Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein (What’s the Difference?)

If you’ve ever wondered about the differences between chow mein vs. lo mein, I have you covered!

Both traditional dishes are delicious, but there are some key disparities between them.

Homemade Beef Lo Mein with Carrots and Broccoli

So you love Chinese food. You eat orange chicken, beef broccoli, and other classic Chinese dishes almost every week.

But the question is, would you consider yourself an expert in the noodle department?

Low mein and chow mein are both very popular menu items in any Chinese restaurant.

In fact, there are some restaurants that offer them exclusively!

These starchy noodles were introduced to America by Cantonese immigrants back in the day.

And they’ve since become a staple comfort food in the country. 

But let’s set the record straight: while very similar and often used interchangeably, these noodles aren’t the same.

Today, learn the differences between the two, as well as how to make them. Let’s dive right in.

Chow Mein on a Skillet Topped With Vegetables and Chicken Meat

What is Chow Mein?

The term chow mein means “fried noodles.”

In general, it’s an egg noodle stir-fry tossed with a bit of meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, and sauce. 

There are two primary types of chow mein: crispy and steamed.

Both use the same ingredients but differ in the method by which the noodles are cooked. 

  • Crispy Chow Mein – Here, the noodles are fried separately and are pressed flat to make a crispy pancake-like dish. The noodles are topped with the rest of the ingredients post-cooking so that the noodles remain crispy.
  • Steamed Chow Mein – The noodles are par-boiled first and then stir-fried with the rest of the ingredients. Compared to crispy chow mein, steamed chow mein is oilier.

For both types of chow mein, the noodles are the star of the dish.

That said, only a little bit of protein, vegetables, and sauce are added to highlight the noodles and keep them crispy and chewy. 

Lo Mein Served On A White Plate Topped With Meat and Garnish

What is Lo Mein?

Lo mein means “tossed/mixed noodles” in Chinese. Similar to chow mein, it’s also an egg-noodle stir-fry tossed with vegetables, protein, and sauce.

Lo mein noodles are smooth, soft, and chewy.

They’re already pre-cooked, so they only need to be added towards the end of cooking. 

The main feature of the dish, though, isn’t the noodles, but the sauce.

It’s made mainly with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and sometimes ketchup.

It has a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors.

The noodles are generously doused in the thick sauce to give them flavor.

How to Make Chow Mein? 

Forget takeout, make chow mein noodles at home instead! It’s a lot easier to make than you think.

Chow mein noodles aren’t only delicious, but they’re also incredibly versatile.

Feel free to add your choice of proteins and vegetables to the stir-fry.

Ingredients:

  • Egg Noodles – For crispy chow mein, use dried egg noodles. For steamed chow mein, you can either use fresh or dried.
  • Vegetables – Because the noodles are so crunchy and the sauce wonderfully sweet, you can sneak in as many vegetables as you like with the kids paying no mind. Common vegetables used in chow mein include shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and carrots.
  • Protein – Chicken is the most popular choice because it complements the taste of the sauce. But, beef, pork, tofu, shrimp, eggs, and any other kind of protein works, too. You can opt for just one type of protein or use as many as you wish.
  • Sauce – A sweet and savory combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, broth, and sugar, thickened with cornstarch.

Directions:

1. Prep the vegetables. Rinse, dry, and chop into strips. 

2. Boil the egg noodles according to package instructions.

3. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Add the cornstarch and mix thoroughly until the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes.

4. Preheat a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Cook the protein in oil until cooked through. Stir in the vegetables.

5. Add the cooked noodles and toss them together with the rest of the ingredients. Add the sauce and carefully mix until it’s completely coated, about 1 minute. Serve and enjoy!

How to Make Lo Mein?

Lo mein has the same components as chow mein: egg noodles, proteins, vegetables, and sauce. The difference lies in the manner the dish is cooked. Here’s how.

Ingredients:

  • Egg Noodles  – Stick to fresh egg noodles for the best-tasting lo mein.
  • Vegetables – Just like chow mein, you can use whatever vegetables you like. Popular choices include bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and zucchini.
  • Protein – Chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, turkey, tofu, any kind of protein works.
  • Sauce – A mix of sesame oil, light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, and sugar.

