Quick & Easy Chicken Lo Mein Teriyaki

A frugal meal that doesn’t taste frugal!

If you’ve been around here long, you know I love a meal that’s easy on the wallet but still packed with flavor.

This Chicken Lo Mein Teriyaki checks all the boxes: it’s quick, tasty, uses what you already have in the fridge — and honestly, it tastes like something you'd grab from takeout… but cheaper, healthier, and made with love right in your own kitchen.

This recipe came together because we had leftover pasta from earlier meals (chicken parmesan and chicken with gravy), plus some cooked chicken I’d prepped ahead of time. Nothing fancy here — just a little resourceful mama magic.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 Tbsp oil (I used avocado, but whatever you’ve got is fine!)

• 1 sliced onion

• 2 cups cooked chicken

• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

• 5 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Cooked pasta (about half a pound or whatever’s leftover!)

• Teriyaki marinade/glaze (we love the Kinder’s brand)

The Method:

Start by heating your oil in a skillet and sautéing the onions with your already-cooked chicken. Add in your sauce of choice (coconut aminos or soy sauce), then throw in a generous helping of coleslaw mix. Don’t worry — it’ll cook down quickly.

Once everything starts to come together and those flavors get cozy in the pan, toss in your noodles and mix well. Drizzle that teriyaki glaze over the top and give it one last stir.

That’s it. Dinner = done.

We served ours with some Dollar Tree egg rolls. Not gourmet, but they got the job done!

Why I Love It:

This kind of recipe is exactly what I mean when I say “frugal meals that don’t taste frugal.” It’s full of flavor, doesn’t take much effort, and helps us stretch our grocery dollars a little further. I like to think of it as neighbor-to-neighbor cooking — the kind of thing I’d tell my best friend when she texts, “What are y’all having for dinner tonight?”

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