• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Category
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Category
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes

    Takeout Style Shrimp Chow Mein

    Updated: Jun 23rd 2021 • Published: Sep 1st 2014 • Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved!

    Chow Mein is a classic takeout favorite and this shrimp version is so quick and easy to make at home you’ll forget where you put the takeaway menu. 

    This delicious and quick noodle recipe uses grocery store ingredients, to have dinner on the table in no time. This Shrimp Chow Mein is perfect for families as there are plenty of veggies included and everyone loves slurping bowls of noodles. Making Chinese takeout recipes at home is much easier than you think! 

    Jump Menu

    • Tips for making Chow Mein at home
    • What is Chinese cooking wine?
    • What noodles to use for Chow Mein
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Takeout Style Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe

    Tips for making Chow Mein at home

    • Prepare your vegetables before you start cooking. Chinese stir-frying is quick cooking so you need everything prepped and ready.
    • Mix the sauce ingredients together before you start cooking, but ensure you whisk it well before you add it to the pan.
    • Don’t let any of the ingredients cook for too long, you want everything to be crisp and just cooked.
    • For a truly authentic flavor grab a bottle of in Chinese rice wine also known as Chinese Cooking Wine or Chinese Shaoxing Wine. You can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store or online. It will make ALL the difference.

    What is Chinese cooking wine?

    Chinese Cooking Wine is also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing wine or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find this in most grocery stores in the Asian section. Just don’t get it confused with rice wine vinegar as that will ruin your stir fry!!! If you can’t find Chinese Cooking Wine, you can use dry sherry.

    What noodles to use for Chow Mein

    So for this chow mein, you are going to need.....Chow Mein noodles. Sounds kind of obvious doesn't it. But there are so many different noodles out there you want to pick one that specifically says for chow mein (or low mein).

    I prefer the fresh ones as they have a better texture, here in Australia the brand I tend to buy is Fantastic Noodles - Chow Mein noodles. They taste great, have a good texture and only need soaking for a minute in boiling water.  

    If you can only by dried noodles then don't panic just cook them as directed on the packet.

    Enjoy x

    For other great takeout dishes why not try:

    • Beef and Broccoli
    • Ginger Shrimp Stir Fry
    • Happy Family Stir Fry
    • Beef and Tomato
    • Wandering Dragon Stir Fry
    • Chicken and Snow Peas


    📖 Recipe

    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Takeout Style Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe

    Chow Mein is a classic takeout favorite and this shrimp version is so quick and easy to make at home you’ll forget where you put the takeaway menu. This delicious and quick noodle recipe uses grocery store ingredients, to have dinner on the table in no time. This Shrimp Chow Mein is perfect for families as there are plenty of veggies included and everyone loves slurping bowls of noodles. Making Chinese takeout recipes at home is much easier than you think!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 595kcal
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams

    For the Chow Mein:

    • 8 spring onions/green onions
    • 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
    • 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
    • 2 carrots
    • 14 oz peeled raw shrimp
    • 12 oz chow mein noodles - see note 1
    • 2 cup bean sprouts

    For the Chow Mein Sauce:

    • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 4 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 4 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine - see note 2
    • 4 teaspoon oyster sauce
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

    Instructions

    Start by making the sauce:

    • Mix the cornstarch with the soy sauce and Chinese cooking wine. Once combined add in the oyster sauce, sugar and white pepper. Set to one side.

    Prep the veg and noodles:

    • Finely chop the spring onions into thin disks.
    • Peel the carrot and cut into thin strips (alternatively, you can peel strips off with a potato peeler)
    • Prepare the noodles as per the instructions. If using fresh this is usually soaking in water for a minute. If using dried then it is usually boiling for 3-4 minutes. But each packet is different so check yours.

    To cook the Chow Mein.

    • Heat all of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan or wok.
    • Once smoking hot, turn off the heat and add all of the chopped spring onions. It will sizzle and spit like a crazy thing!
    • Once the sizzling has subsided. Drain the oil through a sieve, reserving the spring onions for later.
    • Pour half of the oil back into the pan and place on high heat.
    • Add the shredded cabbage and carrot, then stir fry over high heat until softened. Add in the shrimp and garlic and stir together well.
    • Once the shrimp have turned pink (2-3 minutes)
    • Remove the veg and shrimp to a plate - See note 3
    • Add the remaining oil to the pan and allow to get hot. Add the noodles, stir gently to coat the noodles in the oil. Once glossy and heated through, return the veg and shrimp to the pan and stir gently to combine.
    • Give your prepared sauce a whisk together, then add it to the pan turning and stirring constantly until everything is coated.
    • Add the bean sprouts and reserved spring onions and toss for 30 seconds or until the bean sprouts have just started to wilt.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    1. You will want to buy noodles that specifically say for chow mein (or low mein). I prefer the fresh ones as they have a better texture, here in Australia the brand I tend to buy is Fantastic Noodles - Chow Mein Noodles. They taste great, have a good texture and only need soaking for a minute in boiling water. If you can only by dried noodles then don't panic just cook them as directed on the packet.
    2. Chinese Cooking Wine is also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing wine or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find this in most grocery stores in the Asian section. Just don’t get it confused with rice wine vinegar as that will ruin your stir fry!!! If you can’t find Chinese Cooking Wine, you can use dry sherry.
    3. I remove the veg from the pan as it starts to get too hard to stir everything together without losing food over the edges. If you have a very large frying pan or wok, you can keep everything in the pan.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 250mg | Sodium: 1843mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5403IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

    More Main Dishes

    • overhead of chickened broccoli with Chinese brown sauce and sesame seeds on it
      Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
    • a hand holding a turkey sandwich with gravy
      French Dip Hot Turkey Sandwich
    • sliced rolled turkey breast on an cream oval plate
      Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast
    • close upon sliced turkey on a slice of bread with gravy
      Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a lady stood in a white kitchen chopping a tomato

    I'm Claire and I love food!
    I dream about food and I am happiest when I am in the kitchen cooking. Whether that is dinner for my family, snacks for drinks with my girlfriends or testing new recipes for my site, the kitchen is my happy place. Sprinkles and Sprouts is where I share it all and I am so happy you are here.

    Read More →

    As featured in

    Popular

    • close up on a ladle of gravy pouring into a white gravy boat
    • square picture of a cast iron skillet of pasta
    • close up on the coriander and charred top of a sweet naan bread
    • Garlic bacon spaghetti in a large shallow grey bowl
    • Close up on roasted lemon potatoes in a white bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Sprinkles
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
    THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
    Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

    Copyright © 2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

    Copyright © 2023 · Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in