Shrimp Pan-Fried Noodles

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The shrimp and vegetable sauce on the crispy & crunchy noodles are a must-try! The dish must be eaten fresh to ensure the noodles are crispy and crunchy!

Shrimp pan-fried noodles on a plate with a spoon.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Pan-Fried Noodles
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Delicious Noodles Recipes
Shrimp Pan Fried Noodles

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This dish is commonly found in Chinese (Cantonese) restaurants. The egg noodles are fried until golden brown. Then, shrimp and variety of vegetables are sauteed and mixed with a soy sauce gravy.

Crispy and fragrant – the crunchy texture of the noodles soaks up the savory sauce while still holding its crunch, creating the perfect bite.
Authentic Cantonese flavor: The stir fried veggies are cooked with a smooth gravy bring that nostalgic, restaurant-style taste home. My parent’s Chinese-American restaurant tasted just like this!

Shrimp and Vegetable Sauce

Ingredients

Here’s a look at what you need to make this delicious pan-fried noodles recipe! The recipe consists of three parts: frying egg noodles, sauteing shrimp and vegetables, and at last making gravy. Don’t worry, we will make this dish all in one pan (or wok) to limit the amount of dishes. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

Egg noodles, bok choy, celery stalk, carrot, shrimp, ginger, garlic, chicken bouillon, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water laid out on a counter.

Frying Egg Noodles

The egg noodles are fresh and located in the refrigerated section in the asian grocery store. They will need to be fried in a generous amount of oil to ensure it gets crispy! Using other types of noodles will not generate the same taste or texture so no substitution is provided.

If you have extra egg noodles, you can try my Chicken Chow Mein recipe for a delicious stir-fry with vegetables. Or, if you’re looking for something warm and comforting, try my Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup.

The Sauce

The shrimp and vegetable stir fry is a common sauce used in Cantonese cuisine. To make the sauce, we mix water with cornstarch that creates that thick and shiny look. The flavor is savory from the oyster sauce and fragrant from the garlic and ginger flavor. We use a similar sauce in this Chicken and Broccoli recipe as well!

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry

The sauce can also be versatile meaning that you can add different vegetables or meat. If you do decide to add more vegetables and meat, you may need to alter the salt content to ensure that everything is well seasoned. It is recommended to marinate (salt and pepper) your protein before making this stir fry if you are adding more meat like chicken or pork.

Substitutions and Variations

Switch up the proteins – use sliced chicken or sliced pork for this recipe. Remember to season the meat with some salt and pepper.
Add some vegetables – you can add baby corn, mushrooms, or even bell pepper if you like. Don’t add too much or the stir fry sauce ends up being underseasoned.

How to Make Pan-Fried Noodles

Egg noodles spread thinly on a frying pan.

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, add 2-3 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add noodles and spread thinly. The more thin you spread the noodles, the crispier it would be. Fry noodles on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Set aside noodles.

Step 2: Place pan fried noodles on a plate. Use a paper towel to dab the oil from the noodles so it’s not too oily.

Sliced bok choy, celery stalk, and carrot on a plate.

Step 3: Slice your carrots and celery in a diagonal section. Then, chop your bok choy in half. Mince your garlic. Set aside.

Step 4: Using the same pan that fried the noodles, heat pan to medium heat (should already have oil inside). Fry shrimp with a pinch of salt until cooked (1 minute on each side) and set shrimp aside. Make sure not to overcook the shrimp as we will cook it longer when we saute the vegetables.

Sliced bok choy, celery stalk, and carrot on a frying pan with minced ginger and garlic.

Step 5: Add the minced garlic. Then, add celery, bok choy and carrots. Saute for one minute.

Sliced bok choy, celery stalk, and carrot on a frying pan with seasonings.

Step 6: Stir fry the carrots and celery until tender (slightly soft) which takes 3-5 minutes. Then add soy sauce, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix well.

Sliced bok choy, celery stalk, and carrot cooking in a pan with sauce.

Step 7: Mix water and cornstarch together. Then add cornstarch slurry in the pan. Stir everything together until sauce is thick like a gravy.

Cooked shrimp on top of cooking bok choy, celery stalk, and carrot.

Step 8: Add your shrimp at the last minute and stir together.

You are ready to serve! Add sauce on top of the noodles and enjoy while the noodles are still crispy!

Expert Tips

Use Hong Kong-style egg noodles or thin wonton noodles for authentic texture—they crisp beautifully without drying out.
Use a wok or well-seasoned cast iron pan with enough oil, and press the noodles down gently to form a golden crust—don’t flip too early!
Add the sauce just before serving to maintain the crispness underneath while still letting some noodles soak up that savory gravy.
Make sure you have all your ingredients prepared and laid out (cut and measured sauces). The stir fry process is quite quick and you don’t want to burn your noodles or vegetables.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of noodles should I use?

I recommend to use Hong Kong egg noodles for this shrimp pan fried noodles recipe. You can find fresh Hong Kong egg noodles in the refrigerated section at the Asian store (such as 99 ranch or Hmart). You can also find the dried Hong Kong egg noodles in the dried noodle section in the Asian store.

What is the difference between pan fried noodles vs lo mein?

Pan-fried noodles are cooked until the noodles develop a crispy, golden crust—usually in a single layer—then topped with a savory sauce and stir-fried toppings. The texture contrast (crispy on the outside, tender inside) is the star of the dish.
Lo mein noodles are soft and thicker. The noodles are stir-fried with sauce and toppings. There’s no crisping step—everything is tossed together in the wok.

What can I serve this with?

You can serve this with golden fried rice and stuffed tofu for the ultimate Chinese feast. Make sure you eat this fresh so the noodles stay crispy!

How do I store this?

I recommend to finish it all in one sitting so the noodles don’t get soggy. If you can’t finish it, you can store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute until warm.

More Delicious Noodles Recipes

Chicken Chow Fun – the flavorful noodles are made with colorful veggies and super tender chicken.
Easy Dan Dan Noodles – thin noodles mixed with a spicy and savory sesame sauce with minced pork.
Hong Kong Rice Noodles – thick and soft rice noodles garnished with peanut butter and hoisin sauce.