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This shrimp lo mein recipe takes homemade take-out dinners to a whole new level. Topped with a crunchy garlic crisp, it is packed with tender shrimp and crunchy veggies, making every saucy bite totally irresistible.
After enjoying our fantastic shrimp lo mein, why not explore more Asian-inspired dishes and make my shrimp shumai dumplings! For a classic comfort dish, you can’t go wrong with this savory shrimp fried rice.
This easy lo mein recipe, tossed in a homemade sauce with juicy shrimp, is everything you want in homemade Chinese takeout. It is loaded with carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini. You can use fresh or frozen veggies in this recipe and easily swap the shrimp for tofu if you want to make this a vegetarian meal. Speaking of takeout, if you love exploring more Chinese flavors, consider trying this spicy Hunan chicken, too!
What Is The Difference Between Lo Mein and Chow Mein?
Although they both use egg noodles, lo mein and chow mein are very different in terms of preparation. For lo mein, each of the recipe’s components are cooked separately— especially the noodles. Toward the end of cooking, everything is stirred together with a savory sauce that thickens as it simmers. Chow mein, on the other hand, is about stir-frying everything together. It’s definitely not as saucy, so the cooking time is quicker, and there isn’t as much of an issue with the noodles overcooking. Speaking of, you should try my delicious Chicken Chow Mein.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Garlic: You will need to use four fresh garlic cloves to make the garlic crisp.
- Vegetable oil: Corn and canola oil are also okay to use.
- Water: For boiling the noodles
- Dried egg noodles: Lo mein egg noodles are easy to find, but spaghetti is a good substitute.
- Sesame oil: Feel free to use peanut oil.
- Veggies: Include bell peppers, zucchini, cremini or button mushrooms, and carrots.
- Vegetable oil: Corn and canola oil are also okay.
- Ginger: I use a teaspoon of fresh ginger, but 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger is also okay to use.
- Large shrimp: Don’t use cocktail shrimp for this.
- Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar is a good substitute.
- Oyster sauce: You can use hoisin sauce instead.
- Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce works too.
- Cornstarch: Don’t use all-purpose flour.
How to Make Shrimp Lo Mein
- Make the garlic crisp. Add the oil to a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden. Remove the garlic from the oil immediately and set it aside.
- Boil the noodles. Fill a pot with water and boil the noodles according to package instructions. Strain them and gently toss them in sesame oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook the veggies. Add garlic oil to a large pan. Sauté zucchini for 3-4 minutes until tender, then set aside. Cook the bell peppers for 4-5 minutes, then remove. Sauté mushrooms for 6-7 minutes and carrots for 5-7 minutes, both until softened, setting each aside after cooking
- Cook the shrimp. In a pan set over high heat, add oil. Sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, cooking 1-3 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Season with salt, then set aside.
- Make the sauce. Add the water, light brown sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the pan. Stir to combine. Let it come to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir constantly. Cook the sauce for 8 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
- Mix everything in. Toss the veggies and shrimp into the pan. Add the noodles and incorporate them into the mixture. Cook everything for 5 minutes.
- Serve. Place the noodles in serving bowls. Top them with crispy garlic, sesame seeds, and green onions to taste.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Keep an eye on the noodles – you don’t want to overcook them because they’ll soften too much and lose their bite.
- Use frozen veggies. Stir-fry veggie mixes are a great option to help you cut down on prep time. Just throw them into the pan and cook according to the package instructions.
- Make a slurry. Whisk the cornstarch and water until well combined to make a slurry. Add it to the pan with the rest of the sauce ingredients. This way, the sauce will come together more easily, and you’ll avoid any lumps.
- Stir gently. Use kitchen tongs to gently stir and mix the noodles, veggies, shrimp, and sauce in the pan. Doing so vigorously will break the noodles.
- Change the protein. Grilled chicken, thinly sliced steak, and diced pork are yummy variations of this dish. Use whatever you’ve got on hand!
- Make it vegetarian. Swap the shrimp for your favorite grilled tofu and make this recipe vegetarian in a second.
- Make it spicy. Adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of chili oil to the sauce will give your noodles some heat.
Serving Suggestions
This shrimp lo mein is best served with a mix of Asian-style sides and mains for a homemade take-out meal. You can pair it with a warm bowl of my Chinese hot pot and maki rolls, too. My bok choy recipe is a great veggie side. For other main ideas to serve it with, try my shrimp and broccoli stir fry or this fantastic beef and broccoli.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Once fully cooled, refrigerate this shrimp lo mein in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you store the shrimp and noodles separately, you can store the noodles for up to 5 days.
- To reheat the noodles, pop them into the microwave for up to a minute or until warm. You can also heat them in a pan over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Quick Chinese Takeout Recipes
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
- Easy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
- Pork Chop Suey
- Szechuan Chicken
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Shrimp Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the garlic crisp:
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the noodles, vegetables, and shrimp:
- 10 ounces dry egg noodles
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 small zucchini, cut into half moons
- ½ medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- salt, to taste
For the sauce:
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the toppings:
- black sesame seeds, to taste
- chopped green onion, to taste
Instructions
For the garlic crisp:
- Add the vegetable oil to a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden. Remove the garlic from the oil immediately and set it aside.
For the noodles:
- Fill a pot with water and boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Strain them and set them aside.
For the noodles, vegetables, and shrimp:
- Set the heat to medium. Pour the sesame oil into a large pan. Add the zucchini and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
- Add the red and yellow bell peppers to the pan and cook them for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Remove them from the heat and set them aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook them for 4 minutes. Finally, add the diced carrots and cook them for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from pan and set them aside.
- Add vegetable oil to the pan and set the heat to high. Add the garlic and ginger; stir well and let them cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Add the shrimp and let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until pinkish and completely opaque—season them with salt to taste. Remove the shrimp from the heat and set them aside.
For the sauce:
- Return the pan to the burner. Add the water, light brown sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the pan. Whisk to combine and let it simmer over medium-low heat while constantly whisking. Continue to cook the sauce for 8 to 12 minutes or until just starting to thicken.
- Toss the veggies and shrimp into the pan and stir until incorporated. Using tongs, add the noodles and gently combine them into the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
- Place the noodles in serving bowls. Top them with the crispy garlic, sesame seeds, and green onions.
- Serve.
Notes
- Noodles: You can use lo mein noodles or regular egg noodles. Cook them according to the directions on the package.
- Shrimp: This recipe uses large raw shrimp – don’t use cocktail shrimp. You can also try this with grilled chicken, tofu, thinly sliced steak, or diced pork to change it up.
- Vegetables: I use a combination of bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini, but to speed things up, you can use store-bought frozen stir-fry veggie mixes. They are a great option to help you cut down on prep time.
- Oyster Sauce and Soy Sauce: If you can’t find oyster sauce, hoisin sauce is a good swap. For the soy sauce, I usually go with a low-sodium soy sauce, but I also like using Tamari.
- Use kitchen tongs to gently stir and mix the noodles, veggies, shrimp, and sauce in the pan.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
It was a huge hit at my house!! Everyone really loved it!
Looks incredibly delicious! I would love to make this!