The Best Shrimp Lo Mein
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This Shrimp Lo Mein is a quick and delicious meal with only 20 minutes of preparation, perfect for busy weeknight dinners. You can make this meal in less time than it takes to get takeout, and it’s healthier and more flavorful!
Shrimp lo mein is definitely one of my favorite shrimp recipes along with Pad Thai, Shrimp Chow Mein and Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta and Honey Garlic Shrimp. There’s something so comforting about the shrimp and noodle combo!
Shrimp Lo Mein is a classic Chinese dish with fresh vegetables and shrimp in a delicious Cantonese sauce.
The best part? Shrimp Lo Mein is so easy to make and it’s ready in under 20 minutes.
Special Ingredients for Shrimp Lo Mein
Here are some key ingredients for making shrimp lo mein:
- Lo Mein: is a Chinese egg noodle that originally was made by hand and steamed with meat or seafood and vegetables. These days you can find dried or fresh lo mein noodles at many larger supermarkets, Asian markets or online. Spaghetti is an acceptable substitute.
- Vegetables: I used cabbage, celery and carrots in this recipe. You can also use broccoli florets or Bok Choy instead.
- Hoisin Sauce: Hoisin sauce is a key ingredient to deliver that awesome lo mein flavor. It also has a thicker texture than soy sauce, helping to coat the noodles nicely. You can find it increasingly in supermarkets with Asian sauces or online.
- Asian Sesame Oil: Asian sesame oil made with toasted sesame seeds. It has an auburn color and has an intense flavor. Just use a teaspoon or less.
How to Make Shrimp Lo Mein
While lo mein can seem a bit exotic, we created this recipe to be easy to prepare.
So start by bringing a medium pot of water to a boil, and add your lo mein. It’s also good to mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and reserve for later.
Then sauté the vegetables over medium-high heat until they’re about half-cooked. By the time you finish the rest of the cooking, they’ll be tender. Sauté the garlic and shrimp successively for a few minutes until cooked.
Once the noodles are al dente, drain them and add to the shrimp/vegetable mixture along with the sauce. Stir the noodles until they get coated by the sauce.
The last step is tossing with Asian sesame oil and minced green onion. Voilà – dinner is served!
Tips and Secrets for Making Shrimp Lo Mein
- Select the right shrimp with large or jumbo size, peeled and deveined working best.
- For frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw the shrimp and rinse thoroughly before using.
- Don’t overcook your shrimp! It’s done once it’s opaque and firm to the touch.
- If you crave spicy noodles, add in ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne to the sauce.
Tools and Equipment
- Use a large 14-inch nonstick skillet like this one so you can cook all the shrimp in one batch, while avoiding the sticky sauce sticking to the pan!
- Low sodium soy sauce is best, so you can control the seasoning of this dish.
Q&A
- Can you make this ahead of time? Shrimp lo mein is actually great reheated, as the noodles soak up the flavors as they sit. We’ve meal prepped this recipe successfully too. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Can you freeze shrimp lo mein? No, the shrimp will become chewy if frozen.
Shrimp Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 8 oz lo mein noodles, or spaghetti
- ½ lb raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if needed
- 1 medium carrot, sliced thin
- 1 cup cabbage and celery, or broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, we used peanut
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Asian sesame oil
- minced green onion, optional
Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the meantime, follow the steps below.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar and ginger powder. Set aside.
- Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the vegetable oil, sliced carrots, celery and cabbage. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add in the shrimp and sauté 3 minutes.
- When the noodles are ready, drain them and add to the pan along with the sauce mixture.
- Toss everything together with the Asian sesame oil and optional green onion. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
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