Crock Pot Chicken Keto Lo Mein

Using your slow cooker makes this low-carb chicken keto lo mein a breeze to make on a busy day. Even the chicken pieces brown up in the crock pot!

One of the best things about keto is that you can still enjoy your favorite comfort foods by tweaking them to fit your macros. This keto-friendly take on a classic Chinese recipe is perfect for satisfying your cravings without sacrificing your progress.

By using kelp noodles in place of traditional lo mein noodles, you can keep the carbs low while still enjoying all the flavors and textures you love. And with less than 2 grams of net carbs per serving, this dish is perfect for anyone following a ketogenic diet.

I've discovered a new found love for crock pots so I made this low carb chicken lo mein entirely in the crock pot.  Even the meat was browned inside the crock.

It took just over an hour for the cut chicken thigh meat to brown with my slow cooker on high. Once the chicken was browned, I removed it and added the sliced Chinese cabbage to the crock.

Ingredients

Other than the type of noodles used, the ingredients in this low-carb crock pot lo mein are similar to what you'll find in a standard recipe. It just replaces the regular noodles with ones that are approved for a keto diet.

These are the items needed for the recipe.

• Chicken - Boneless skinless chicken thighs are preferred for the best taste. Alternatively, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Lo mein noodles - Although many recipes call for egg noodles, this keto-friendly version uses kelp noodles. Other options for keto noodles include spaghetti squash, lupin flour noodles, and shirataki noodles (Miracle Noodles), zucchini noodles, or veggie noodles.
• Cabbage - I like to use napa cabbage. However, baby bok choy or regular green cabbage are great alternatives.
• Seasonings - The seasoning include garlic, ginger, coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce), sweetener, rice vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper. Sesame oil and optional red pepper flakes add to the flavor.
• Broth - To enhance the taste, chicken broth is used in the sauce.

Quick tips

• Replace the kelp noodles if needed. Other options for keto noodles include spaghetti squash, lupin flour noodles, and shirataki noodles (Miracle Noodles), hearts of palm noodles, zucchini noodles, or veggie noodles.
• Add additional vegetables. I like to include extra veggies when I make lo mein. Good add-ins include broccoli, red bell pepper, snow peas, and cut green beans.
• Garnish the top. To dress up the dish, sprinkle on sesame seeds or sliced green onions.
• Save on ingredients. I find the prices for all my favorite items are really high locally compared to what you can find online. That's why I finally decided to join Thrive Market!

Instructions

This low cooker chicken recipe is really simple to prepare. Just follow these easy step-by-step directions.

Prep and cook meat

Combine coconut aminos (or soy sauce) with sesame oil and garlic paste to make a marinade. Let the chicken pieces sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Add the chicken to a slow cooker and cook on low until cooked throughout. It takes about one or two hours on low but you can speed that up by using the high setting.

Add cabbage

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker then place the garlic, ginger, and chopped cabbage in the bottom of the crock pot. Put the chicken on top.

Prepare and add sauce

Make the sauce by whisking together chicken broth, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), sweetener, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and optional red pepper chili flakes.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and cabbage. Cook another hour or two in the slow cooker depending on your model and heat setting used.

Prepare and add noodles

About ten minutes before the cooking is done, rinse the kelp noodles and soak in water. This softens them up before using.

Although the noodles don't require cooking, I added then into the final ten minutes of slow cooking to warm them up in the dish.

Add the prepared noodles to the slow cooker and cover with sauce. If the sauce is too thin, you can add in a little thickener. I like to use xanthan gum since it's low in carbs.

That's all there is to making slow cooker chicken lo mein!

️ Serving suggestions

As with most Asian food, this dish tastes great with a side of cauliflower rice. You can also serve it with other low-carb Chinese food like keto egg drop soup.

If you don't add a lot of vegetables to the dish, try adding a side of roasted asparagus or spiralized zucchini noodle salad. A sunomono cucumber salad is also a great way to start the meal.

Related recipes

If you enjoyed this easy crock lo mein, you may want to try some of these other favorites.

• Chicken with bok choy is another simple Asian inspired dish.
• Baked sweet and sour chicken has all the flavor you love without the carbs.
• Crock pot teriyaki chicken is made prepared with ease in the slow cooker.
• Keto pepper steak is a family favorite for busy weeknight meals.
• Filipino chicken adobo is a tasty skillet dish that is sure to become a regular.

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Recipe

Crock Pot Keto Chicken Lo Mein

5 from 2 votes

Using your slow cooker makes this low carb crock pot chicken lo mein a breeze to make on a busy day. Even the chicken pieces brown up in the crock pot!

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:4 hours hrs

Total Time:4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

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Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 174

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds chicken sliced, I used boneless and skinless thighs
• ▢ 12 ounces kelp noodles or other low carb noodle
• ▢ 1 bunch bok choy or napa cabbage washed and sliced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Marinade

• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut aminos soy aminos or tamari
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of sesame oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon minced garlic paste

Sauce

• ▢ ¾ cup chicken bone broth
• ▢ ¼ cup coconut aminos soy aminos or tamari
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup or other sweetener
• ▢ 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon xanthan gum optional thickener

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick coating spray. Add marinated chicken to the slow cooker and cook on low for 1-2 hours or high for 1 hour stirring once or twice until cooked through.
• Take cooked chicken out of the slow cooker. Place garlic, ginger and Chinese cabbage in the bottom of your slow cooker and put cooked chicken on top.
• Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over all the ingredients in slow cooker.
• Cook on high for 30 minutes - 1 hour or low for 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally to distribute the sauce evenly.
• About 10 minutes before cooking time is up, prepare kelp noodles by rinsing and soaking in water.
• Add the noodles into the slow cooker and use tongs to cover noodles with the sauce. Add xanthan gum or other low carb thickener if desired.
• Turn slow cooker on high and cook an additional 10 - 15 minutes.

Notes

Adapted from Life Made Sweeter.

If you can't find kelp noodles, spaghetti squash strands or shiratake noodles work well as alternatives.

Feel free to add in any other low carb vegetables like broccoli or bell peppers. Other meat could be used in place of the chicken as well.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition per serving: 1.5g net carb, 2.5g erythritol (or fiber) from sweetener

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Calories: 174 | Carbohydrates: 3.1g | Protein: 24.5g | Fat: 8.1g | Sodium: 436mg | Fiber: 1.6g

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 1.5 g | % Carbs: 3.4 % | % Protein: 55.4 % | % Fat: 41.2 % | SmartPoints: 3

Values

Array
(
    [calories] => 174
    [carbohydrates] => 3.1
    [protein] => 24.5
    [fat] => 8.1
    [sodium] => 436
    [fiber] => 1.6
)

Notes on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Copyright

© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

First published on September 7, 2015. Post updated on May 13, 2022, with new photos and additional recipe information.