Shrimp chow mein recipe, what an easy and flavorful dish! It is a popular seafood noodle dish originally from Chinese cuisine in the Cantonese region.
A stir-fired shrimp chow mein recipe is nutritious and super simple to make. It consists of chow mein (a wheat noodle), fresh shrimp, a combination of different veggies, and some basic sauce and seasonings.
Table of Contents
- What is Cantonese Chow Mein
- Why You’ll Love Shrimp Chow Mein
- Ingredients
- How to Make
- How to Serve
- How to Store
- Tips and Praise
- Best Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe
What is Cantonese Chow Mein
You can find a wide variety of Cantonese noodles recipes, but one of the most popular ones must be Cantonese chow mein noodles.
It’s a classic Hong Kong-style stir-fried noodle dish with crispy chow mein noodles, tender meat or seafood, flavorful vegetables, and savory sauces.
I have many Chinese friends, and they all shared with me that one of their favorite homemade food their mothers often make for them growing up is shrimp chow mein noodles. That’s how I know this dish is very healthy and delicious.
Why You’ll Love Shrimp Chow Mein Noodles
The shrimp chow mein recipe is one of my top choices when visiting a Chinese restaurant. I love how it looks, how it smells, and how it tastes.
When you first look at a mouth-watering plate of shrimp chow mein noodles, your senses will be awakened.
You can see the shiny noodle dish with bright red from fresh shrimp flesh, the glossy yellow color from chow mein noodles, and many more accent colors from different veggies.
You will immediately be impressed with the beautiful aroma of the shrimp chow mein, which makes you feel so hungry and cannot resist grabbing a bite right away.
After that, it hits you with a savory umami taste from quality ingredients and the sauce and seasoning mixture. Overall, it’s an excellent noodle dish. You will definitely be hooked.
What is shrimp chow mein made of?
The main ingredients for the traditional shrimp chow mein recipe include fresh shrimp, chow mein noodles, multiple vegetables, savory sauces (soy sauce and oyster sauce), and seasonings.
What is the difference between shrimp chow mein and shrimp lo mein?
There are a few differences between 2 Chinese noodle dishes: Shrimp chow mein and shrimp lo mein.
– Chow mein is an egg noodle type that’s thin and a bit chewy. Lo mein is made from wheat flour, and has a bigger and thicker shape and a softer texture.
– For cooking, chow mein will be deep fried to get a crispy texture, while lo mein will be boiled to have a soft and smooth texture.
– The sauce for shrimp chow mein is slightly lighter, while the shrimp chow mein has a thicker sauce.
Shrimp Chow Mein Ingredients
I will list the main ingredients here and explain why they are crucial in making a perfect shrimp chow mein recipe.
Chow Mein Noodles
Chow mein is a noodle that’s made of egg and wheat flour. Generally, there are 2 popular types of chow mein: steamed chow mein and crispy chow mein.
The steamed chow mein noodles are soft and a bit chewy. It’s more likely to absorb flavors and relatively easy to eat. For crispy chow mein, you must quickly deep-fry the noodles in oil to create a crunch and more rigid texture. It makes the shrimp chow mein dish more exciting and different.
Fresh Shrimp
Always pick the freshest shrimp from the market for this shrimp chow mein recipe because of the natural sweetness and the tremendous nutritional factors. Fresh shrimp tastes the best and is not as mushy as frozen.
Vegetables
You can choose any kind of vegetable you like. The most common ones are gailan, bok chow, or cabbage. Add more green to the dish to make it healthier and reduce the greasy taste.
Sauce and Seasonings
Besides the main ingredients, the part that makes the shrimp chow mein noodles become the most yummy and comforting is the umami flavor from soy sauce, BBQ sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and white pepper. You can also use oyster sauce to add more sweetness if that’s what you prefer.
How to Make Shrimp Chow Mein Noodles
Prepare the Shrimp
Rinse the shrimp under water to wash them. Then, remove the shell, slit it open, and remove the black veins.
Quickly sautée the shrimp in a hot wok with garlic, onion, and sauce. Take them out and set them aside.
Prepare the Chow Mein Noodles
Prepare a steamer and steam chow mein noodles for 10 minutes. After that, quickly boil it with water for 10-15 seconds. Drain the noodles, and add some oil if needed to make the noodles separate and not sticky.
Stir Fry the Vegetables with Noodles
All vegetables should be cut into small pieces (julienned) and stir fry on a hot wok. Then add the noodle and keep cooking until everything is cooked.
Stir Fry Shrimp (and Chicken)
You don’t have to add chicken to this dish, but Chef John likes to stir-fry chicken along with shrimp chow mein noodles. It adds extra protein and flavor to the plate.
