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Home Recipes Noodles & Pasta Shrimp Lo Mein

Shrimp Lo Mein

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Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

Shrimp Lo Mein is an easy dish to make at home and tastes just as good as any restaurant version. You can even prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time for an easy weeknight meal. I’ve always found that cooking is a great way to unwind from a stressful day of work, have a nice meal, pack a lunch for the next day and save 10 bucks from ordering takeout.

A great thing to do is to take 30 minutes to prep ingredients the night before. Then, the next day when you get home, you can take everything out of the fridge, change into your t-shirt and sweatpants, and grab your wok. Dinner will be ready within 15 minutes!

This Shrimp Lo Mein recipe follows most restaurant versions pretty closely, but you can add anything you like to this dish! That lone stalk of celery or leftover half of an onion are great candidates to add in.

If you don’t have shrimp, you could also try making our vegetable lo mein, or use ramen noodles to make a vegetable ramen instead!

Okay, let’s do this shrimp lo mein!

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Shrimp Lo Mein: Recipe Instructions

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy.

If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don’t stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier.

Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic.

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage.

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up!

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy. If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier. Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up! At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions.

Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve! You will never order Chinese takeout shrimp lo mein again!

Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

Some Homemade Chili Oil would go great with your your Shrimp Lo Mein!

Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

Shrimp Lo Mein, by thewoksoflife.com

4.90 from 19 votes

Shrimp Lo Mein

Shrimp Lo Mein is an easy dish to make at home and tastes just as good as any restaurant version. Prepare the ingredients ahead of time for an easy lo mein.
by: Bill
Course:Noodles and Pasta
Cuisine:Chinese
Shrimp lo mein in takeout container
serves: 6 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator, and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy.
  • If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can actually substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don't stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier.
  • Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
  • Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 tablespoons oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
  • Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up!
  • At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!

nutrition facts

Calories: 328kcal (16%) Carbohydrates: 38g (13%) Protein: 20g (40%) Fat: 11g (17%) Saturated Fat: 6g (30%) Cholesterol: 176mg (59%) Sodium: 908mg (38%) Potassium: 386mg (11%) Fiber: 4g (16%) Sugar: 4g (4%) Vitamin A: 2060IU (41%) Vitamin C: 27.1mg (33%) Calcium: 142mg (14%) Iron: 3.1mg (17%)

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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About Bill

Bill is the dad of The Woks of Life family. He grew up in upstate New York, working through high school and college in restaurants with his father, a chef. Rose from modest beginnings as a Burger King sandwich assembler to Holiday Inn busboy and line cook, to cooking at the family's Chinese restaurant, while also learning the finer points of Cantonese cooking from his immigrant parents. Specializes in all things traditional Cantonese and American Chinese takeout.

Reader Interactions

99 Comments

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  1. Dorette says

    5 stars
    Hello Bill, shrimp lo mein is my fave dish and I am so happy to have found your blog. I made it yesterday and Oh MY!!! it was absolutely the best I ever tasted !! Thank you so much for the video I watched first and then followed it step by step. I live in a small town in PA and couldn’t get some of the vegies, so I added what I had like broccoli and red bell pepper. it was just great and I will try a whole lot more real soon as soon as I can decide which one, they all sound so fabulous. Thanks to all 4 of you to take the time and trouble to help us cooking some great chinese dishes.

    Reply

  2. Michael says

    I love your recipes so much. I’ve tried several and had great success. I was wondering, are you Nutrition Stats per serving or the entire dish?

    Thank you so much for posting these fantastic recipes! It has totally my approach towards cooking

    Reply

  3. Elizabeth Foga says

    5 stars
    First time trying this recipe and all I can say is, “OMG!” I added 1 jumbo scrambled egg and I was out of real garlic, so I added garlic powder (not the same, but I was desperate). I also added a pinch of Korean chili flakes and some MSG. Woah baby! Glad there will be leftovers!!!

    Reply

  5. Jennifer L says

    I made this with yakisoba noodles that I had on hand and it was FANTASTIC! Tasted like take-out lo mein to me. Had that smokey wok hei – a lot like my favorite restaurant! I did this on a 54,000btu outdoor wok, and I thought the seasonings and timings were ideal. Thanks so much for this recipe and all the great tips!!!

    Reply

  6. mavee125 says

    This Shrimp Lo Mein is one of our fave dishes. It’s absolutely delicious and flavorful! Glad I got to get all my needed Asian ingredients at Karman Foods. Fast and hassle-free delivery service.

    Reply

  7. Debby Jimenez says

    5 stars
    We made this tonight outside on our Blackstone griddle. I realize it’s not a wok but we used what we had and enjoyed making it together as a family! We had a great time and it was delicious!! Thank you for your recipes that are always great!

    Reply

  8. Anna says

    Made this tonight. Flavor was good. Noodles were super sticky. I had uncooked fresh noodles but cooked them for 40 seconds right before i started things in the wok, and ran them through warm water right before adding them to the wok to separate them again. But they were still super sticky. Both in the wok and while eating them. Any ideas on what I did wrong?

    Reply

    • Bill says

      Hi Anna, It may be because the lo mein noodles were overcooked or you may have not used enough water to boil the noodles which sometimes creates a sticky noodle. When this happens and you cook the lo mein and it gets sticky, you need to add some liquid to the noodles. The vegetables, especially napa cabbage, emit lots of liquid when they are cooked, but sometimes you may need to add water or chicken stock until the extra liquid cuts the stickiness. Hope that helps!

      Reply