A deliciously easy version of a Chinese Takeaway favourite! This Easy Prawn Chow Mein is not only quick and simple to make, it’s also healthier than a standard takeaway version… and cheaper too! What’s not to like?
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Love Prawn Chow Mein?
If you love Prawn Chow Mein (AKA Shrimp Chow Mein), then you’ll love this easy peasy homemade version!
It’s really easy to make and takes just 15 minutes from start to finish – plus it’s also healthier than a standard takeaway version… and cheaper too!
And if you’re trying to keep calories low at the moment, this recipe is one of those rare gems: delicious, feels like a treat, fills you up – but only 348 calories! (If that’s not enough for you, serve this with some egg fried rice on the side or throw in some cooked chicken or extra prawns!)
What’s in Prawn Chow Mein?
The exact recipe for Prawn Chow Mein of course varies from takeaway to takeaway, but it always contains a mix of prawns (AKA shrimp), noodles and chow mein sauce. It also usually contains some additional veggies.
In my easy peasy version of Prawn Chow Mein I have used onions, carrots, red pepper and cabbage as the additional vegetables. It’s a combination that works really well, but of course you can adapt this to suit your own preferences and/or what you have in the fridge. (See below for ideas on how to adapt this recipe.)
How to make homemade Prawn Chow Mein
This Prawn Chow Mein recipe really is so easy to make!
First make the simple, flavour packed, homemade chow mein sauce. Next, fry the sliced onion, carrot, red pepper and cabbage. Add the chow mein sauce and prawns to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes, before adding the cooked noodles, beansprouts and sliced spring onions. Stir together thoroughly then turn off the heat.
Serve immediately, garnished with more sliced spring onions.
The whole thing takes just 15 minutes from start to finish (quicker than getting a takeaway delivered where I live!) and produces delicious results every time.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Prawn Chow Mein
This Prawn Chow Mein really is a complete meal in its own right – and that’s exactly how I like to serve it on a busy weekday evening.
But, of course, you can serve this as part of a bigger Chinese-themed spread, featuring other Chinese fakeaway dishes, such as Egg Fried Rice or Sweet and Sour Chicken.
What to drink with Prawn Chow Mein
As with most Chinese-style dishes, Prawn Chow Mein is best paired with aromatic whites like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier or Gewurztraminer. Another great option is a fruity rosé, but I’d steer clear of red wine as it tends to clash with the flavours here.
Love easy Chinese fakeaway recipes?
Then you are going to love these:
- Easy Sweet and Sour Pork
- Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken
- Easy Sesame Chicken
- Beef Chow Mein
- Special Chow Mein
- Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice
Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice
How to get that smoky taste in Chow Mein at home
One of the key features of a classic chow mein is that slightly smoky taste. Restaurant chefs achieve that smoky taste (called ‘wok hei’) by using specialist equipment: a well seasoned carbon steel wok and restaurant burners which cook food at a much higher temperature.
Well, unless you happen to have a professional kitchen at home, that’s not going to be possible… but what I found is, if you stir fry the veggies, especially the cabbage, over a high heat and don’t use too much oil, you can lightly ‘char’ the veggies and this will give you a hint of that smoky flavour. Don’t go too far, though or you’ll end up burning the veggies!
Make it your own…
I have spent quite a bit of time working on my homemade version of Prawn Chow Mein, trying to come up with the ‘perfect’ recipe that is both easy AND delicious… but of course you can adapt this recipe to suit your own personal preferences and/or what you have in your fridge. Here are some ideas…
- Use leftover roast chicken, turkey, pork or beef, instead of the prawns
- Use fresh chicken, instead of the prawns, as per my Chicken Chow Mein
- Use steak, instead of the prawns, as per my Beef Chow Mein
- Use a mix of proteins, as per my Special Chow Mein
- Use a different type of cabbage, instead of savoy cabbage
- Use different vegetables, such as mushrooms, tenderstem broccoli, mangetouts or baby corn
- Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes or some fresh chillies – not traditional, but it really works!
I’d love to hear how you’ve adapted my recipe! Let me know in the comments section 😀
Can you reheat leftover Prawn Chow Mein?
No – this is a dish that’s best served fresh!
Can you freeze leftover Prawn Chow Mein?
No – this is a dish that’s best served fresh!
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Prawn Chow Mein (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)
Ingredients
Easy Chow Mein Sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce)
- 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Prawn Chow Mein Stir Fry
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 small red pepper peeled and cut into matchsticks
- ½ small savoy cabbage sliced thinly
- 150 g beansprouts
- 4 spring onions thinly sliced
- 225 g dried medium egg noodles (I use Sharwoods Medium Egg Noodles)
- 1 tablespoon oil (See Note 1)
- 450 g cooked king prawns
Instructions
- Mix all the Chow Mein Sauce ingredients in a jam jar (or similar). Screw the lid on tightly and give it a good shake.
- Prepare all the vegetables as above. (This is important because you will need to work fast afterwards!)
- Place the dried noodles in a saucepan. Cover with plenty of boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3½ minutes or until nearly (but not quite) done to your liking. Use a fork to separate the noodles during cooking to ensure they don’t all clump together. Drain immediately when cooked. (See Note 2.)
- Meanwhile, in a wok (or very large frying pan), heat the oil over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the sliced onion, carrot, red pepper and cabbage. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the prawns to the pan, along with the chow mein sauce. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should thicken and the prawns will reheat fully.
- Add the drained noodles, beansprouts and HALF the sliced spring onions. Stir together thoroughly for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- Serve immediately garnished with the remaining sliced spring onions.
Notes
- Use a neutral oil such as rapeseed, vegetable or sunflower. Alternatively, if you prefer cooking with olive oil, use a mild olive oil.
- If you are leaving the noodles to stand for more than a minute, toss with a tablespoon of sesame oil to stop the noodles sticking together. Don’t quite fully cook your noodles at this point, as they will cook a little more in the wok.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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