience goes, these Panda Express stops worked perfectly. As far as good Chinese food goes, it left a lot to the imagination. Though I do still love their crispy and hot cream cheese rangoons and at the peak of my stressful grad school semester and poor eating habits would ask for two orders of them. 

In Colorado, Rob and I had a local place we enjoyed, but the high price tag made it a very rare occasion as we opted for less expensive meal options. Plus, Rob does not share my same love of Chinese food as he definitely has more of a sweet tooth and opts for cookies, cakes, salsa, carrots, and apples. Ordering Chinese food from the “good place” would take a bit of prying.

When I am craving a quick meal that takes minimal kitchen effort and makes me feel like I am having take out, my two go to options are make your own pizza and this Chicken Lo Mein. For a saltier option that satisfies and does not make Rob feel like he is at a salt lick, the Chicken Lo Mein wins out every time.

In this versatile recipe, you can simply use ingredients you most likely already have on hand. I love to meal plan this recipe into the end of a week because it is easy to swap out the vegetables for whatever we still have left. 

Only half an onion? No problem. Just a quarter of a zucchini? Throw it in. A few roasted brussel sprouts that did not get finished? Add it to the mix. 

Even if you neglected to meal plan, or stick to the plan throughout the week and are left scratching your head and staring at a refrigerator of seemingly random ingredients, this Chicken Lo Mein can come to the rescue. 

Some reasons I adore this make at home Chicken Lo Mein: 

• It is easily adaptable to what you have on hand. 
• You can vary the vegetables to what you have kicking around in the fridge. 
• There will be enough for leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. 
• Your grocery budget will thank you as it is a cheap and easy meal to put together. 
• It is super easy to reheat for lunch or dinner the next day.

Both Zoey and William approve this recipe as well. Maybe it is the flavorful sauce or the pasta base. Whatever the reason, they usually ask for seconds or thirds when make at home Chicken Lo Mein is on the dinner menu.

This is an easy meal to make ahead when you have some time to meal prep as is reheats really well. Definitely plan it for a busy night, or for a night when you just want to kick your feet up with some Netflix.

Items I used and love to make this meal:

• J.A. Henckles knife set
• Calphalon flat bottomed wok
• Bamboo cutting board
• Avocado Oil – We get ours from Costco.

Want to be sure Chicken Lo Mein is on your table next week? Get your free Meal Planning Guide here to learn how to make meal planning a realistic and easy part of your week.

Quicker Than Take Out Chicken Lo Mein Recipe

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thin spaghetti 
• 1 pound chicken breast, chopped bite sized
• 1 small onion, chopped thin
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped thin
• 1 zucchini, chopped thin
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped bite sized
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• Optional: sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and sesame oil together.
3. Heat avocado oil in a wok on medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken breast and half of soy sauce mix. Saute until cooked through.
5. Add vegetables to chicken in the wok and rest of soy sauce mix. Saute until vegetables are soft, but still have a slight crunch. About seven minutes.
6. Toss vegetable and chicken with spaghetti.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Serve warm.