Shrimp lo mein is probably one of the most popular takeout dish at my parents' Chinese takeout restaurant. It features thick, yellow, bouncy egg noodles tossed in a garlicky, savory brown sauce, and loaded with plump, tender shrimps. With our recipe, you can now easily make it in your home kitchen in less than 30 minutes! Have it as the main dish or pair it with beef and broccoli for a surf and turf combo or try our chicken lo mein with chicken with mixed vegetables for an all chicken dinner!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Yield: 3servings
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Ingredients
For the shrimps:
12ouncesshrimppeeled and deveined (small or large shrimps are both fine)
Marinate the shrimps:In a medium bowl, add the shrimps, cornstarch, Shaoxing cooking wine, salt, and oil. Mix well until the shrimps are evenly coated. Set aside as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
For the sauce:In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the lo mein sauce (oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy, and sugar). Set aside until needed.
Make the shrimp lo mein:Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the marinated shrimps and stir immediately to separate them. Let the shrimps cook until they are pinkish orange and curls into almost an "O" shape, about 30 seconds to 1 minute for small shrimps and 1 to 2 minutes for for larger shrimps, depending on their size. Once cooked, remove the shrimps using a strainer and set them aside.
Bring the same pot of water to a boil and add the lo mein noodles. Stir to to separate the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Towards the final 30 seconds of cooking, add the vegetables (onion, carrot, napa cabbage, and celery). Continue cooking for another 10 to 30 seconds or until the veggies are just wilted. Drain everything then set it aside.*Depending on the brand, the cook time can very. The ones we use takes about 3 to 5 minutes to cook. Also, make sure the noodles are thawed and loosened before boiling!*
In a wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Add the lo mein noodles and vegetables give everything a few toss to combine. Then, drizzle the Shaoxing cooking wine around the wok/pan and stir fry for about 15 to 30 seconds or until the alcohol is cooked off and fragrant.
To the lo mein, add the blanched shrimps. Then give the the prepared sauce a good stir and add it to the wok. Stir fry and toss everything for a couple of minutes, until everything is evenly coated with sauce.
Finish by drizzling in the sesame oil and adding the green onions. Stir fry and toss the lo mein for another 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy while hot!
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, tips, and FAQs!This recipe has been updated from pan searing shrimps to blanching to make the cooking process even easier, quicker, and mess free.
Don't rinse the noodles. No need to rinse the lo mein noodles after draining. This way, the noodles will get nicely coated with the sauce.
Vegetables - Adding some vegetables to the lo mein adds texture and different flavors. Although they are optional, we highly recommend it!