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My Garlic Shrimp Noodles are so good, I can never get enough! The shrimp is juicy, tender, and firm; perfect with the chewy noodles coated in garlicky, butter sauce that is addictively savory and packed with umami flavors!
Shrimp is one of my favorite things to cook (and eat!) – if you love shrimp as much as I do, try my restaurant-style Honey Walnut Shrimp or straight from the dim sum cart Fried Shrimp Balls! I personally love frying shrimp, like Panko Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp, or Salt and Pepper Shrimp!
Watch the Garlic Shrimp Noodles Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Garlic Shrimp Noodles
- noodles – see note below.
Shrimp
- shrimp – I like to use peeled, deveined U16-U20 when making Garlic Shrimp Noodles. You can technically use any size you prefer.
- Make sure your shrimp is raw (not cooked) – fresh or frozen both work well for this dish (as long as you defrost the shrimp before cooking).
- Use peeled, deveined shrimp or peel and devein yourself.
Marinating the shrimp will help the shrimp maintain a firm texture while still tasting juicy. Do not skip this step when making Garlic Shrimp Noodles.
- white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s one of my key ingredients for Asian cooking. White pepper has a more floral, woodier flavor than black pepper. I highly recommend picking some up for your pantry, especially if you love cooking Asian food at home.
- baking soda – baking soda helps the shrimp maintain a firm texture
- salt – salt is key to juicy shrimp!
- light soy sauce
- cornstarch
Sauce
- oyster sauce
- light soy sauce – this is all-purpose soy sauce – do not substitute with dark soy sauce!
- sriracha – If you are sensitive to spice, you can halve this or substitute with ketchup.
- white pepper
- sesame oil
- msg – as always, this is optional.
- sugar
- water
Other Ingredients
- butter – use unsalted butter; you can always add more salt if the dish needs it. My go-to brand is Kerrygold, which I pick up from Costco.
- garlic, chopped
- Love garlic as much as I do? Try Garlic Fried Rice next time!
- ginger, chopped
- scallions, chopped
Want more noodles with shrimp? Try my Shrimp Lo Mein or Shrimp Scampi Pasta! Prefer rice? Try Din Tai Fung Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice!
Key Tip
What Type of Noodles Should I Use for Garlic Shrimp Noodles?
In this recipe for Garlic Shrimp Noodles, I used fresh Shanghai noodles. They are from the brand ‘Golden World Shanghai’ and I get them from the refrigerated section of my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch). These are some of my favorite noodles to cook with, so I hope you can find them! I am including a photo of the packaging below.
If you cannot find these exact noodles, that’s okay – you can substitute with another long noodle of your choice. (Even dried spaghetti works in a pinch!)
Fun fact – Golden World Shanghi noodles are the same noodles I use for Shanghai Fried Noodles and Dan Dan Noodles!
If you want a recipe that uses egg noodles instead, try Garlic Noodles (or for an extra special meal, make Garlic Noodles with Crab)!
Recipe Instructions for Garlic Shrimp Noodles
1. Marinate the Shrimp
In a small bowl, add raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp with white pepper, baking soda, salt, light soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside and marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare the Aromatics and Sauce
Chop your garlic, ginger, and scallions and set aside.
In a small bowl, premix your sauce by combining oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sriracha, white pepper, sesame oil, optional msg, sugar and water.
3. Cook the Noodles
In a medium sized pot, cook your noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain immediately, rinse the excess starch, and toss the cooked noodles with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
4. Sauté the Shrimp and Aromatics
Over high heat in a nonstick pan or wok, add 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil and saute marinated shrimp for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan or wok, melt 4 tbsp of butter medium high heat. Saute garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add scallions and saute for another 15 seconds.
5. Combine the Shrimp, Aromatics, and Noodles
In the pan or wok with the sauteed aromatics, add the cooked noodles, cooked shrimp and premixed sauce. Mix well to combine.
Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the noodles are done to your liking. Season to taste and enjoy your Garlic Shrimp Noodles!
Key Tip
Expert Tips for Garlic Shrimp Noodles
Marinate the Shrimp
- This is my key tip in juicy, tender, and firm shrimp. Marinating the shrimp helps the shrimp taste better and maintain great texture. The salt helps the shrimp stay juicy, while the baking soda helps the shrimp stay firm. Do not skip this key step!
Undercook the Noodles
- Don’t forget that the noodles will finish cooking in the pan at the end! I always cook my noodles 2 minutes less than the package instructions call for. This way, they come to my preferred doneness by the time the Garlic Shrimp Noodles are done in the pan!
Rinse and Toss Noodles in Oil
- After cooking the noodles, rinse them immediately with cold water to stop the cooking and remove any excess starch. You want to avoid having any excess starch in your final dish.
- Shake the noodles dry and then toss in a tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together while you cook the other ingredients for Garlic Shrimp Noodles.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover Garlic Shrimp Noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Note, refrigerated leftover noodles will oftentimes stick together and the texture will be different (softer). However, the flavors will usually taste even better the next day!
Reheat your Garlic Shrimp Noodles in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top (to mimic steaming) or give them a quick toss in a hot pan with a little bit of neutral oil.
Cooking with a Wok
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
If you tried this Garlic Shrimp Noodles or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Garlic Shrimp Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz noodles, I used fresh Shanghai noodles
Shrimp
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp msg, optional
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Marinate your shrimp for 15 minutes with white pepper, baking soda, salt, light soy sauce, and cornstarch.
- Chop your garlic, ginger, and scallions and set aside.
- In a small bowl, premix your sauce by combining oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sriracha, white pepper, sesame oil, msg, sugar and water.
- Cook your noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes less than package directions, then immediately rinse the excess starch and toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.
- Over high heat in a nonstick pan or wok, saute your shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through and set aside.
- Melt 4 tbsp of butter in your pan over medium high heat, then saute your garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add your scallions and saute for another 15 seconds.
- To your sauteed aromatics add your noodles, shrimp and premixed sauce and combine. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the noodles are done to your liking. Season to taste and enjoy!
Notes
Undercook the Noodles: Don’t forget that the noodles will finish cooking in the pan at the end! I always cook my noodles 2 minutes less than the package instructions call for. This way, they come to my preferred doneness by the time the Garlic Shrimp Noodles are done in the pan!
Rinse and Toss Noodles in Oil: After cooking the noodles, rinse them immediately with cold water to stop the cooking and remove any excess starch. You want to avoid having any excess starch in your final dish. Shake the noodles dry and then toss in a tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together while you cook the other ingredients for Garlic Shrimp Noodles.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover Garlic Shrimp Noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Note, refrigerated leftover noodles will oftentimes stick together and the texture will be different (softer). However, the flavors will usually taste even better the next day! Reheat your Garlic Shrimp Noodles in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top (to mimic steaming) or give them a quick toss in a hot pan with a little bit of neutral oil.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Family ate this one up
One of my fave go to’s. Love your recipes. Easy to follow and soooooo yummy!
One of my fave go to’s. Love your recipes. Easy to follow and sooooooo yummy!! Xx