This recipe for shrimp lo mein is full of flavor. It has veggies, egg noodles, and tender, juicy shrimp in a simple sauce.
Shrimp lo mein is a staple Chinese-American dish found on many takeout menus across the United States. But what exactly is in this flavorful noodle dish? As a lo mein fanatic I decided to dig into the origins and components of shrimp lo mein to get the full scoop on this iconic recipe.
A Brief History of Lo Mein
The name “lo mein” translates from Cantonese as “tossed noodles” This refers to the method of preparing the dish by tossing the ingredients in a wok to combine them with the sauce and noodles Lo mein originated in China, but was adapted in Chinese restaurants abroad, becoming especially popular in the United States.
The Americanized version we know today likely originated in Chinese communities in cities like San Francisco and New York in the early 20th century. Chinese immigrants recreated beloved dishes from their homeland using local ingredients. Over time, a distinctly Chinese-American cuisine emerged with dishes like lo mein being tweaked to suit American tastes.
The Main Elements of Shrimp Lo Mein
While recipes can vary, shrimp lo mein is generally comprised of five main components:
Noodles
- The foundation of the dish is lo mein noodles. These egg noodles have a chewy, resilient texture that stands up well to stir-frying.
- Traditionally, fresh Chinese egg noodles were used. But today, dried lo mein noodles are readily available.
- Linguine or spaghetti can also be substituted in a pinch!
Protein
- Shrimp is usually the protein of choice, providing a sweet, briny flavor and succulent texture.
- Shrimp is typically cooked briefly until just opaque to avoid overcooking.
- For variations, chicken, beef, or tofu can be used instead of or along with shrimp.
Vegetables
- Popular veggie mix-ins include cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. This provides crunch and contrasting flavors.
- Vegetables are often cut into thin strips or diced for easy, quick cooking and to better blend with the other ingredients when tossed.
Sauce
- The sauce ties everything together and provides the distinctive flavor. It’s made up of:
- Soy sauce for salty umami depth
- Oyster sauce adds richness
- Rice vinegar or rice wine lend sweetness
- Sesame oil provides nutty aroma
- Ginger and garlic offer punchy bite
- Brown sugar balances flavors
Noodles
- To finish, the cooked noodles are tossed with the sauced ingredients right before serving.
- This coats the noodles and prevents them from drying out or overcooking.
- The starch from the noodles also helps thicken the sauce so it clings nicely.
The Step-By-Step Process
Making restaurant-quality shrimp lo mein at home is totally doable with a little prep and the right technique
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Prep the ingredients: Chop and measure out all ingredients for quick cooking. Make the sauce so it’s ready to pour in. Cook the noodles until just shy of done and drain them.
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High heat wok: Use a very hot wok or skillet to quickly sear the shrimp until barely cooked through before removing to a plate.
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Cook aromatics: Add sliced garlic and ginger and stir briefly.
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Add veggies: Toss in the vegetables and stir fry for a minute or two until starting to soften.
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Toss in noodles: Add the par-cooked noodles and give them a quick toss to coat and heat through.
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Pour in sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Toss everything to distribute the sauce evenly.
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Return shrimp: Add the cooked shrimp back to the wok and toss to combine and heat through.
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Finish and serve: Give a final toss, adjust seasoning if needed, and enjoy!
Tips for Nailing Shrimp Lo Mein at Home
From my trials making shrimp lo mein, I’ve picked up some helpful tips for getting restaurant-quality results:
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Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. This makes a big difference, especially for produce and shrimp.
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Prepare the sauce early and have everything prepped and ready before cooking. This streamlines the quick wok time.
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Don’t overload the wok. Cook in batches if needed so ingredients can get properly seared and tossed.
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Let noodles finish cooking in the sauce; don’t rinse after boiling or they won’t absorb flavor.
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Heat oil before adding aromatics like garlic and ginger or they’ll burn.
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Sear shrimp briefly since they’ll cook more when returned to the wok.
