Shrimp Chow Mein

This shrimp chow mein is quick, simple, and delicious! It is made with fresh vegetables, the most delicious stir-fry sauce, and chewy noodles. The perfect dish for anyone who loves flavorful noodle stir-fries!

If you are looking for quick and delicious recipes that you can add to your dinner rotation, you have to try this shrimp chow mein recipe! It tastes just as good (or even better) than take-out noodles and is super simple to make.

To make these Chinese stir-fry noodles, you’ll need a few ingredients that are often used in Asian recipes. But if you buy them once, you can leave them in your pantry and whip up delicious dishes like this chicken Yaki udon or this soba noodle salad whenever you want.

What is shrimp chow mein?

Chow mein is a Chinese noodle dish that combines egg noodles, vegetables, your protein of choice (in this case shrimp), and a stir-fry sauce that is made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar (I used honey in this recipe), and sesame oil.

There are multiple versions of chow mein with small variations. Depending on where you live, you might know this dish with crispy noodles, different vegetables, and a slightly different sauce.

This is the version of chow mein I know and absolutely love! It is made with soft chow mein noodles, lots of vegetables, and juicy shrimp. Everything is tossed in a savory and slightly sweet soy-based sauce that perfectly complements the flavor of the other ingredients.

Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients

To make this shrimp chow mein, you’ll need the following ingredients.

• Chow mein noodles: Chow mein noodles are thin egg noodles that can be found in many Asian supermarkets. You can recognize them by their yellow color. If you can’t find chow mein noodles, feel free to use another type of noodle that can be used for making stir fries. The taste will be a little different, but everything will be just as delicious!
• Shrimp: I like to use jumbo shrimp as they usually stay juicy and don’t overcook as easily. You can either buy them peeled and deveined or do it yourself.
• Vegetables and aromatics: Garlic, onion, carrots, cabbage, green onions, and bean sprouts are a classic combination for making chow mein. They provide tons of flavor and are super healthy!
• Homemade stir-fry sauce: To make the sauce, you’ll need dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, honey, and sesame oil. I always keep these ingredients in my pantry as they can be used for so many dishes. So if you don’t have them already, please make a quick trip to the supermarket. They really are crucial for the flavor of this shrimp chow mein recipe. It’s definitely worth it!

How to make shrimp chow mein

Making this shrimp chow mein is super simple and easy! Just follow these steps:

1. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all stir-fry sauce ingredients. Set the sauce aside.
2. Marinate the shrimp: In another bowl, marinate the shrimp with a small amount of the sauce and set them aside until you have prepared the vegetables.
3. Sauté the vegetables and shrimp: Now preheat some avocado oil or vegetable oil in a large pan (or wok if you own one) over medium-high heat. Then sauté the garlic, onion, and shrimp for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the carrots and cabbage. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Cook the noodles: While the vegetables cook, prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.
5. Combine: Add the noodles, sauce, green onions, and bean sprouts to the pan. Toss until everything is combined, serve, and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

Here are a few quick tips to make sure this shrimp chow mein turns out perfectly.

• Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking. Whenever you make a stir-fry meal, make sure you prepare all the vegetables and sauce in advance. The cooking process doesn’t take much time, so chopping the ingredients in advance makes everything a lot more stress-free and enjoyable.
• Check the noodle package for cooking instructions. The cooking time and method might vary depending on the noodles you buy. So always check the package first and prepare the noodles according to the instructions.
• Cook the noodles until al dente. As the noodles are tossed with the other ingredients for a few minutes, they continue to cook in the pan. So cook them until al dente and let them finish cooking in the pan.
• Toss until the sauce thickens. The sauce needs a few minutes before it caramelizes and thickens. So toss everything until there is no sauce left at the bottom of the pan before serving.

Variations

If you want to switch things up, feel free to substitute or add some extra ingredients. And be sure to make more sauce if you add a lot more vegetables than I did. Here are some of my favorites.

• Shiitake mushrooms: Shiitake mushrooms go super well with shrimp stir-fry noodles! Just slice them and sauté them with the other vegetables.
• Celery: Another classic chow mein ingredient is celery. It is super healthy, delicious, and tastes great in this shrimp chow mein recipe! Plus, it is the perfect way to use any leftover celery after making dishes that call for a few celery stalks, like this chicken tortellini soup recipe or this rigatoni bolognese recipe.
• Bok choy: Bok choy is another delicious vegetable that goes really well with this shrimp chow mein. Just chop it and sauté it with the other ingredients.
• Chicken: If you prefer chicken over shrimp, feel free to substitute the shrimp. Both taste absolutely delicious!
• Tofu: Tofu is the perfect vegetarian protein option for this dish. Just use extra-firm tofu as a substitute for the shrimp.

Frequently Asked Questions

More simple and delicious dinner recipes

If you are looking for more recipes that you can add to your cooking rotation, try one of the following recipes. They are all super simple and taste amazing!

• Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
• Chicken Yaki Udon
• Veggie Tofu Stir Fry
• Ground Beef Stir Fry
• Salmon Coconut Curry