Just chop up the chicken into thin strips. Sprinkle some salt and toss in an egg white. Don’t forget to mix in two tablespoons of cornstarch. Heat up a wok and stir-fry the chicken for about 3 minutes. After that, throw in some fresh shrimps and cook them together in the wok.
How to Serve Shrimp Chow Mein
Transfer shrimp chow mein noodles to a plate. Garnish with fresh herbs, rose tomatoes, or cucumber slices to add a colorful touch and make the dish look presentable.
You can drizzle some hot sriracha or soy sauce on the noodles for extra flavor.
You can serve the shrimp chow mein noodles alone as a single dish or enjoy it with other Chinese dishes such as dumplings, egg rolls, stir-fried veggies, Kung Pao chicken, etc.
How to Store Shrimp Chow Mein
You can store leftover shrimp chow mein noodles in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Unfortunately, keeping it in the freezer is a big no-no because the chow mein will become hard. And when you heat them, they will break and become mushy.
Ensure to heat it in a microwave or a wok until it’s steamy hot again before eating.
For more seafood or noodles/pasta recipes, head to the website and check out these:
- 3 Creative Ways for Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes
- The World’s Best Lasagna to Make at Home & Secrets to Success
- How to Make Chinese Lobster Noodles with XO Sauce
- Best Chinese XO Sauce Recipe: How to Make & Use at Home
- Bo Luc Lac Recipe – No. 1 Authentic Vietnamese Shaking Beef
- How to Make Easy and Crispy Jamaican Banana Fritters Recipe
Tips and Praise for Shrimp Chow Mein
@daramc3998, “Looks delicious and so tempting , loved the way you have prepared it very well beautifully presented nice healthy sharing.”
@risse881, “I love it chef the way you prepared the ingredient looks so nice and done yummy.”
@JustinBauer, “Incredible recipe! We used Shirataki noodles to bring the carbs down and save a lot of calories and made a super spicy sauce to go with it.”
@Fi-ye4ir, “My son has been trying to cook stir fry.. got the vegs but uses jar sauce.. even though i have many bottled asian sauces. im gonna give him this idea simple quick and tasty to cook. Thank you chef.”
Is Shrimp Chow Mein Healthy?
The shrimp chow mein recipe is the one that’s packed with nutritional elements. You have good carbs from chow mein noodles, great protein from shrimp, and a nice amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals from vegetables, mushrooms, and other supplement ingredients that you put into the dish.
Whether you make this shrimp chow mein recipe for lunch or dinner, you can have a full and satisfying meal that fills up your stomach and gives you enough energy and nutrition for a whole day.
However, it is a stir-fried food, so you should only consume an appropriate portion to benefit your weight and overall health.
Best Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe from Chef John
I hope you love this chicken shrimp chow mein recipe and make it often for yourself, your family, and your friends. Good luck!
Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fried Chow Mein Recipe by Chef John
It's a classic Hong Kong-style stir-fried noodle dish with crispy chow mein noodles, tender meat or seafood, flavorful vegetables, and savory sauces.
You will immediately be impressed with the beautiful aroma of the shrimp chow mein, which makes you feel so hungry and cannot resist grabbing a bite right away.
After that, it hits you with a savory umami taste from quality ingredients and the sauce and seasoning mixture.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Chow mein noodles
- 0.75 cup Onion, julienned
- 1 stalk Green onion, julienned
- 1 tbsp. Aroma Oil
- 1.5 cup Tiger Prawn Shrimp
- 4 oz Chicken breast, julienned
- 0.5 cup Carrot, julienned
- 0.3 cup Bell pepper, julienned
- 0.5 cup Cabbage, julienned
- 0.3 cup Sprouts
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. Cooking wine
- 3 tbsp. Cooking oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp. Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sweet black rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. Salt, a pinch
- 1 tsp. White pepper, a pinch
- 0.5 tbsp Lemon juice
Instructions
- Remove the shrimp shell, de-vein, and slit each one in half, leaving the tail intact.
- Steam chow mein noodles for 10 minutes until soft. Then quickly put the noodles in boiling water. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Slice chicken, julienned. Put one egg white, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp of cornstarch into the chicken.
- Julienne carrot, cabbage, bell peppers, onion.
- Add cold oil and chicken to a wok over high heat. Stir fry several times, then add shrimp. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Return the wok to heat. Add cooking oil, onion, carrots, cabbage, green onion, bell peppers, stir fry for 5 minutes.
- Add chow mein noodles, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, sweet black rice vinegar, white pepper, chicken, and shrimp. Quickly stir fry several times until mixed well.
- Quickly stir fry several to mix well, and drizzle a few drops of aroma oil. Remove from heat.
- Top the sprouts on top of the stir-fried noodles. Add some lemon juice. Serve hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 646Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 2264mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 30g