Shrimp Chow Mein Stir Fry Easy One Pot Meal 30 Minute Recipe

on May 10, 2017, Updated Jul 04, 2024

Hello noodle lovers! Are you a fan of saucy slippery noodles that are bursting with flavor? Me too! Every time we have a fridge situation where vegetables are close to their expiry date, I end up making noodles. Every. Single. Time. But thats just me. A saucy noodle freak – lover – making slurpy noises as I eat. Just for you know. Let’s just desiccate that word chow mein for a minute. In India, chow mein refers to stir fried noodles. Any kind of stir fried noodles are chow mein when we go out to get some chinese food. But people all over the world have different definitions of chow mein. And that’s okay. Because I’ve realized slowly – whats in a name! And thats why this is called shrimp chow mein even though it doesn’t have crispy noodles (like some people on the internet say).

If you are looking for a dinner recipe that has carbs, protein, veggies and an amazing sauce – this shrimp chow mein really hits all the right spots. It’s the easiest thing to do in the kitchen. And I know some people would call me making chow mein in a skillet and not a wok sacrilege. But this girl still doesn’t own a wok. Do you have any recommendations for a good one? Or do you think I should stick to my pan. Because I kinda like it. I think its easy. And I won’t need to add another kitchen utensil to my 156 long list of other things that I don’t use as often in the kitchen. Literally, that room is bursting at the seams. Soon there won’t be any place for me. Just for my pots and pans.

And I really do think a skillet works here. As long as you have heat which is high enough to make everything sizzle. Because here are my five commandments to making a great shrimp chow mein.

How to make the best shrimp chow mein?

For a good chow mein, whether with shrimp, chicken, egg or just veggies, its really important to have a stove that can keep your pan hot enough. We have a gas stove with an actual flame which works really well even if I use a skillet to stir fry Keep your mise en place ready. Mise en place is simple your prep before you start cooking. Which in this case refers to cutting your vegetables, keeping the ingredients for the sauce and other things like oil, seasoning etc ready before you start cooking. A stir fry is one of the fastest meals you will make and we don’t want to overcook anything which can happen if you are still chopping your mushrooms after you’ve added your carrots Cook your veggies just till they are cooked through but still crisp. And that right there is the golden rule of making a chinese stir fry. You want your vegetables to still have color, remain crisp but not be raw, especially things like carrots If using broccoli or cauliflower which can take longer to cook, blanch them for a minute or two in hot water and then add them to the pan Cook your noodles and keep them ready before you start cooking. Once you drain them, wash them in cold water to keep them from over cooking or sticking to each other. The idea is to stop the cooking process by washing noodles in cold water to avoid over cooked gloopy noodles. If cooking them a few hours ahead, you can also toss them in a little oil and store

And thats all there is to it. Be ready with everything. Because the actual cooking time in this case is just 15 minutes if your noodles are pre-cooked, which makes this shrimp chow mein a really easy, 30 minute recipe. And thats why its my favorite. You can also substitute the shrimp for chicken or any other protein of your choice. And if you prefer vegetarian chow mein, just leave out the shrimp and follow the rest of the steps as is. Okay, getting back to my noodles now. Go make yours!