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Shrimp Lo Mein is packed with bold delicious flavor that will satisfy your takeout cravings and keep your wallet happy! Make this restaurant style lo mein at home in under 30 minutes.
You all know how much I love a good takeout recipe! Whenever I try a dish I love while dining out, I take it as a personal challenge to make it myself—and so far, I haven’t been disappointed! If you enjoyed my Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein, you’re going to love this easy Shrimp Lo Mein recipe.
I love making takeout dishes; if you enjoy creating your favorites at home, try my Fish O Filet Sandwich, Copycat Chipotle Steak bowls, my Famous Popeyes Fried Chicken, or my Easy Apple Hand Pies.
What is Shrimp Lo Mein?
Here are some of the reasons we love this recipe:
- Quick and Easy: Ideal for busy weeknights, this recipe comes together super quickly.
- Versatile: This recipe can easily include your favorite vegetables or other proteins you may be in the mood for.
- Perfect for the Entire Family: Mild enough for children yet flavorful enough for adults, making it a great family-friendly option.
- One-Pan Wonder: Minimal cleanup is required since everything cooks in one pan, saving time and effort.
- Budget-Friendly: Affordable ingredients mean you can enjoy a really nice meal without breaking the bank.
Ingredients You’ll Need (Full Recipe Below)
- Shrimp- I use 21/25 size shrimp, tail off! You can use larger pieces of shrimp, but they make take a little longer to cook.
- Spaghetti Noodles– I love using spaghetti noodles because it’s easy to find, but you can also use lo mein noodles. I typically find lo mein noodles at an asian grocery store or asian market. They are sometimes harder to find at your regular grocery store, but
- Baking Soda- This helps tenderize the shrimp.
- Soy Sauce- I use low sodium soy sauce for this recipe to balance the flavors.
- Sesame Oil- This adds a nutty flavor to your lomein. You can substitute with vegetable oil, but I do not recommend olive oil for asian dishes.
- Dark Brown Sugar– This sweetens the sauce.
- Hoisin Sauce- This is common in asian cooking as it adds a umami flavor.
- Rice Wine Vinegar– This adds a kick and edge to your sauce.
- Cornstarch– This will thicken your sauce and add a batter to the shrimp.
- Veggies– We use a ton of veggies in this recipe, such as carrots, ginger, broccoli, bell peppers, onions, and scallions or green onions, but it’s 100% customizable!
How to Make Shrimp Lo Mein Step-by-Step
- Cook the Noodles: Follow the package instructions to cook the noodles. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Set aside.
- Season the Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry and season with soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda and soy sauce.
- Sear the Shrimp: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned shrimp until they’re almost cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Add the onions, garlic, ginger, broccoli, peppers, and scallions in the same skillet. Sauté until fragrant.
- Combine the Noodles and Vegetables: Add the cooked noodles to the skillet with the vegetables.
- Add the Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Toss to coat evenly.
- Return the Shrimp to the Skillet: Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet. Toss everything together until well mixed and heated through. Serve this delicious shrimp lo mein hot.
Chef’s Kiss
Make your own restaurant version at home by using any of your favorite lo mein or stir fry vegetables. Try carrots, napa cabbage, red peppers, bok choy, baby corn, shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, snow peas or any other type of veggie.
Expert Tips
Here are a few tips to ensure juicy shrimp, savory sauce and tender vegetables:
Rinse and Toss Your Noodles in Oil: Once the noodles are done, rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. After shaking them dry, toss them in a tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent sticking while you prepare and cook the other ingredients.
Undercook your noodles a little: Your noodles will finish cooking in the pan, so I like to cook my noodles for 1-2 mins less than the instructions say. Then, by the time everything is done sautéing, you won’t end up with soggy noodles.
Cut the vegetables into evenly-sized pieces: This helps all of the veggies cook quickly and evenly and ensures everything is perfectly tender.
Use a Wok: If possible, use a wok for the best stir-frying results. Its shape allows for even heat distribution and better tossing of ingredients. A large skillet will work if you don’t have a wok. Here’s the wok I like to use for my shrimp lomein.
Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: You want to make sure your wok or Skillet is big enough or cook in batches if necessary. Overcrowding can lead to steaming rather than stir-frying, which is a different cooking process and changes the texture and flavor of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
While a wok is highly recommended—it’s a great piece of kitchen equipment (here’s the one I use)—you can also use a large skillet! Be careful not to overcrowd the pan and cook in batches, if needed.
Sure, you can use chicken. You can also try my Beef & Broccoli Lomein recipe!
Yes! You can substitute soy sauce for liquid aminos for a low sodium option.
You can use any type of noodles with lo mein – fresh, dried, egg, rice or even ramen noodles. And yes, you can even use spaghetti noodles which are easy to find and inexpensive!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover shrimp lo mein in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a skillet.
If you love this recipe, please leave your recipe rating and review below! It means a lot to me.
Shrimp Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1-2 pounds shrimp I use 21-25 sized shrimp
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
For the sauce
- 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup hoisin
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons browning sauce (optional)
For the lomein
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger chopped fine
- 1 green bell pepper sliced or chopped
- 1 red bell pepper sliced or chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup green cabbage shredded thin
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 4 scallions chopped fine
Instructions
- Cook the pasta noodles according to the package instructions.
- While the noodles are cooking, prepare the sauce by whisking the soy sauce, sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch and browning sauce (if using) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Pat the shrimp dry and add to a bowl. Add in cornstarch, baking soda and soy sauce. Toss well to coat the shrimp.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the seasoned shrimp on both sides until they are almost cooked through. Then remove them from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add onions, garlic, ginger. Saute until they become fragrant.
- Add the peppers, broccoli, green cabbage, carrots, and scallions (or any other veggies you have) to the skillet. Saute until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp.
- Add the noodles to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables.
- Add the seared shrimp back to the skillet and toss everything together to ensure the noodles and veggies are evenly coated in the sauce.
- Allow the dish to cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through. Serve hot.
I LOVE this recipe!
I love me a good noodle recipe. I used this recipe and did both Shrimp and beef and it was so so good.
As always Toni’s recipe is a 10/10!
Randomly craving lo mein, instead of doing take out I ran to here. Took me less than 30 mins to make. Quick, easy and delicious!
This recipe had me fighting for my life, both my husband and son were trying to run me down to take my bowl lol.
I extremely enjoyed this recipe. I substituted shrimp with steak and it still came out delicious!
I have tried a couple of your Chinese takeout recipes, and I love them all! This shrimp lo mein is probably my favorite. You are helping me save so much money and still get my takeout fix at home!
I whipped up this up yesterday, and it was amazing like all your other recipes! I loved that it was quick, flavorful, and so easy to make. A new favorite for sure!
Just made this and this is it! Kids loved it too, quick and delicious!
Wow. This is my new favorite meal prep recipe. I’ve made it two weeks in a row. It’s not high in calories even with the noodles and you can really play with the type and amount of veggies you add. A couple personal preference tweaks, I added red pepper flakes and cut the hoisin in half because I’m not a huge fan of that sauce. So. Dang. Good.