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Home » Main Dishes

Published: Mar 3, 2022 · Updated: Sep 14, 2022 by Carole Jones · 2 Comments

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

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Ready for a flavor-packed dinner that is ready in 15 minutes? Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein is loaded with all your favorite Asian flavors, juicy chicken, and yummy fresh vegetables. This easy meal is perfect for a busy weeknight meal and so much healthier than take-out! Don’t have an Instant Pot? No worries because I’ve included recipes for stove top preparation as well!

white bowl of chicken lo mein noodles

If you have never tried making lo mein noodles at home, this is a great way to try it for the first time. Come on…who doesn’t love a crazy good one pot meal you can make faster than your favorite Chinese restaurants can deliver it to your home? And let’s be honest…we can’t take another night of drive-thru chicken tenders and french fries for dinner!

The world is constantly on the hunt for easy Instant Pot recipes so grab yours out of your pantry and let’s getting dinner ready together.

And if you don’t love chicken, or want to make it without the Instant Pot, or only have spaghetti noodles on hand, scroll on down for the best way to handle each of those variations. I’ve got you my friend! Don’t be afraid to be a little different than the original recipe 🙂

bowl of lo mein noodles with chicken and vegetables

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein FAQs

Can I use any type of egg noodle for this recipe?

For the most authentic and best results, I do suggest using Chinese egg noodles since we are making Chinese food. And if you are blessed to be able to find fresh Chinese egg noodles somewhere by you, go for those first!

An authentic Asian noodle has a denser, chewier texture than spaghetti. But if you can’t find Asian noodles or don’t want to pay the higher price, any medium sized noodle will work just fine for this recipe.

No matter which noodle you choose, the key to lo mein success is to not overcook the noodles. Just like in Italian pasta, you want the finished noodles to be al dente, or “to the tooth.” Simple put, you want a little bit of firmness and resistance when you bite into it.

What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?

If you are unaware of the Instant Pot craze, this easy recipe can still be made without one. An Instant Pot is simple a pressure cooker that uses high pressure to greatly reduce cooking time and with the magic quick release button, which releases the pressure fast, there’s no waiting around for the pot to cool.

If you don’t own an Instant Pot, simply follow these steps instead:

  1. Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Do not rinse them once they are cooked.
  2. Eliminate the chicken stock from the recipe
  3. Cook the chicken in a hot pan with a dash of oil until cooked. Remove.
  4. Add the vegetables to the hot pan and sauté until tender.
  5. Add the chicken, noodles, and sauce into the pan. Toss to combine.
Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

How long will Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein leftovers last?

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers of this amazing one pot dinner, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It will be good for at least 5 days. To reheat the next time you are ready to eat, toss the noodles in a hot pan with a dash or two of water, or simply use your microwave.

Can I skip the sauté step?

Technically, yes you could but it would mess with the finished texture and flavor of your dish. Sautéing the chicken and veggies on the bottom of the pot before adding everything else allows those ingredients to build some flavor and get a head start on the cooking process. If you just dump it all in uncooked, your noodles will finish cooking before everything else is ready.

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

What is the difference between Lo Mein and Chow Mein noodles?

“Mein” simply means noodles so it is easy to get the two confused. The difference lies in how they are prepared. Lo mein are tossed noodles while chow mein are stir-fried.

Both preparations of noodles calls for similar ingredients, which makes it easy to mix up, but the cooking methods are completely different. Chow mein noodles are first soaked in water before stir frying in oil until fully cooked and they tend to be crunchier. Lo Mein noodles are cooked completely in hot water before being added to the rest of protein, vegetables, and sauce at the end.

Recipe Variation Suggestions

Since we all are unique and love different ingredients, I always encourage my readers to take my recipe and try different variations to make it perfect for their families using simple ingredients to change it up a bit.

  • Use a different protein. This recipe calls for chicken breast meat but feel free to use chicken thighs, pork loin, steak, shrimp, or even ground proteins.
  • Use your favorite veggies: carrots, green bell peppers, sugar snap peas or snow peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli, red peppers, cabbage, and spinach all work great.
  • Play around with the sauce. Requirements for your base are soy sauce and sesame oil, but have fun creating your own signature sauce using any or all of the following: hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, sriracha, red pepper flakes, oyster sauce.
  • Think about what you can add to the top of the noodles. A sprinkle of green onions, sesame seeds, peanuts, or fresh lime juice would be amazing over the finished dish.

Looking for More Asian Dinner Recipes?

Asian Ramen Salad | Napa Cabbage Salad | VIDEO
Asian Ramen Salad
how to make wonton soup
Won Ton Soup
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Craving more than Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein? Subscribe to My Kitchen Escapades to get new recipes and a weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for all the latest updates.

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white bowl of chicken lo mein noodles

Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein

5 from 1 reviews

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Ready in 15 minutes and loaded with all your favorite flavors!

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound chicken breasts, diced

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms

3 cups fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon sriracha

8 ounces lo mein noodles

Instructions

  1. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add vegetable oil. Add chicken and cook until brown.
  2. Add carrot, onion, mushrooms, spinach, and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
  3. Add remaining ingredients, place on the lid, and close the quick release valve. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  4. Release the pressure, stir the noodles together, and serve immediately.
  • Author: Carole Jones
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 640
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Sodium: 1212 mg
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 67 g
  • Fiber: 10 g
  • Protein: 48 g
  • Cholesterol: 164 mg

Keywords: instant pot recipes

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Categories: Main Dishes Tags: Asian, Pasta

Filed Under: Main Dishes
2 Comments

About Carole Jones

Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

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Comments

  1. Marie says

    March 04, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    Made this last night and it was a huge hit with my kids! Thank you 🙂






    Reply
    • Carole says

      March 04, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      You are very welcome! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review. They help out so much

      Reply

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