Shrimp Chow Mein (Prawn Chow Mein) is a no-fuss, easy one-pot meal that gets ready in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients. Say no to takeaways and make these Cantonese-style shrimp noodles at home using my easy recipe.
Here are some more noodles recipes that you may like – Drunken Noodles, Pad Thai Noodles, Hakka Noodles, Chilli Garlic Noodles, and Peanut Sesame Noodles.
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About Shrimp Chow Mein
Shrimp Chow Mein (Prawn Chow Mein) is a classic Chinese (Cantonese style) dish made using egg noodles, juicy shrimp (prawns), and a few veggies and sauces.
It is basically a shrimp stir fry tossed with noodles and sauces. You will find it on the menu of most Chinese restaurants.
This shrimp noodles recipe comes together in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients. It is fuss-free, one-pot, and tastes much better than the takeaways.
Shrimp Chow Mein is a complete meal in itself. Carbs from the noodles, protein from shrimp, vitamins, minerals from the veggies, and the required amount of fat.
The best part is that you can easily customize this recipe to your liking. Add more or fewer sauces, replace shrimp with other seafood, chicken, or eggs, or use the vegetables you like.
If you want your noodles to be crispy, you can definitely do that. I have mentioned the process in the recipe below.
Ingredients & Variations
You will get all the ingredients at your local Asian grocery store or in the Asian aisle of large supermarkets.
Noodles – Chow Mein is traditionally made using Chinese egg noodles. You can also use Yakisoba Noodles or Linguine Pasta.
Hongkong Noodles, Chow Mein Noodles, Hakka Noodles, or Thin Wonton Noodles also work perfectly.
To make a healthy low-carb version of this dish, replace noodles with spiralized zucchini.
Shrimp – Use fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, bring them to room temperature before using them.
I have used wild-caught medium-sized shrimp (shells and veins removed) but you can choose any size that is easily available.
Vegetables – I have added fresh vegetables like red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, green cabbage, carrots, moong bean sprouts, etc for a nice crunch.
You can also add green beans, mushrooms, snow peas, spinach, purple cabbage, celery, bok choy, broccoli, bamboo shoots, cauliflower, zucchini, baby corn, etc.
Tip – To save time, you can buy already shredded cabbage and carrots
Sauce – Sauces like dark soy sauce, white vinegar, Sriracha sauce, and oyster sauce, add a nice Asian flavor to this dish.
Others – You will also need fresh ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil, lime juice, red chili powder, salt, and pepper.
If you are not a fan of sesame oil, you can replace it with olive oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
Tip – You can buy pre-cooked noodles and premade Asian vegetable mix to save time.
You can also add some fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) for a taste change.
How To Make Shrimp Chow Mein
Preparation
Make sure to keep the ingredients ready before starting to make the chow mein. You need to stir fry the ingredients on high flame for the best flavor and if they are not handy, you might burn the ones in the wok.
Clean and devein 15-18 medium-sized shrimps.
Mince garlic and ginger, cut the carrot into thin juliennes, shred the green cabbage, and cut red and yellow bell peppers into thin strips.
Chop the spring onion greens.
Gather the remaining ingredients.
Cook The Noodles
Cook 200 grams (7 oz) of medium dried egg noodles as per the manufacturer’s directions.
Drain and toss with 2 teaspoon oil and set aside.
Note – Do not overcook the noodles otherwise the chow mein will become mushy.
Tip – You can cook the noodles in advance and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bring them to room temperature before using them.
Marinate The Shrimp
Add 15-18 cleaned and deveined medium-sized uncooked shrimps to a medium mixing bowl.
Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon lime juice, and coat the shrimp with the mixture.
Set aside.
Mix The Sauces
Stir together
- 4 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
in a bowl and set it aside.
Make The Chow Mein
Heat a wok over high heat.
Once the wok is hot, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add 2 teaspoon minced ginger and 2 teaspoon minced garlic and fry for 6-8 seconds.
Add the marinated shrimp to the wok and saute for 2 minutes until they are pink in color.
Add
- ½ cup finely julienned carrots
- 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers
- ½ cup moong bean sprouts
to the wok and saute for a minute.
Tip – Toss the vegetables only a few times. They should get a nice sear and should be firm and not soggy.
