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Garlic Shrimp Noodles

Garlic Shrimp Udon Noodles in a wok.
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Wok fried shrimp, charred cabbage, plenty of garlic and chewy udon noodles get stir-fried is in a sticky, savory-sweet sauce with toasted sesame aromas and a spicy kick! Ready in under 30 minutes, these Garlic Shrimp Noodles are perfect for busy weeknights! 

Ingredients

Scale

Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
  • 1.5 tablespoons Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Pure Chili Oil (without sediment – note 1)
  • ¼ teaspoon White Sugar (or use a white sugar replacement if preferred – note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon Water

Shrimp:

  • 10.6 ounces / 300 grams peeled and deveined Shrimp or Prawns (frozen weight, 10 pieces if using size 16/20) – thawed and rinsed thoroughly
  • ½ tablespoon Peanut Oil (or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point), for cooking

Garlic Shrimp Udon Noodles:

  • 4–5 cloves / 20 grams Garlic – roughly chopped
  • 2–9 pieces / 6-25 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional, to taste – I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety will work, omit for milder dish – note 3*)
  • ¼ medium / 50 grams Yellow Onion
  • 2 medium stalks / 20 grams Spring Onion (Scallion/Green Onions) – finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
  • 3 cups / 300 grams Chinese Cabbage (Napa Cabbage) – sliced, rinsed, dried
  • 1 cup / 104 grams Mung Bean Sprouts – rinsed well
  • 14 ounces (2 packs) / 400 grams Udon Noodles (I used vacuum sealed packs of precooked udon – note 4)
  • 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil (or other neutral oil for cooking)
  • ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ½ teaspoon White Sugar (or white sugar replacement)
  • ½ tablespoons Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • ½ TSP Thai Chili Powder (optional – substitute crushed red pepper chili flakes), to taste
  • To Serve (optional): Reserved chopped spring onion

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Make the sauce: Whisk together the oyster sauce, low sodium light soy sauce, sesame oil, pure chili oil, white sugar and water in a small bowl or measuring cup (for easier pouring) until combined well.
  2. Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and set aside.
  3. Prepare all the fresh ingredients: Prepare the garlic, fresh red chilies (if using), yellow onion, spring onion, Chinese cabbage, and mung bean sprouts as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

Garlic Shrimp Noodles:

  1. Prepare the noodles: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and place the udon noodle cakes in the pot of hot water. Use tongs to hold onto the noodle cakes and gently shake until the noodle strands have separated and are tender – about 1-2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run cold water on the noodles to prevent sticking and halt the cooking process. (If using frozen or dried udon noodles, prepare according to package instructions.)
  2. Cook the shrimp: Heat ½ tablespoon of peanut oil in a large nonstick wok or deep edged skillet/sauté pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and spread the pieces out in the pan. Allow to sear for about 1 minute, then stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  3. Stir-fry the cabbage and onions: Heat the remaining peanut oil (1 tablespoon) in the wok over high heat. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until starting to char – about 2-3 minutes. Then add the yellow onion and spring onion white and light green parts and stir-fry to combine – 30 seconds. Add ½ teaspoon white sugar and ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce and stir-fry until the cabbage is nicely colored – 20-30 seconds.
  4. Stir-fry the aromatics: Add the garlic and red chilies and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Add the noodles, shrimp and sauce: Add the cooked noodles, shrimp and pour the stir-fry sauce on top. Stir-fry until everything is evenly coated in the sauce and it starts to thicken.
  6. Add the mung bean sprouts: Toss through the mung bean sprouts until softened – 30-40 seconds.
  7. Toss through the spring onion: Season with Thai chili powder and toss through most of the spring onion dark green parts. Switch off the heat.
  8. To Serve: Divide evenly on plates or in bowls. Garnish with the reserved chopped spring onion dark green parts and serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Pure Chili Oil. This is a chili oil without seeds or flakes (sediment). It’s is made from hot red chilies and vegetable oil. Substitute with chili oil with sediment if desired. You may want to use less fresh red chilies depending on how spicy your chili oil is.
  2. White Sugar. You can use regular granulated white sugar or a white sugar replacement such as Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener if preferred. Honey, or other natural sweetener of choice can be used but note that the flavor profile will be different.
  3. Fresh Red Chilies. Use any variety that are easily available to you. Use less or omit completely if you prefer this dish to be milder.
  4. Udon Noodles. I used vacuum sealed packs of pre-cooked udon noodles. They can be found online and at Asian or Japanese supermarkets. You can use frozen udon noodles too or par-cooked udon noodles from the fridge section. Prepare according to package instructions before using in this recipe. Feel free to substitute with vacuum sealed packs of precooked Shanghai noodles or ramen noodles. Dried udon can be used in a pinch but note that they won’t have the same bouncy and chewy texture. Noodle-type pasta (regular, wholegrain, or gluten-free) such as linguini, bucatini or spaghetti will also work. You’ll need 7 ounces/200 grams.
  5. Cook over HIGH heat. It’s crucial to getting that wok hei (breath of the wok) flavor that we love at restaurants. It’ll also help the cabbage char instead of boil and create a big puddle of water form in the wok. That said, even if there is excess water while stir-frying the cabbage, just spread the cabbage to the edges of the wok and let the water evaporate in the center before moving the cabbage back to the middle of the wok to continue browning.
  6. Storing and reheating. While these spicy garlic shrimp udon noodles taste best when freshly cooked and hot off the wok, leftovers can be stored in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout.
  7. Gluten-free. Use gluten-free noodles or pasta of choice, a gluten-free soy sauce (coconut aminos or tamari), and a gluten-free oyster sauce.
  8. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above to customize for other special dietary needs and flavor/preference customization tips.
  9. Recipe adapted from Marion’s Kitchen.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/garlic-shrimp-noodles/