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Toss constantly to evenly coat noodles and vegetables with the sauce.
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Work fast on high heat to avoid overcooked, mushy ingredients.
Adding Your Own Twist
Once you have the basic shrimp lo mein method down, there are all kinds of ways to customize it:
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Swap in chicken, beef, pork, or tofu for different proteins.
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Use a vegetable medley instead of shrimp for a veggie lo mein.
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Kick up the flavor with chili garlic sauce or sriracha.
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Garnish with scallions, cilantro, peanuts, or lime wedges.
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Bulk it up by adding rice or fried eggs.
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Lighten it up by using reduced sodium soy sauce and going easy on oil.
Shrimp lo mein is the perfect canvas for improvising with whatever ingredients you have on hand to create your own personalized version. It’s all about the flavorful tossing technique!
So next time you get a craving for this takeout classic, don’t hesitate to DIY it at home. You can make shrimp lo mein just as delicious and satisfying as your favorite Chinese restaurant. Just be ready to enjoy leftovers because this dish always makes abundant portions perfect for meal prepping!
How To Make Shrimp Lo Mein
Anyone who can cook noodles can make their own shrimp lo mein right at home!
- Prepare sauce and cook noodles
- Season the shrimp and sauté them briefly until they turn pink. Then take them out of the pan.
- When you add oil to the pan, sauté the coleslaw and peppers. Then add the garlic and ginger.
- Return shrimp to the pan with sauce. Heat and add noodles. Serve hot.
What Is Shrimp Lo Mein?
The difference Lo Mein vs. Chow Mein is the noodles. While the dishes are fairly similar, there are some difference. Chow mein noodles are typically fried while lo mein noodles are steamed.
We add shrimp because it tastes great and is very quick and easy to make. You can also make this with chicken or just vegetables.
This recipe is perfect for hectic dinners, it only takes about 30 minutes!
Egg noodles are used in this recipe. You can buy them fresh at the store (often near the tofu) or dried. If you don’t have any on hand, spaghetti will work just fine.
SHRIMP Use raw, peeled and deveined shrimp, medium-sized with the tails removed. If using frozen shrimp, run under cold water to thaw before adding to the saucepan.
COLESLAW: Red, yellow, and fresh coleslaw mix add color to this dish. To change things up, add chopped spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, or baby corn.
Making this sweet sauce is very simple. Just mix water with soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, and sesame oil.
Put chopped peanuts, fresh bean sprouts, chopped basil or cilantro, and red pepper flakes on top if you want to. For a spicy kick, don’t forget to add sambal or sriracha!
This Quick & Easy Shrimp Lo Mein Will Blow Your Mind | Dinner in Under 30 Minutes
How do you make Shrimp lo mein?
Anyone who can cook noodles can make their own shrimp lo mein right at home! Lightly saute the seasoned shrimp just until pink and remove from the pan. Add oil to the pan and saute peppers and coleslaw, add garlic and ginger. Return shrimp to the pan with sauce. Heat and add noodles. Serve hot.
What is Shrimp lo mein?
Shrimp Lo Mein features juicy shrimp, slurp-worthy noodles, and crunchy vegetables all coated in a flavorful lo mein sauce. If you love Chicken Lo Mein or Asian Recipes, like Chow Mei Fun, you’re going to love this easy Shrimp Lo Mein recipe.
Can you stir fry Shrimp lo mein?
If you can stir-fry it, you can add it to your lo mein. The sauce for Shrimp Lo Mein is a fairly simple combination of dark and light soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, and oyster sauce, with a touch of toasted sesame oil and sugar. It has a nice depth of flavor and is fairly salty in flavor.
What vegetables go into Shrimp lo mein?
Here are 11 vegetables that could go into a Shrimp Lo Mein dish: When cooking, keep in mind different vegetables take longer to cook. Hard vegetables (think carrots, bell peppers) should be added to the skillet first while soft vegetables (bok choy, bean sprouts) will follow approximately 2 minutes later.