Pork Lo Mein | Easy Lo Mein With Spaghetti Noodles

• Fast. A quick weeknight meal that is done in under 30 minutes.
• Easy. Cook the pork, boil the noodles, and saute it all in sesame oil and other umami-flavored sauce ingredients until perfectly crispy.
• Delicious. Packed with sweet, salty, and umami flavors that the whole family will love.
• Budget-friendly. Uses extremely affordable ingredients that create a Pork Lo Mein at home at a fraction of the price you would spend on takeout.

The difference between the two Asian noodle dishes is the amount of cooking that is done before you fry the noodles. In Chow Mein, the noodles are simply soaked in hot water to soften them up before frying them. In Pork Lo Mein, the noodles are completely cooked before you saute them in oil.

Traditionally, Pork Lo Mein is made with Chinese egg noodles. While these are becoming more commonly found in local supermarkets everywhere, they can still be difficult to find in some regions and aren’t always a pantry staple. So, for this Pork Lo Mein recipe, I decided to use spaghetti noodles because they are similar in texture and something I keep in my pantry at all times.

• Pork Chops– Thin-sliced, boneless pork chops cook quickly and are an inexpensive cut of protein.
• Spaghetti Noodles– You can use any thickness of spaghetti noodle for this Pork Lo Mein.
• Frozen Peas and Carrots– These warm through quickly without becoming mushy while you saute them with the other homemade hibachi noodle ingredients.
• Soy Sauce– Salty, umami, and slightly bitter.
• Hoisin Sauce– Has a slightly sweet umami flavor that is found in a variety of Asian dishes.
• Sugar– Creates a sweet, caramelized coating to the noodles that balances the saltiness of the soy sauce.
• Vegetable Oil
• Sesame Oil– Has a high smoke point, which allows you to cook your Pork Lo Mein without setting off the smoke alarms in your kitchen.
• Nori Kori Furikake– A Japanese multipurpose seasoning blend. This is optional but adds texture and a little garnishing flair.
• Salt– Just a touch to the pork so it doesn’t become bland while cooking.
• Pepper– Adds a touch of heat to help neutralize the sweet and salty flavors of the other ingredients.

Step 1: Boil some water. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

Step 2: Cook the pork chops. While the water is coming to a boil, season your pork chops with salt and pepper. Place the pork chops in a skillet over medium heat and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 145F. Flip them halfway through the cooking process. Pull them out of the skillet and allow them to rest.

Step 3: Cook the spaghetti noodles. While the pork chops are resting, boil the spaghetti noodles until al dente. Remove them from the water and toss them in sesame oil.

Step 4: Season the noodles and fry them. Add vegetable oil to the skillet with the pork renderings and allow the pan to become hot. Toss the noodles in the hot vegetable oil. Quickly add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and frozen peas and carrots. Continue to stir until the ingredients are well incorporated with the noodles and the vegetables are warm. Remove the skillet from the burner.

Step 5: Cut the pork. Slice the pork chops into bite-sized pieces and stir them into the lo mein.

Step 6: Garnish and serve. Serve with optional sesame seed and nori blend and enjoy!

• Swap out the protein. Pork chops aren’t your jam? No problem. Swap out rotisserie chicken, ground chicken, ground turkey, or even precooked ground beef.
• Make it Vegetarian. If you want to make this a side dish or a meal option for your next Meatless Monday, leave the meat out completely. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce ingredients, so the only thing you’ll be missing out on is the protein.
• Add more veggies. The joy of lo mein is how versatile it can be. Think of the last time you headed to grab hibachi at your favorite restaurant. Saute or steam any of the more common vegetables you get in one of those plates (think onion, water chestnuts, broccoli, mushrooms, snap peas} and add them in when you fry the noodles.
• Serve the noodles soft. Not everyone likes their noodles crispy. In our house, I like them to have a slight crunch, but two of my boys prefer them soft. Toss them in the oil and sauce ingredients long enough for the sugars to begin to caramelize and after that, the crisp level is completely up to you. I would say about 2 minutes over medium heat for soft noodles and around 4-5 for noodles that have crispy edges.

• Cream Cheese Rangoon
• Egg Rolls
• Pot Stickers
• Wontons

It’s hard to find a meal that is better to use for meal prep or leftovers than one made with pasta. This Pork Lo Mein made with spaghetti noodles is no exception. For the best leftover meal, store any extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days.

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If you love this Pork Lo Mein as much as we do, make sure you share it on Facebook and Instagram so your friends can fall in love with it too! Pin it to your favorite dinner recipes board so you can make it again soon.