Slow Cooker Lo Mein gives you tender pork, crisp vegetables, and noodles drenched in a savory-sweet sauce, all from your Crockpot. This pork lo mein comes together with minimal hands-on time, and the noodles stir in at the very end so they stay perfectly chewy instead of mushy. It’s takeout flavor without the delivery wait (or the price tag).
While everyone else is scrambling to order takeout on busy weeknights, you can come home to restaurant-quality Chinese food that’s been quietly cooking itself all day. There is no wok required, no standing over a hot stove, and definitely no delivery fees.
I love making this on days when I have no mental energy left for dinner decisions by mid-afternoon. The slow cooker does most of the job, and then I’ve got about five minutes of actual work before food hits the table.
Cooking the pork and vegetables low and slow in the sauce lets all that flavor soak in for hours. The noodles go in right before serving, so you don’t have to worry about slow cooker noodles turning into a gluey mess. In the end, you get noodles that actually have texture, pork that falls apart, and vegetables that still have a little bite.
I’ll walk you through the simple prep, my sauce combination that beats any bottled version, and give you all my best tips. It’s a simple way to satisfy your Chinese takeout cravings right from the comfort of your kitchen.
Looking for more takeout favorites to make at home? Try my recipes for beef and broccoli, Kung Pao shrimp, and Beijing beef.
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Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
Protein and Veggies
- Pork chops: Slice them thinly or into cubes.
- Frozen broccoli: You can use fresh if you prefer, but frozen works just as well and saves time.
- Shredded carrots: I buy the pre-shredded bag because I love shortcuts.
- Bell pepper: Sliced thin. You can use any color bell pepper you like, or swap in snow peas or mushrooms.
For the Sauce
- Soy sauce
- Chicken stock
- Rice vinegar
- Hoisin sauce
- Sesame oil
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Black pepper
- Ketchup
- Fresh garlic
For Finishing
- Cornstarch and water
- Lo mein noodles: These are thick, chewy egg noodles. You can find them in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, spaghetti or linguine work surprisingly well.
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Lo Mein
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, black pepper, ketchup, and minced garlic.
- Place your sliced pork chops, frozen broccoli, shredded carrots, and sliced red bell pepper into the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over everything and stir to make sure the pork and veggies are coated.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 3 hours.
- About 10 minutes before you’re ready to serve, it’s time to thicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth with no lumps. Pour this slurry into the slow cooker and stir it in well. Let it cook, uncovered, on high for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce thickens up and gets glossy.
- While the sauce is thickening, cook your lo mein noodles according to the package directions.
- Add the cooked noodles directly into the slow cooker and stir until they’re completely coated in the thick, flavorful sauce.
Serving Ideas
Slow cooker lo mein is a complete meal on its own, but I love playing around with ways to serve it depending on what my family’s in the mood for. Straight from the slow cooker is my go-to move on weeknights.
I plate it up with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions, maybe a slight drizzle of sriracha on the side for anyone who wants extra heat. It takes about five minutes from slow cooker to table, which is precisely the kind of timing I want when everyone’s hungry.
You can also serve the pork and veggie mixture over the noodles rather than mixing everything. This way, people can control how many noodles they want. I’ve also found that setting out small bowls of extra garnishes, like sesame seeds, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, and sriracha, lets everyone customize their bowl.
For a different serving option, I sometimes skip the noodles entirely and serve everything over cauliflower rice or regular steamed rice. The sauce is rich enough that you don’t miss the lo mein, and it cuts down on carbs if that matters to you.
How to Store
Keep your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you can, store the noodles and the pork-veggie mixture separately. The noodles will soak up all the sauce overnight and turn a bit mushy, which isn’t the worst thing, but they taste fresher when you keep them apart.
When you’re ready to reheat, warm everything gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of soy sauce or chicken broth to loosen things up. The broth helps rehydrate the noodles and revives the sauce.
For freezing, it works best to freeze the pork and veggie mixture without the noodles. So if you are making a big batch and expect leftovers, don’t stir the noodles in.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Thinly sliced pork cooks more quickly and stays tender, which is perfect if you’re sticking to the 4-hour timeline.
- The recipe calls for adding the veggies at the beginning, which works fine if you like softer vegetables, but for that crisp-tender texture you get from takeout? Stir them in later. Your carrots and peppers will thank you.
- Cook your noodles separately and add them at the very end. Cook them according to the package directions while the pork finishes, drain them, and toss them in right before serving. They’ll stay perfectly tender and won’t steal all the liquid from your dish.
- This is an easy recipe to prep ahead of time. The night before, I prep the sauce in a bowl, slice up the pork, and chop my veggies, so it only takes minutes to stir it all together the next day. It is exactly the kind of setup that makes weeknight dinner actually happen when life gets chaotic.
- You can use boneless pork loin, pork shoulder, or pork tenderloin if you prefer.
- Switch up the veggies if you like. Snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn, snap peas, and bok choy all work great. Just keep in mind that delicate veggies like snow peas should go in near the end.
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Slow Cooker Pork Lo Mein
Ingredients
Lo mein sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Lo mein ingredients:
- 1 pound pork chops sliced
- 2 cups frozen broccoli
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 14 ounces lo mein noodles cooked according to the box directions
- Sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, ginger, black pepper, ketchup, and minced garlic.½ cup soy sauce, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, ½ cup hoisin sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 cloves garlic
- Place pork, broccoli, carrots, and peppers in the slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture over the top. Stir to coat.1 pound pork chops, 2 cups frozen broccoli, 1 cup carrots, 2 red bell peppers
- Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 3 hours, until pork is tender.
- Ten minutes before serving, thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Stir into the slow cooker, then cook on high until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Stir in cooked lo mein noodles until coated.14 ounces lo mein noodles
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.Sesame seeds and green onions
Notes
- Thinly sliced pork cooks more quickly and stays tender, which is perfect if you’re sticking to the 4-hour timeline.
- The recipe calls for adding the veggies at the beginning, which works fine if you like softer vegetables. But if you prefer the crisp-tender texture you get from takeout, stir them in during the last hour.
- This is an easy recipe to prep ahead of time. The night before, prepare the sauce in a bowl, slice up the pork, and chop the veggies. That way you can have the slow cooker ready to cook in less than 5 minutes the next day.
- You can use boneless pork loin, pork shoulder, pork tenderloin, or boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn, snap peas, and bok choy all work great. Just keep in mind that delicate veggies like snow peas should go in near the end.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
