Shrimp Chow Mein Recipe (with Video)

1. Prepare the shrimp by deveining and removing shells if present. If using other proteins such as beef, chicken, or pork, I recommend slicing into strips and marinating with 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp baking soda or cornstarch, and 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine or water.
2. Slice your carrots into thin matchsticks (julienne), and slice your onion and bok choy or cabbage. Mince the garlic. Wash your mung bean sprouts and set aside.
3. Prepare the noodle sauce by mixing together 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 3 tbsp of chicken broth or water. Set aside.
4. Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Usually for fresh noodles, you only have to run them under hot running water or boil for about 1 min -- make sure to not overcook them in this stage or else you'll end up with gummy noodles! For dried noodles, you should boil until al dente. After the noodles are boiled and drained, rinse in cold water to prevent overcooking.
5. Stir-frying the noodles
6. In a pan or a wok, heat up 1 tbsp of neutral oil. When it's hot, add your shrimp and season with a dash of salt. Cook for about 1-2 min on each side, or until shrimp turns color and gets just a little caramelized. Remove from the pan and set aside.
7. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pan or wok. Add your sliced veggies: bok choy or cabbage, onions, and carrots. Stir fry for 1-2 min or until they soften a bit and get some color.
8. Deglaze the pan with a splash of Chinese cooking wine, add minced garlic, and stir-fry for another minute or until you can't smell the alcohol from the wine.
9. Add your prepared noodles and noodle sauce. Incorporate the noodles well with the sauce and veggies, and stir fry for another minute.
10. Add the shrimp back in, as well as the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry for a final minute, season with a tbsp of toasted sesame oil, and then it's done! Enjoy immediately.