This EASY better-than-takeout recipe for Shrimp Lo Mein 🍤🥕🌶️🥦 includes tender lo mein noodles with red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, green onions, and plenty of juicy shrimp! Everything is tossed in a savory soy and ginger sauce that’s loaded with FLAVOR! This homemade recreation of the Chinese classic is ready in 30 minutes so it’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy Shrimp Lo Mein Recipe
- When you’re looking for a simple lo mein recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes, this easy lo mein with shrimp recipe is fantastic! Other great recipes for shrimp fans are my Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry and Better-Than-Takeout Shrimp Fried Rice.
- You don’t need a wok for this shrimp lo mein recipe. It’s faster than calling for Chinese takeout! And more than likely, it’s healthier, since you’re in control of all the ingredients.
- There are succulent, juicy shrimp in every bite of this Cantonese noodle dish. They’re marinated before cooking for both flavor and to ensure they’re nice and juicy. Not a shrimp fan? Make my Pork Lo Mein recipe or use diced chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- To ensure you’re getting some crunch, extra nutrients, and fiber there are red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and green onions. See the Ingredients section below for substitutions.
- Make sure to also check out my recipes for Chicken Chow Mein and Beef Chow Mein. Chow mein is a bit less saucy and uses slightly thinner noodles than lo mein, but I have a feeling if you’re a fan of Asian noodle dishes, you’ll like them all.
Key Ingredients in Lo Mein with Shrimp
- Shrimp – I use medium-to-large shrimp that are about U20 count. Make sure they’re peeled and deveined. You can keep the tails on or remove them. Fresh shrimp are my preference but you can also use previously frozen shrimp that you thaw. If they’ve been previously frozen and cooked, you can marinate them but don’t add them until the end – just to warm them through, but not cook them additionally.
- Lo mein noodles are wheat based noodles and are a flatter, wider, and a bit thicker than chow mein noodles. In a pinch, you can use the noodles that come in a couple packages of ramen or use traditional spaghetti noodles. I’ve seen people use egg noodles although I haven’t.
- Soy sauce, vegetable oil, corn starch – Used to marinate the shrimp.
- Garlic and ginger – For rich, authentic flavor you’ll need these.
- Bell pepper (red is traditional but any color is fine), carrots, broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms – If you don’t have a particular veggie on hand, or aren’t a fan of something, it’s fine to omit and substitute or add something else. Snow peas or pea pods, bean sprouts, bok choy, green cabbage, Napa cabbage, water chestnuts, or white onions are great here.
- Soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauvce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil – Creates a savory sauce that coats the veggies, noodles, and shrimp.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Shrimp Lo Mein
- Marinate the shrimp. While the shrimp are marinating, cook the noodles according to package directions. Tip – Make sure to cook just until al dente, and don’t overcook them because they can turn mushy or soggy later on when they’re coated with sauce.
- Make the sauce that you’ll pour over everything at the end, and set it aside.
- Sauté the shrimp over medium-high heat. They’ll cook very quickly, about 4-5 minutes total. Remove them as soon as they turn pink and are opaque. Tip – Take care because overcooking them will make them tough and rubbery.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and saute for a minute before adding the vegetables and sauteing them for about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
- To the softened veggies, add the cooked noodles and the cooked shrimp, pour the sauce you made earlier over everything, toss well, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Garnish and serve!
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
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Shrimp Lo Mein
🍤🥕🌶️🥦 This EASY better-than-takeout recipe has tender lo mein noodles, red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, green onions, and plenty of juicy shrimp! This homemade recreation of the Chinese classic is ready in 30 minutes so it's perfect for busy weeknights!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp Marinade
- 10 to 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on or off (about 3/4 pound, fresh U20-count shrimp are what I use, see Notes below for more info)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, (I use reduced sodium soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Lo Mein
- 8 ounces lo mein noodles, (chow mein noodles, ramen noodles, or spaghetti noodles may be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced (or about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger), or to taste
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (white mushrooms or your favorite sliced mushrooms may be used; or omit if you prefer)
- 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
- ¼ cup soy sauce, (I use reduced sodium soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Shrimp Marindade: Combine the shrimp, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vegetable oil in a small bowl, toss to combine and coat the shrimp evenly, and set aside on your counter top for about 10 minutes while you get the noodles boiling and slice/chop the other veggies.
- Noodles: Cook according to the package instructions until al dente; tip – don't overcook or the lo mein will be mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking; set aside.
- Cook the Shrimp: To a large skillet, add the marinated shrimp and saute over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or as needed until the shrimp are cooked and golden, flipping once halfway through. Tip – Shrimp cook very quickly so take care not to overcook them or they'll be rubbery and tough. When they're done, set them aside on a plate.
- Aromatics: Add the additional tablespoon of oil to the same skillet (don't wipe it out), and add the garlic, ginger, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly continuously.
- Veggies: Add the bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and saute for about 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp-tender; stir very frequently.
- Combine: Add the cooked shrimp and the cooked noodles into the skillet.
- Sauce: To a small bowl, quickly whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and pour it over everything in the skillet, and toss to incorporate and coat evenly. Cook for a minute or two, just to rewarm the noodles and shrimp, as desired.
- Taste and Garnish: Taste and as desired, add salt, pepper, additional soy/oyster/hoisin sauces, red pepper flakes for heat, additional rice vinegar for sharpness, additional brown sugar for more sweetness. Tweak until you find the perfect balance and then garnish with green onions, as desired, and serve warm and fresh.
Notes
Shrimp – When shrimp is the star of the show in any recipe, I always like to use fresh shrimp. I use peeled and deveined shrimp, with the tails still on and intact for visual effect, that I purchase from the seafood counter at my local grocery store. However, based on availability or your budget, you may use frozen shrimp. Make sure you know are aware if they are uncooked frozen shrimp OR cooked frozen shrimp.
Important Frozen Shrimp Tips – If using the former, thaw them and proceed with the recipe like you would if using fresh shrimp. If using the later (shrimp that have already been cooked, then frozen), I suggest not adding them until the very end of the recipe, when you add the sauce. You just want to warm them through and not actually cook them (again, since they’ve already been cooked once and then frozen).
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.
Adapted from Pork Lo Mein
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 456cal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 2286mg, Potassium: 558mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3839IU, Vitamin C: 61mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’m always looking for recipes that I can sub out things and tweak a little due to family members with IBS and gluten intolerance. I had to use all GF sauces, which made it turn out a little salty, I thought (no reduced sodium in the GF option), but my husband said it was fine with a little sriracha on top. I had some chicken breasts left over from a huge package so I marinated those as well and diced and cooked them before the shrimp. Can’t use broccoli for my IBS kid, so I swapped out snow peas and stayed with the red bell peppers and carrots. Also I had to use gluten free noodles so I used ramen type instead of lo-mein. They held their texture but broke up quite a bit, which is pretty standard with GF noodles. Oh, I also had to leave out the garlic for my IBS kid, and since I skipped that step, I realized I forgot to include the ginger – whoops. I’ll make sure to remember that next time. Definitely will be a next time! Everybody loved it!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Brandie, and I’m so impressed about the various modifications that you needed to make but that in the end, everyone loved it and it worked for your whole family!
This turned out delicious and so very easy to make. A money saver. Fresh. Better than take-out
Thanks for the 5 star review, Laura, and for making this recipe nearly the day I posted it! I love getting near-immediate feedback so thank you for taking the time to come and leave a comment! Glad that it was so very easy, a money saver, and better than take out!