Directions:

1. Boil and drain the egg noodles according to package instructions. 

2. Make the lo mein sauce. Whisk the ingredients until well-combined.

3. Preheat a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Stir-fry the chopped vegetables and protein just until the vegetables are cooked on the outside. Add a bit of sauce to give them flavor. 

4. Add the noodles and the rest of the sauce. Gently toss the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy!

Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein: Which is Better?

There’s really no one better dish. To me, they’re equally delicious! It all depends on your personal taste. 

Crispy chow mein is crispy, steamed chow mean is chewy, and both have very little sauce in them.

Lo mein, on the other hand, has softer noodles that are heavily coated with sauce.

Difference Between Chow Mein and Lo Mein

To sum up, here are the key similarities and differences between the two.

1. Both are noodle stir-fries. They’re tossed with proteins, vegetables, and a sweet and savory sauce.

2. Both use egg noodles. 

3. Chow mein is Cantonese for stir-fried noodles, while lo mein means mixed or tossed noodles.

4. The egg noodles in chow mein are typically fried and coated with very little sauce. The star of the dish is the crispy noodles. Lo mein uses pre-boiled egg noodles which are then stir-fried with tons of sauce. The sauce is the main attraction of this dish.

5. Because of the difference in the method of cooking, chow mein has crispy and crunchy noodles while lo mein has soft noodles that soak up the sauce well.

6. Lo mein has more calories than chow mein because of all the sauce.

Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein (What’s the Difference?)

Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein isn’t just a choice at your favorite Chinese restaurant; it’s a culinary showdown between two noodle giants. So, let’s find out what makes them different once and for all.

Ingredients

  • Egg Noodles

  • Vegetables

  • Protein

  • Sauce

Instructions

  • For Chow Mein:
  • Prep the vegetables. Rinse, dry, and chop them into strips.
  • Boil the egg noodles according to package instructions.
  • Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Add the cornstarch and mix thoroughly until the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Preheat a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Cook the protein in oil until cooked through. Stir in the vegetables.
  • Add the cooked noodles and toss them together with the rest of the ingredients. Add the sauce and carefully mix until completely coated, about 1 minute. Serve and enjoy!
  • For Lo Mein:
  • Boil and drain the egg noodles according to package instructions.
  • Make the lo mein sauce. Whisk the ingredients until well-combined.
  • Preheat a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Stir-fry the chopped vegetables and protein just until the vegetables are cooked on the outside. Add a bit of sauce to give them flavor.
  • Add the noodles and the rest of the sauce. Gently toss the ingredients together. Serve and enjoy!
Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein (What's the Difference?)

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2 thoughts on “Chow Mein vs. Lo Mein (What’s the Difference?)”

  1. Hi Kim, I love your recipes and I use them all of the time. One recipe I still have not been able to make is lo mein. It just seems to be complicated for some reason. Please help me.

    Reply
    • Hi Philip! I adore lo mein. And most noodle dishes come to think of it 🙂

      Here’s a quick and easy lo mein recipe I use all the time:

      Sauce:
      3 tablespoons soy sauce
      3 tablespoons oyster sauce
      1 teaspoon sesame oil
      1 teaspoon sugar
      1 clove of garlic, minced
      Lo Mein:
      6 ounces uncooked ramen noodles
      1 tablespoon sesame oil
      3 green onions, chopped and divided (white and green(
      2–3 cups julienne or chopped vegetables* (carrots, red peppers, cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.)
      *or grab a bag of pre-chopped stir fry veggies
      2 tablespoons mirin

      Instructions:
      1. Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
      2. Cook the noodles per the package instructions. Drain.
      3. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the white onions and the veggies and stir fry until fork-tender — about 5 minutes.
      4. Add the mirin and stir. Then, add the cooked and drained noodles and half of the sauce.
      5. Toss and stir until the noodles are hot and well coated in the sauce. Add more sauce as needed.
      6. Serve hot with the green onions for garnish.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply

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