Shrimp Lo Mein

This Shrimp Lo Mein recipe is a blend of shrimp, vegetables, and chewy long egg noodles cooked together in a delicious savory sauce. Shrimp Lo Mein is a Chinese take-out classic that my family loves so I wanted to start re-creating it at home. It is a lot easier than I thought, comes together so fast, and makes plenty for leftovers.

What is Shrimp Lo Mein?

Shrimp Lo Mein is a Chinese inspired shrimp and noodle dish. In China, they do not have an actual dish that is named “Lo Mein”, but rather, “Lo Mein” is a way to cook noodles by stir frying them. In the United States, we use the term “Lo Mein” to refer to a dish with egg noodles, protein, vegetables, onions, garlic, ginger, and a sweet and savory sauce.

This isn’t the first time I put my own spin on an American-Chinese classic. This crab rangoon dip when viral last year, and I love making this around the holidays. And if you are a fan of the flavors of ginger and scallions, you have to try these ginger scallion meatballs.

If you want to make shrimp lo mein at home here are the ingredients you will need:

• Shrimp – I buy large frozen shrimp from the grocery store. I look for them to have the shells removed but the tails still on. Not all frozen shrimp tastes the same. I am a big fan of Wegman’s frozen shrimp, compared to the grocery store I normally buy from. You can certainly use fresh shrimp if you have them.
• Lo Mein Noodles – You can find these at any large grocery store or Asian market. Lo Mein Noodles are also called egg white noodles. They look like spaghetti when cooked but they have a chewier feel. Asian Markets would also have fresh lo mein noodles which would be even better to use in this recipe if you can find them.
• Cabbage/Carrots – I buy green cabbage and carrots already shredded so that they are ready for me when I need it. Buying them pre shredded isn’t necessary, but it just makes it easier for me to create this type of meal on a weeknight after work.
• Onions/Garlic/Ginger – This recipe uses scallions (green onions), garlic, and ginger. These flavors are very important to the dish and cannot be substituted.
• Lo Mein Sauce – For this sauce you will need Hoison Sauce, Soy Sauce, Shaoxing Wine, Sesame Oil, Brown Sugar, Water
• Flour – Cornstarch or Arrowroot(Tapioca) starch can be used. This is used as a sauce thickener.

How do you make Shrimp Lo Mein?

Since this type of meal comes together very fast, I like to make sure everything is prepped before I begin the actual cooking process. I add all my sauce ingredients to a bowl, I make sure my onions, garlic, and ginger are all measured out and diced/minced, and since I buy my cabbage and carrot pre-shredded I just make sure they are rinsed.

Then, I boil my noodles (a little less than the full cook time), drain them, add a little sesame oil, and set them aside. Next, I cook my shrimp. Once my shrimp is cooked, I remove them from the pan and start sautéing my onion, garlic, and ginger and then add my cabbage and carrots. Finally, I add back my shrimp, add the noodles, and pour in the sauce.

Making shrimp lo mein at home is very easy but I think people get intimidated by the ingredient list. You can find these ingredients at a better price if you buy them at an Asian market. These ingredients are useful and will make many future recipes taste delicious. And if you like to eat Chinese take-out, it may be a smart move to buy these ingredients so that you can make this recipe again and again.

Also, an important tip that I want to share with you is to have your ingredients prepped before you start cooking. One thing that I buy that helps me with prep and buying my cabbage and carrots pre-shredded. This way I do not have to spend time shredding them myself. When I come home from work and want to make a delicious meal for my family, the last thing I want to do is to start chopping veggies. So, this is a big help for me.

Ingredients for Shrimp Lo Mein 

• 16 oz Lo Mein Noodles
• 1 lb Frozen Shrimp, thawed deveined, shells removed, with tails left on. 
• 3 cups Shredded Green Cabbage
• 8 oz Shredded Carrots
• 5 Green Onions separate the green and white parts
• 6 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tbsp Ginger minced
• 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 4 tbsp Soy Sauce separated into 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine or Sherry
• 2 tsp Sesame Oil separated into 1 tsp + 1 tsp
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Water
• 1 tbsp Arrowroot Flour (or Cornstarch) separated into 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp
• salt and pepper
• avocado oil

Instructions

• Marinate your thawed shrimp by adding them to a bowl with 1 tbsp soy sauce, shaoxing wine, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, 1 tbsp of avocado oil, and 1/2 tbsp of arrowroot powder or cornstarch.
• Prepare your onion, garlic, and ginger. Separate the whites from the greens of the green onion. 
• Boil your noodles about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. Once they are done, drain them, rinse them with cold water, and then add them to a boil with a little sesame oil so that they do not stick together while you cook your remaining ingredients. 
• In a small bowl add your remaining sauce ingredients, including the arrowroot powder, and mix.
• Add 2 tbsp of avocado oil to a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add your shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes on each side or until they turn pink. Remove from the heat and set them aside. 
• Add your garlic, white parts of onion, and ginger to the pan with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in your cabbage and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, and then add in your shrimp, noodles, and the bowl of sauce. Cook until everything is mixed and the sauce has thickened up. Remove it from the heat and add in the green parts of your onion.