How to Cook Lo Mein Noodles

4.72 from 7 votes

Lo mein noodles are one of the most recognizable types of Chinese noodles in the U.S. Here's how to cook lo mein noodles so that they’re perfect—not overly starchy, sticky, soggy, dry, or undercooked.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Noodles

Cuisine: American/Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Bill

Ingredients

1 pound raw uncooked lo mein noodles (or cooked lo mein noodles)
1 teaspoon salt (for uncooked noodles only)
2 teaspoons neutral oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For uncooked lo mein noodles:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, covered. It’s essential to use plenty of water (about 6 quarts should do it), since uncooked noodles will make the water starchy.
Stir in the salt, followed by the raw noodles, and stir with chopsticks to break them up and prevent them from sticking. Cook according to package instructions, tasting the noodles as you go (they may be done earlier), until they’re al dente (cooked through, but not soft—still firm and chewy). Remember, stir-frying the lo mein will cook them further.
Immediately scoop the noodles into a cold water bath, and let stand for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking process and rinse off surface starch. Drain thoroughly in a colander, giving the colander a few good shakes to remove excess water.
Toss the noodles in the oil, so they’re lightly coated. Your noodles are now ready for the wok! It’s best to stir-fry them within 30 minutes or so of cooking.

For cooked lo mein noodles:

Simply allow them to come up to room temperature before stir-frying. Alternatively, you can put the noodles in a colander and rinse them under hot tap water to warm and loosen them up. Drain thoroughly, and coat once again in a couple teaspoons oil before stir-frying.

Video

Notes

NOTE: If using dried pasta or dried lo mein noodles, cook according to package instructions until al dente (or 1 minute past al dente if you like your noodles softer—al dente pasta has more bite than al dente lo mein), and scoop them into a cool water bath. Drain thoroughly, coat with oil, and use right away.

Nutrition

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