Today’s shrimp lo mein recipe showcases juicy shrimp, thick, soft egg noodles, and crispy veggies, all nicely presented on the plate. The characteristic flavors of Chinese cuisine are recreated in a quick and simple way. It's easy to make, prep-ahead, and customize to your liking.
What Is Shrimp Lo Mein?
“Lo mein” usually refers to a Chinese dish with noodles tossed in a savory-sweet sauce and a main protein of choice. Shrimp lo mein, therefore, is a dish of juicy shrimp cooked with silky long strands of egg noodles in one wok/skillet.
Shrimp Chow Mein vs Shrimp Lo Mein
In this shrimp lo mein, the noodles are cooked separately, then drained and lightly tossed with the shrimp and sauce just before serving. By doing so, the egg noodles in a lo mein dish remain al dente even when bathed generously in the tasty sauce.
It differs from a shrimp chow mein which is a stir-fry dish where noodles are cooked together with other ingredients while stirring briskly. This method usually calls for a longer cooking time. Check out the differences for yourself with our Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe.
Is This Recipe Healthy?
Yes, we believe it is.
Our homemade shrimp lo mein recipe uses much less oil than restaurant versions. We also keep it light on the sodium by using reduced-sodium soy sauce, unsalted chicken broth, and no added salt.
Calories
This shrimp lo mein provides 485 calories per serving, 190 calories of which come from the egg noodles. On the whole, one serving of this dish will be just enough to fuel you until the next big meal.
Main Ingredients
- Shrimp
For this recipe, we used medium-sized peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails removed. First, the shrimp are quickly seared with garlic until they just turn pink, then tossed with the veggies and the noodles, and continue to cook further until firm and juicy.
If you're using frozen shrimp, it's best to thaw them properly before adding them to the skillet.
- Egg noodles
Long, thick egg noodles (typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick) are the best choice for a lo mein. They're available either fresh or dried in the refrigerated section of either Asian stores or non-specialist grocery stores.
These egg noodles can cook to al dente in just 2 minutes, so be careful not to overcook them. You want them to be silky smooth but not too mushy or else they’ll fall apart when being tossed with other ingredients later.
If you can't find egg noodles, spaghetti, or any long pasta will work just fine for this recipe, without sacrificing the taste.
- Veggies
Next to the plump shrimp and the soft rich egg noodles, we also added some extra colors to this dish by going for a tri-color veggie mix of carrots, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you fancy for your lo mein — some other ideas are broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or a fresh coleslaw/cabbage mix to switch it up a bit.
- The thick sauce
The mixture of cornstarch, brown sugar, paprika, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin, chicken broth, and pepper in our recipe lends a nice depth of flavor to the noodles. As the combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce adds salty and fragrant notes to the dish, brown sugar finishes it off with a mild touch of sweetness.
Cornstarch is also added in a small amount as a thickening agent to help the sauce cling to the noodles without causing the shrimp to crisp up.
How to Store and Reheat
Leftover shrimp lo mein can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When frozen, it can last for up to 2 months.
This dish reheats pretty well in the microwave or in a saucepan. There’s only one thing to remember: take any shrimp out of the portion, set aside, and add them in just before the reheating is done. This will help prevent them getting rubbery and tough, as they cook faster than other ingredients.
What to Serve With
For a wholesome weekday meal, we recommend the following side dishes to pair with today's tasty shrimp lo mein:
- Cabbage soup: An easy and wholesome green cabbage soup with ground pork, carrots, and white radish to help sneak extra good fiber into your meal.
- Orange pineapple juice: A 5-ingredient tropical fruit juice to add vitamins and essential digestion-aiding nutrients to your body. It's wonderfully refreshing as a side beverage, and great for breakfast, parties, or as starters.
Other Delicious Shrimp Recipes to Check Out
For more dishes similar to this Shrimp Lo Mein, take a look at our Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipes collection.
Shrimp Lo Mein Recipe
Today's shrimp lo mein recipe showcases juicy shrimp, thick soft egg noodles, and crispy veggies, all nicely presented on the plate. The characteristic flavors of Chinese cuisine are recreated in a quick and simple way. It's easy to make, prep-ahead, and customize to your liking.
- cook TIME 15 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Chinese
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 485 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz raw shrimp (peeled and deveined, equals 20 oz whole)
- 14 oz cooked egg noodles (equals 7 oz dry)
- 2 oz green bell peppers (julienned)
- 2 oz red bell peppers (julienned)
- 4 oz white mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 oz carrots (julienned)
- 4 oz yellow onions (sliced)
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp scallions (chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce: Combine 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
Heat 2 1/2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat in a skillet. Sauté 1 tbsp minced garlic for 30 seconds.
Add 10 oz peeled and deveined raw shrimp and cook until it turns pink (about 2 minutes).
Add 4 oz sliced white mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add 4 oz sliced yellow onions and give them a quick stir.
Add 2 oz carrots, 2 oz red bell peppers, and 2 oz green bell peppers. Stir occasionally for 2 minutes.
Add 14 oz cooked egg noodles. Toss everything together and cook for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the heat then pour the sauce into the skillet. Toss to make sure everything is well-coated with the sauce.
Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped scallions and 1 tbsp sesame seeds. Portion out and serve hot.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorNatalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- AllenThis shrimp lo mein was such a flavorful dish! The combination of fresh ginger, garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms really balanced out the flavors in the dish.