1. Lo Mein
20 min · Beginner · Cantonese
Soft egg noodles tossed — not fried — in a savory soy-sesame sauce with crisp vegetables. The easy, saucy 20-minute weeknight noodle, and endlessly adaptable.
5 Chinese Noodle Recipes
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen · Updated June 6, 2026
Noodles run deep in Chinese cooking, and the variety is huge — soft and saucy, pan-fried and crisp, smoky from a screaming-hot wok, or buried under a rich fermented-bean sauce. These Chinese noodle recipes cover the spread, from a 20-minute weeknight lo mein to the wok-skill showcase of beef chow fun. Most use ingredients you can find at a regular grocery store (with substitutes noted for the few you can't), and each one explains the single technique that makes it work — whether that's tossing instead of frying, chasing wok hei, or simmering a bean sauce low and slow. Pick by craving: quick and saucy, smoky and charred, spicy, or hearty.
2. Soy Sauce Chow Mein
15 min · Beginner · Cantonese
Pan-fried noodles with browned, crispy edges and that smoky wok-hei flavor. The crisp counterpart to lo mein, and a great home for leftover protein.
3. Dan Dan Noodles
30 min · Intermediate · Sichuan
Saucy, nutty and tingly Sichuan noodles — chili oil, sesame paste and Sichuan peppercorn over springy noodles. Bold, spicy and addictive.
4. Beef Chow Fun
25 min · Intermediate · Cantonese
Wide rice noodles and tender beef with charred, smoky wok hei. The classic test of stir-fry skill — and the payoff is silky, smoky noodles.
5. Zhajiangmian (Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles)
40 min · Intermediate · Northern & Dongbei
Beijing's fried-sauce noodles: thick wheat noodles under a rich, savory fermented-bean pork sauce with fresh crunchy vegetables. Hearty and unlike any takeout noodle.
Easy Chinese dinner FAQ
What's the difference between lo mein and chow mein?
Both start from the same egg noodles, but the technique differs. Lo mein means “tossed noodles” — boiled noodles tossed with sauce, so they stay soft and saucy. Chow mein means “fried noodles” — the noodles are pan-fried so they brown and turn chewy or crisp. Lo mein is the softer one; chow mein is the one with crispy edges.
What are the most popular Chinese noodle dishes?
Lo mein and chow mein are the most familiar in the West, but the range is wide: beef chow fun (wide rice noodles), dan dan noodles (spicy Sichuan), zhajiangmian (Beijing fried-sauce noodles), and biang biang or hand-pulled noodles. Each region has its own signature style and noodle shape.
What kind of noodles are used in Chinese cooking?
It depends on the dish. Fresh egg noodles are used for lo mein and chow mein; wide, flat rice noodles (ho fun) for chow fun; thick wheat noodles for zhajiangmian; and thin wheat noodles for many soups and Sichuan dishes. Most are sold fresh in the refrigerated section of Asian markets, with dried versions as a backup.
Are Chinese noodles vegetarian?
The noodles themselves usually are (wheat or rice based, though egg noodles contain egg), but the dishes often include meat or oyster/fish sauce. Many translate easily to vegetarian — lo mein, chow mein and even zhajiangmian work well with mushrooms or tofu and a vegetarian 'oyster' sauce. Each recipe here notes how to make it meat-free.
Get our free Chinese Kitchen Starter Guide
The 12 pantry staples, the 5 techniques, and a week of beginner-friendly dinners — plus a new decoded recipe each week.