20-Minute Garlic Lo Mein Noodles

Finding a quick, satisfying dinner that doesn’t require a ton of ingredients can feel impossible on busy weeknights. After all, simple dinners are hard to come by when you’re juggling work deadlines, school pickup, and the endless pile of laundry, and things get even more complicated when everyone in the family has different taste preferences.

Luckily, these garlic lo mein noodles hit all the right notes: they’re flavorful yet easy to make, ready in under 20 minutes, and flexible enough to work with whatever vegetables you have sitting in your fridge.

What Kind of Lo Mein Noodles Should I Use?

Fresh lo mein noodles are your best bet if you can find them in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or at an Asian market – they have the perfect chewy texture that makes this dish shine. If fresh noodles aren’t available, dried lo mein noodles work just fine and are much easier to find in most supermarkets. You can even substitute with other thick, round noodles like udon or even spaghetti in a pinch, though the texture will be slightly different. Just make sure to cook whatever noodles you choose according to the package directions and drain them well before tossing with the garlic sauce.

Options for Substitutions

This simple noodle dish is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Lo mein noodles: Can’t find lo mein noodles? Fresh or dried linguine, fettuccine, or even spaghetti work great as substitutes. You can also use ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) or udon noodles for a different texture.
• Dark soy sauce: If you only have regular soy sauce, you can use all light soy sauce and add a pinch of brown sugar or molasses for that deeper color and slightly sweet flavor that dark soy provides.
• Fresh ginger: Ground ginger works in a pinch – use about 1 teaspoon instead of the 2 tablespoons fresh. The flavor won’t be quite as bright, but it’ll still taste good.
• Sesame oil: This ingredient really makes the dish, so I’d recommend not skipping it. But if you must, you can add a bit more vegetable oil and extra toasted sesame seeds for some of that nutty flavor.
• Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil like canola, peanut, or avocado oil will work just fine for stir-frying.
• Red chili flakes: Skip these if you don’t like heat, or swap with fresh sliced chilies, sriracha, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making garlic lo mein is overcooking the noodles, which turns them mushy and ruins the texture – cook them just until al dente since they’ll continue cooking when you toss them with the sauce.

Another common error is burning the garlic and ginger, so keep your heat at medium and add them to the oil gradually, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Don’t dump all the sauce at once or your noodles will become soggy – instead, add it gradually while tossing to ensure even coating, and make sure your noodles are well-drained before adding them to the pan.

For the best flavor, add the sesame oil at the very end off the heat, as cooking it too long can make it taste bitter rather than nutty.

What to Serve With Garlic Lo Mein Noodles?

These garlicky noodles are perfect as a side dish alongside your favorite Chinese takeout classics like orange chicken, beef and broccoli, or sweet and sour pork. You can also make it a complete meal by adding some protein right into the noodles – try tossing in some cooked shrimp, sliced chicken, or even scrambled eggs. For a lighter touch, serve with some steamed vegetables like bok choy or snap peas, or start the meal with a simple cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar. The rich, savory flavors of these noodles also pair nicely with crispy spring rolls or pot stickers for a fun family-style dinner.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Leftover garlic lo mein keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The noodles might absorb some of the sauce as they sit, but that just makes them more flavorful! I actually think it tastes even better the next day when all those garlic flavors have had time to meld together.

Freeze: You can freeze portions of this lo mein in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Just know that the texture of the noodles will be a bit softer after freezing, but the taste is still great. I like to portion it out in individual servings so I can grab just what I need for a quick meal.

Warm Up: To bring your lo mein back to life, toss it in a hot skillet with a splash of oil for 2-3 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave it, but I find the stovetop method gives you better texture. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and fresh green onions right before serving to brighten it up.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	5-10 minutes
Total Time	15-25 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1350-1500
• Protein: 32-38 g
• Fat: 38-45 g
• Carbohydrates: 215-230 g

Ingredients

For the noodles:

• 6 garlic cloves (finely minced, about 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, adds gentle heat)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped into 1/8-inch pieces)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil like canola)
• Green onions (thinly sliced, about 1/4-inch pieces, for serving)
• 400g lo mein noodles (cooked according to package directions)

For the sauce and garnish:

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (for deeper umami flavor)
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil (freshly opened bottle preferred for best aroma)

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients and Cook the Noodles

• 400g lo mein noodles
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• Green onions, thinly sliced

If you haven’t already, cook the lo mein noodles according to package directions, then drain and set aside.

While the noodles cook, mince the garlic cloves finely (about 2 tablespoons total) and chop the ginger into small 1/8-inch pieces.

Thinly slice the green onions, keeping the white and light green parts separate from the darker green tops—this separation will give you better texture when garnishing.

Having everything prepped and ready before you start cooking is essential for this quick 20-minute dish, as the actual cooking happens fast once the heat is on.

Step 2: Bloom the Garlic and Ginger in Oil

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is very hot (about 1-2 minutes).

Add the minced garlic and chopped ginger all at once, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and golden—this blooming process releases their essential oils and creates the flavorful foundation for the entire dish.

Be careful not to let them brown too much, as burnt garlic becomes bitter.

If using red pepper flakes, add them now and stir for about 30 seconds to toast them slightly, which intensifies their flavor.

Step 3: Combine Noodles with Aromatics and Sauce

• 400g lo mein noodles, cooked
• garlic and ginger mixture from Step 2
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Add the cooked noodles to the skillet with the garlic-ginger mixture, then pour in both the light and dark soy sauces and sprinkle in the roasted sesame seeds.

I always use a freshly opened bottle of sesame oil is reserved for the very end—adding it now would cause its delicate aroma to evaporate with the heat, so we’ll add it at the finish.

Toss everything together thoroughly for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to ensure every noodle is coated with the fragrant oil and sauce mixture.

Step 4: Finish with Sesame Oil and Green Onions

• noodle mixture from Step 3
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Green onions, mostly white and light green parts

Remove the skillet from heat, then immediately drizzle the sesame oil over the noodles and add most of the sliced green onions (reserving some darker green tops for garnish).

Toss everything together quickly—the residual heat will warm the sesame oil and release its aromatic quality without burning it.

This final tossing ensures the sesame oil’s fragrance permeates the dish and the green onions stay fresh and crisp rather than wilted.

Step 5: Plate and Garnish

• Roasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Green onion tops, for garnish

Divide the garlic lo mein noodles among serving bowls or plates.

Top each portion with a sprinkle of extra roasted sesame seeds and the reserved darker green onion tops for a fresh garnish.

Serve immediately while the noodles are still warm and fragrant.