Now add the cooked noodles and the sauce mixture that we made earlier and toss well using 2 large spoons or a pair of tongs.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
To make the cooking process quicker, prepare the veggies while the noodles are cooking.
Start to make the chow mein only when all the ingredients are ready and lined up near the stove. You need to quickly toss the ingredients over high heat to get the best flavor.
Increase the quantity of veggies to make this dish healthier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cook the noodles until soft and drain them well.
Heat a wide and shallow pan on high heat and when it is VERY HOT, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to it.
Spread ½ of the cooked noodles in a thin and even layer on the pan.
Tilt the pan in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the noodles with the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the noodles using a large spatula or a tong and drizzle another tablespoon of oil. Tilt the pan to coat the noodles.
Don’t worry if you can’t turn the noodles in one go. Just make sure to turn all the patches. Let the other side crisp up for 2-3 minutes. Remove the noodles to a plate and fry the remaining half in the same manner.
Now toss the noodles with veggies and sauces and serve.
Yes, use boneless chicken breast or thighs in place of shrimp and make chicken chow mein. You can also use beef, pork, or other seafood. Keep in consideration that the times of cooking the meat will be different than cooking the shrimp.
Serving Suggestions
Chow Mein can be served as a meal on its own. I make it very often for my easy weeknight dinner.
You can also serve this noodle dish along with some gravies or stir-fries such as Asian Chicken Meatballs, Hibachi Chicken, Hunan Shrimp, General Tso’s Chicken, Mango Chicken, etc.
Serve some Wontons, Dumplings, or even a delicious Soup on the side.
Storage Suggestions
Do not leave Shrimp Chow Mein at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Shrimp Noodles will last for 2-3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can reheat them in a pan or in a microwave.
If you feel the noodles have become a little dry, sprinkle some hot water on top of the noodles while reheating.
This Chow Mein can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cool them completely before freezing them in individual freezer-safe containers for easy defrosting and reheating.
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Recipe Card
Easy One Pot Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
To Marinate The Shrimps
- 15-18 medium-size shrimps (prawns) (fresh or frozen, cleaned and deveined)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
For The Sauce
- 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Cooking The Noodles
- 7 ounce uncooked medium-sized egg noodles (200 g)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
For The Chow Mein
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup finely julienned carrots
- 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers
- ½ cup moong bean sprouts
- salt (to taste)
- ½ cup chopped spring onion greens
Instructions
Preparation
- Make sure to keep the ingredients ready before starting to make the chow mein. You need to stir fry the ingredients on high flame for the best flavor and if they are not handy, you might burn the ones in the wok.
Cook The Noodles
- Cook egg noodles as per the manufacturer’s direction.
- Drain and toss with oil and set aside.
- Note – Do not overcook the noodles otherwise the chow mein will become mushy.
- Tip – You can cook the noodles in advance and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bring them to room temperature before using them.
Marinate The Shrimp
- Add shrimp to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add salt, black pepper, red chili powder, and lime juice, and coat the shrimp with the mixture.
- Set aside.
Mix The Sauces
- Stir together dark soy sauce, white vinegar, Sriracha sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and sesame oil in a bowl and set it aside.
Make The Chow Mein
- Heat a wok over high heat.
- Once the wok is hot, add vegetable oil.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add ginger and garlic and fry for 6-8 seconds.
- Add the marinated shrimp to the wok and saute for 2 minutes until they are pink in color.
- Add carrots, cabbage, red and yellow bell pepper, and bean sprouts to the wok and saute for a minute.
- Tip – Toss the vegetables only a few times. They should get a nice sear and should be firm and not soggy.
- Now add the cooked noodles and the sauce mixture that we made earlier and toss well using 2 large spoons or tongs.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Sakshi
I have been following you on Instagram from few months!
I love your website and how get into each detail of the recipe!
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot 🙂
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog
This dish looks so good, I would love to have this Chow Mein for dinner, with so many vegetables, shrimps and noodles. Truly easy and satisfying recipe!
Neha Mathur
Thnx Alina. I am sure you will love it.
Mirra
The taste is fantastic! I did follow instruction and had to remove the shrimp as they were getting rubbery. I will make this again but, will make adjustments and add the shrimp towards the end and will crisp up the noodles as adding them at the end did not result crispy. But, the flavors are superb and very tasty.