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Shrimp Chow Mein – Omnivore’s Cookbook


Craving some scrumptious shrimp chow mein however don’t wish to order takeout? This recipe is ideal for a fast, home made various that tastes simply nearly as good (if not higher) than the restaurant model! It’s loaded with juicy shrimp, crisp veggies, and chewy noodles tossed in a savory sauce that’s simple to whip up in underneath half-hour. 

Homemade shrimp chow mein in a pan

Fried noodles are nice one-pan meals which are good for a weekday dinner. I’ve shared many noodle recipes up to now, corresponding to beef chow mein, rooster chow mein, vegetable lo mein, and Singapore noodles. The great thing about these dishes is, they flip a small quantity of protein and your vegetable scraps right into a comforting balanced meal that’s tremendous satisfying. 

Why you’ll love this shrimp chow mein recipe

Shrimp chow mein is a implausible alternative while you’re searching for a meal that’s flavorful, satisfying and wholesome. Right here’s what makes this recipe a keeper:

  • Fast and Simple: Executed in lower than half-hour!
  • Customizable: Swap out carrot and bean sprouts with no matter veggies you have got readily available.
  • Cash saver: Not solely does it value much less to prepare dinner it at residence, you can too load the dish with extra shrimp than the restaurant does.
  • Wholesome and Satisfying: With a stability of protein, carbs, and greens, it’s a meal that’s certain to fill you up with out weighing you down.
Shrimp chow mein pulled with chopsticks

Shrimp chow mein components

What kind of noodles to make use of?

To get the very best tasting shrimp chow mein, recent chow mein and Hong Kong pan fried noodles are the very best. The noodles are skinny and have a yellow coloration. 

In the event you dwell near an Asian market, you’ll find these recent noodles in both the refrigerated or freezer part. It’s also possible to discover them on the on-line Asian grocery retailer Weee!. My favourite noodles are Hong Kong type pan fried noodles and Twin Marquis Yakisoba Noodles. The Hong Kong pan fried noodles are semi-fresh. You’ll be able to soak them in boiling water for 1 minute and use them straight away. The feel of the Twin Marquis yakisoba noodles is nearer to Chinese language chow mein than Japanese yakisoba. It’s recent and you need to use it immediately with out boiling it. 

If the recent kind just isn’t accessible, you need to use dried chow mein noodles as nicely. Many common grocery shops carry them lately (often within the “ethnic” aisle). And you may even discover them on Amazon.

Oyster sauce

Oyster Sauce, (蚝油, hao you) is among the most incessantly used components in Cantonese dishes. And it’s in a lot of your favourite takeout dishes. It’s the magic ingredient so as to add umami to stir fry sauces corresponding to brown sauce, and it’ll make your shrimp chow mein further aromatic.

You’ll be able to store for oyster sauce at your native Asian market and on-line, although some common supermarkets inventory good oyster sauce lately, too.

So far as manufacturers go, Lee Kum Kee invented oyster sauce and so they’re nonetheless my default alternative. Their premium oyster sauce has a wealthy taste and is made with out preservatives.

One other nice oyster sauce is made by Megachef in Thailand. Their sauce is made out of recent oysters that are smoked earlier than being made into sauce. The flavour of Megachef is the very best of any oyster sauce I’ve tried, and so they obtain this with out utilizing MSG.

Different vegetable alternate options

The greens in shrimp chow mein will be versatile, relying on what you’ve received in your fridge. 

I used carrot, bean sprouts, and child bok choy on this recipe. This combo affords a wide range of colours and textures·. 

Different greens corresponding to yu choy, Chinese language broccoli, cabbage, bell pepper, snow peas, onion, and napa cabbage work nicely too. Word, it is advisable think about how a lot time is required to prepare dinner every vegetable and add them so as. Your aim shall be to prepare dinner every little thing till simply cooked by on the finish.

Mise en place

If you’re able to prepare dinner shrimp chow mein, your whole components needs to be prepped and positioned close to your range. It is best to have:

  • Greens, washed, drained and sliced (bok choy, carrot, bean sprouts)
  • Marinated shrimp
  • Blended sauce
  • Chopped aromatics (ginger, inexperienced onion)
  • Noodles
Ingredients for making shrimp chow mein
Shrimp chow mein served in a plate

Do I would like a wok for shrimp chow mein?

The quick reply is not any. You should utilize a big skillet (12” minimal) to create an excellent tasting shrimp chow mein. You’ll be able to learn extra on this matter in my publish wok vs skillet. In the event you determine to make use of a wok, you must just be sure you have a robust gasoline vary so the wok heats up correctly. A very good nonstick skillet or a carbon metal pan is nice for making chow mein. If utilizing a carbon metal pan, you will want some cooking expertise to verify the components prepare dinner correctly with out sticking.   

Tips on how to make shrimp chow mein

Making shrimp chow mein is straightforward when you’ve performed all of the preparation.

First, it is advisable put together the noodles based on the kind you’re utilizing.

For dried noodles, it is advisable boil them based on the bundle directions till al dente. I used Hong Kong pan fried noodles in my recipe, so I solely briefly soaked the noodles in boiling water previous to utilizing. If utilizing recent noodles, you solely must thaw them and fluff them along with your arms earlier than utilizing.  

Boiling noodles

For the stir fry, first, pan fry the shrimp and transfer them to a plate. That is vital so the shrimp keep juicy and tender with out overcooking. 

Pan frying shrimp

Then saute the aromatics to infuse the oil, and prepare dinner the more durable greens till al dente. The veggies will prepare dinner extra while you add the sauce, so that you don’t need them to be too comfortable at this stage.

Stir fry aromatics
Cook baby bok choy and carrot

Toss the noodles with sauce, then toss with bean sprouts and inexperienced onion on the finish.

Pouring sauce into the pan
Add bean sprouts and green onion

As soon as every little thing is nearly performed, add again the shrimp and blend every little thing collectively. 

Cook shrimp chow mein on a stove

When completed, the greens needs to be crunchy and crisp, noodles chewy and flavorful, and the shrimp juicy and tender.

Tips on how to serve shrimp chow mein

You’ll be able to serve shrimp chow mein as a standalone fundamental dish in your meal. It’s also possible to serve it as one of many aspect dishes for a multi-course dinner. On this case, the dinner would often encompass a soup, one or two fundamental dishes that includes different proteins, and one or two vegetable dishes, aspect dishes and/or appetizers. For a full-on Chinese language dinner, serve shrimp chow mein with:

Shrimp Chow Mein (鲜虾炒面)
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Craving some delicious shrimp chow mein but don’t want to order takeout? This recipe is perfect for a quick, homemade alternative that tastes just as good (if not better) than the restaurant version! It’s loaded with juicy shrimp, crisp veggies, and chewy noodles tossed in a savory sauce that’s easy to whip up in under 30 minutes.

Shrimp Chow Mein (鲜虾炒面)

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