
By Becky Hardin
Updated Sep 22, 2025

This Beef Lo Mein is my go-to when I’m craving takeout. It’s the perfect one-pot family meal I can get on the table in about 30 minutes. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed if you ditch the takeout and serve up this wholesome homemade version instead.

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5-Star Review
“This dish is delicious! I added a couple of extra veggies. All in all, a dish that will surely be on repeat!” – Tamara
Easy Beef Lo Mein
It happens to me all the time. I get stuck on what to make for dinner, and the temptation to order takeout is hard to resist. Enter this easy Chinese beef lo mein recipe! It’s loaded with flavor and is super easy to make.
Crunchy veggies, tender noodles, and savory steak come together for a one-dish, one-pot meal I make on repeat. I love that this stir-fry recipe gives me some flexibility so I can easily swap the veggies for whatever I can find in the fridge or serve it on a different noodle or with rice.
If I’m not quite in the mood for beef but still want a quick and easy meal, I’ll whip up chicken lo mein instead, or if it happens to be Meatless Monday, I’ll prepare vegetable lo mein .
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 8 oz. lo mein noodles
- ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ▢ 2 cups broccoli florets
- ▢ 1 tsp olive oil
- ▢ 8 oz. flank steak thinly sliced against the grain, skirt or sirloin also work
- ▢ salt and pepper
- ▢ 1 beef bouillon cube
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1 tsp ginger minced
- ▢ 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced, other veggies work too
- ▢ 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts drained and rinsed
- ▢ 1 carrot shredded
- ▢ ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ▢ ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ▢ 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ▢ 1 tsp sriracha (can also use Buffalo sauce)
- ▢ 2 tbsp sesame oil
For Garnish-
- ▢ sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Video
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Toss in 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Fill the pot once more with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil the broccoli for 4-5 minutes until cooked but not too soft. Drain and set aside. 8 oz. lo mein noodles, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 cups broccoli florets
- While broccoli is cooking, season the sliced flank steak with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until glistening. Add the beef bouillon cube. Add the steak and cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and cover with foil. 1 tsp olive oil, 8 oz. flank steak, salt and pepper, 1 beef bouillon cube
- Return the skillet and juices to medium/high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger
- Add the bell pepper, water chestnuts, and carrots, tossing while they cook. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Cook for 3-5 minutes. 1 red bell pepper, 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, 1 carrot
- While the vegetables cook, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil. ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp sriracha, 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Once veggies are cooked, add back to the skillet the noodles, broccoli, and beef. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy! sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Becky’s Tips
- It is easier to cut the steak when it is cold, straight out of the fridge. You can also pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it even easier to cut thinly.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Beef Lo Mein Step by Step

Cook the noodles and broccoli: Cook 8 oz. of noodles according to package instructions, drain, and place in a bowl with 1 tsp of sesame oil. Fill the pot once more with salted water, bring to a boil, and boil the 2 cups of broccoli florets for 4-5 minutes until just cooked but not too soft. Drain and set aside.

Cook the steak: Season 8 oz. of sliced flank steak with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp of olive oil to a large skillet over medium/high heat. Once hot, add 1 beef bouillon cube, and then add the steak and cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and cover with foil.
Cook the aromatics : With the skillet and juices on medium/high heat, cook 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of ginger for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the veggies: Add 1 bell pepper, 8 oz. water chestnuts, and 1 carrot, tossing while they cook. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Make the sauce : Whisk ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp sriracha, and 2 tbsp sesame oil in a bowl.

Combine everything: Once veggies are cooked, add the noodles, broccoli, and beef back to the skillet. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to combine.

Serve : Serve immediately, garnished with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
How to Store
This dish is best served as soon as it’s made, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave.
You can freeze leftovers, but you won’t get the same texture once the dish is frozen and thawed. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat.
Serving Suggestions
For a true takeout-like meal, I’ll prepare this with a comforting egg drop soup and edamame to eat on the side. If I’m prepping for a bigger dinner group, I’ll also serve PF Chang’s lettuce wrap , so no one goes away hungry!
More One Pan Meals

Dutch Oven Lasagna

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Meatball Parmesan Recipe

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Beef Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 8 oz. lo mein noodles
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 8 oz. flank steak thinly sliced against the grain, skirt or sirloin also work
- salt and pepper
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced, other veggies work too
- 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts drained and rinsed
- 1 carrot shredded
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp sriracha (can also use Buffalo sauce)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
For Garnish-
- sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Toss in 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Fill the pot once more with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil the broccoli for 4-5 minutes until cooked but not too soft. Drain and set aside. 8 oz. lo mein noodles, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 cups broccoli florets
- While broccoli is cooking, season the sliced flank steak with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until glistening. Add the beef bouillon cube. Add the steak and cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and cover with foil. 1 tsp olive oil, 8 oz. flank steak, salt and pepper, 1 beef bouillon cube
- Return the skillet and juices to medium/high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger
- Add the bell pepper, water chestnuts, and carrots, tossing while they cook. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Cook for 3-5 minutes. 1 red bell pepper, 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, 1 carrot
- While the vegetables cook, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil. ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp sriracha, 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Once veggies are cooked, add back to the skillet the noodles, broccoli, and beef. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy! sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Video
Notes
- It is easier to cut the steak when it is cold, straight out of the fridge. You can also pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it even easier to cut thinly.
Nutrition

By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017

This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.

Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.

Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!

Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!

Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On

Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)

Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen

Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen

Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use

26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them

What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?

Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)

How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)

Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
