Marinated konjac noodles make the perfect Keto Lo Mein. An easy recipe for all of your keto Chinese cravings. Only 3 net carbs per serving.
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Surprise! Another Asian-inspired recipe! This post is all about marinated konjac noodles!
If you were a habitual lo mein orderer on Chinese take-out nights, then you’re in for a treat with these Keto Lo Mein noodles.
As I have said in other posts, pasta can be a hard replacement on a low carb diet.
We have spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, homemade egg noodles, but that’s really it in the way of “pasta”.
Have you heard of konjac pasta before?
It’s a Japanese noodle made from the konjac plant.
There are TONS of different brands you can buy. Some are definitely better than others.
In fact, until I made this recipe, I had not found one that I cared for. However, I know many many people who like the Miracle Noodle brand.
(I’m using the NuPasta brand in this recipe but this is not a sponsored post)
When cooked properly, konjac noodles are a fantastic substitute because they’re zero carb, low calorie, and gluten free.
I feel like this recipe should come with a few warnings, if you will, about working with konjac noodles for the first time:
- They smell to the high heavens. I’m not kidding when I say hold your breath when you open the package. I’m not sure why they have a bad odor, but they do, and it reeks.
- Rinse, rinse,rinse. You have to rinse the heck out of the noodles prior to marinating and cooking to eliminate that fishy smell.
- Do not boil them! Konjac noodles are different than flour based noodles and do not require a boil. 99.9% of packages will tell you (as will I in the recipe) to pan fry them.
Okay, you’ve been warned. Moving on…
I got the idea to marinate the noodles from my good friend Lisa (@queencityketo on Instagram).
She shared that she did that one night for supper and the lightbulb immediately went off in my head! Genius idea, my sweet friend!
These keto lo mein noodles mimic the take-out variety really well!
They’re a great accompaniment to my Beef and Broccoli, Pork Fried Rice, or Sugar Free Yum Yum Sauce.
They have a nice bite to them reminiscent of rice noodles.
And I have to tell you, the one person in my family who loved these the MOST was my picky threenager! I’m not even kidding, y’all! He gobbled them up.
We really enjoyed this keto Lo Mein and I think you will too!
Keto Lo Mein
Marinated konjac noodles make the perfect Keto Lo Mein. An easy recipe for all of your keto Chinese cravings. Only 3 net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 1 pound konjac noodles
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 1/4 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar substitute
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Place the noodles in a colander and run under cold water per package directions.
- While the noodles are rinsing, make the marinade by whisking the coconut aminos, onions, vinegar, lime juice, water and brown sugar substitute in a large bowl.
- Drain the noodles and transfer to the bowl. Toss the noodles so that all are covered in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to marinate, up to 24 hours.
- Remove the noodles from the fridge. Strain the noodles through a fine sieve and reserve the marinade.
- In a skillet over MED HIGH heat, add the sesame oil. Add the noodles to the hot pan. Use tongs to toss them in the oil. They will bubble, sizzle, and pop. Cook the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Reduce the heat to MED and add the reserved marinade. When it begins to slightly bubble, add the xanthan gum and whisk continuously until thickened, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the noodles.
- Garnish with reserved green onion before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50Total Fat: 2.8gCarbohydrates: 6.7gFiber: 3.7gProtein: 2.8g
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find everything your keto heart desires here at Keto In Pearls! Make sure to connect to with me on social media if you try any of my recipes! 
Looks delish! How many servings does this recipe make? I plan on making it later in the month 🙂
It makes 6 servings
I have had a horrible experience with miracle pasta, I can’t stand how chewy they are! I’ve tried dry frying them too and it still wasn’t like pasta. Does marinating them make them softer? Or can you still kind of tell they aren’t pasta? Thanks!
When do you use the lime juice?
Omg! These are fantastic! I marinated the noodles for 24 hours and they definitely absorbed every bit of the flavor…also made them a bit softer than when I use these noodles to make pasta. Tasted just like take out, my husband LOVED them and wished I made more. Will be adding these to my weekly meal plans. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Thank you so much! I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed them!☺️
Is the Konjac noodles the same taste as the shirataki noodles? Thanks
They are the same thing but as I’ve mentioned, all brands are different. Also, rinsing them very well and then marinating them, they just take on the flavor of the marinade. Konjac/shirataki noodles are best used in Asian recipes because they are an Asian food.
Where would i find brown sugar substitute?
The Sukrin Gold that I use can be purchased at Le Gaia.
Can I add chicken and shrimp to this? Do I need to have more reserve marinate to cook the chicken and shrimp? Or what tips do you have for adding them in. Thank you
Yes, you sure could! You could double the marinade but I’d bag them separately.
I found this recipe and it saved my life. I have been dying for a decent swap for lo mein because I crave it weekly. Now that I have this recipe I can satisfy my Chinese food craving! And soaking overnight–who’d have thought the noodles would soak up so much flavor? I hardly had to add any of the sauce.
I have made these numerous times and they are better than any lo mein I have ever had! I add chicken strips or shrimp or ground pork sometimes to add more protein. Totally a keeper!!
This is hand’s down the best side dish I’ve had since starting keto. Thank you so much for sharing!
How much is one serving?
Thanks
Great recipe!!! No leftovers, and 2/3 of my kids immediately asked for it to be put on the list for next week! Marinating the noodles is genius, thank you so much for sharing!!!
Hi Anna! I love that! Thank you for stopping by!
I find many of the konjac/shiritaki noodles are rubbery and too slippery and I almost choke on them. Is this what you find? Did the NuPasta have this problem?
I kind of touch on this in the blog post. I don’t think konjac noodles are a good substitute for spaghetti, but when marinated for an Asian inspired dish, they work fabulously as in this recipe.
I want to make this so bad but I can’t find it at any store. Where do you normally purchase this item??
You can use the store locator on their website to find this particular brand. However, any brand of shirtaki/konajc noodle will work here.
OMG!!!! These are SO good!!! Konjac noodles will never be the same. I only marinated mine 30 minutes (I was hungry). But they still had wonderful flavour. I just realized I had put all the ingredients in the marinate, including the sesame oil (I don’t use xanthan gum). I served them with shrimp. Best low-carb meal ever. Also,I didn’t use the marinate in the heating process so I’m using it to marinate a bag of konjac rice for a fried-rice type side dish. I’ll serve it with chicken. Thanks for the recipe.