Prawn Noodle Stir Fry

Name: Prawn Noodle Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup dark soy sauce (be sure to use dark soy, not light soy. ); 1/4 cup oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar); 2 tablespoons mirin (or Chinese wine/Shaoxing); 800 grams fresh Udon noodles (or your preferred stir fry noodle); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying); 600 grams raw prawns (peeled and deveined. Or use thinly sliced chicken, beef, pork, mince or tofu.); 1-2 onions (thickly sliced); 2-3 cloves garlic (chopped); 2-3 cups mixed stir fry vegetables (very thinly sliced. See notes above for vegetable suggestions.); sesame seeds (black or white.); spring onion (thinly sliced); crushed peanuts; chilli flakes

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This prawn noodle stir fry is quick, easy and full of flavour; perfect for busy weeknights! Plump and juicy prawns, healthy vegetables and thick Udon noodles are tossed through a mouth-wateringly delicious savoury sauce that is so simple to make. Ready in just 20 minutes, it is sure to become a regular in your dinner rotation!

a bowl of noodles, vegetables and prawns, with chopsticks.

Why you will love this recipe

Quick and easy – only a handful of ingredients are required and you can whip up this tasty meal with hardly any prep!
Versatile – use the noodles and sauce as a base and customise the protein and vegetables to suit what you have in your fridge (or dietary needs). The prawns can be swapped for chicken, beef, pork, mince or tofu.
A great way to use up old produce – the perfect recipe for a fridge clean-out, add any fresh or frozen vegetables that you have instead of throwing them out!
Great for leftovers – this stir-fry reheats well, perfect for a convenient work lunch or to heat up for dinner after a busy day.

Looking for some more easy dinners, ready in 30 minutes or less? Try this cashew chicken stir fry, healthy chilli con carne, curried sausages or healthy turkey burgers!

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

ingredients for prawn noodle stir fry, laid out on a table.

ingredients for stir fry sauce, laid out on a table.

Only a few basic pantry ingredients are required and the vegetables, noodles and protein can be easily customised to suit your needs.

Prawns (shrimp) – the easiest option is to use raw, ready-peeled and deveined prawns from your supermarket or butcher. Fresh or frozen (thawed) prawns can be used, but be sure to gently pat them dry with paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Otherwise, they will stew and become tough in the pan. Prawns can be swapped for your preferred protein, including thinly sliced chicken, beef, pork, mince or tofu.
Udon noodles – thick, chewy noodles made with wheat flour, water and salt. Commonly used in Japanese cuisine, they only take a few minutes to soften in a pot of boiling water. Udon noodles are perfect for stir fries, as the sauce clings to the strands, making them perfect for slurping. Find them in your local supermarket or Asian grocer in packets of fresh, frozen, vacuum packed or dried. Cook them according to the packet instructions, but subtract one minute from the cooking time and run them under cold water immediately after cooking, so that they don’t become overcooked and mushy when stir-fried. Alternatively, swap for your favourite stir fry noodles like Hokkien, egg noodles or rice noodles. Regular spaghetti can even be used if this is all you have!
Vegetables – any stir fry vegetables will work here, so add your favourites (or whatever needs to be used up in the fridge or freezer!). Broccoli, capsicum, baby corn, onion, bok choy, spinach, carrot, bean shoots, cabbage, kale, snow peas or mushrooms are great additions. If you are short on time, use a bag of mixed stir-fry veggies instead.
Dark soy sauce – the base of the sauce. Use regular or dark soy sauce rather than light soy sauce.
Chinese black vinegar – is used as a base flavour in the stir-fry sauce, to balance the sweet and salty ingredients. Also called black rice vinegar, dark vinegar or Chinkiang or Zhenjiang vinegar, black vinegar is made from fermented glutinous rice, with the addition of grains and herbs. It is only mildly acidic and has a malty, full-bodied, complex umami flavour. It can be found in supermarkets and Asian grocers. I don’t recommend swapping this ingredient where possible, but white rice vinegar or red wine vinegar could be used in a pinch.
Sesame oil – adds an aromatic, earthy flavour to the stir fry sauce. Make sure the oil is in date before using.
Mirin – a sweet, slightly tangy rice wine that is commonly used as a seasoning agent in Japanese cooking. It can be swapped for Shaoxing or dry sherry, if required. Mirin can be found in supermarkets and Asian grocers.
Oyster sauce – the base of the sauce, oyster sauce adds an umami/salty flavour to the stir fry.
Oil – for stir-frying. Use a mild, neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for best results. I recommend canola, vegetable or peanut oil.
Brown sugar – a tablespoon of sugar is added to balance the salty notes of the sauce and add a little sweetness. You can also use honey or rice malt syrup.

bowls of prawn noodle stir fry, arranged on a table with chopsticks.

Step by step guide

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below.

1. Mix the sauce. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a jug and set aside.

2. Cook the noodles. Check the noodles you are using and cook them according to their packet instructions; but subtract one minute from the recommended cooking time.

Slightly undercooking the noodles is recommended, as they will be stir-fried in the wok later.

Drain the noodles and run them under cold water immediately, to stop them from cooking further.

3. Stir fry the prawns. Pat dry any excess liquid from the prawns before adding them to a pre-heated wok with oil. Remove the prawns and set aside to add at the end.

Prawns require very minimal cooking time. Removing them from the heat prevents them from overcooking.

4. Stir fry the vegetables. Cook the onion and garlic with a little oil for 1-2 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Add the remaining stir fry vegetables and cook over high heat until tender, but still slightly crisp.

5. Add the noodles and sauce. Stir fry the noodles along with the prawns and sauce and stir until everything is combined and the noodles are slick with sauce.

noodles, prawns and stir fried vegetables in a pan with sauce.

stir fry in a pan with noodles, prawns and vegetables.

Expert tips

Prepare your ingredients ahead of time. Stir frying is quick and time-sensitive. So, there isn’t time to stop and cut vegetables or prepare ingredients once you have started. Have everything chopped and the noodles prepared and drained, ready to add to the wok. This will make the process as quick and easy as possible.
Chop the vegetables very finely. As everything comes together quickly in the wok, the vegetables need to be cut as finely as possible so that they cook through. If using broccoli, blanch it in boiling water first so that it cooks at the same rate as the other vegetables.
Pat-dry the prawns with paper towel before cooking them. Wet prawns (especially prawns that have been frozen and then thawed) contain excess moisture which will build up in the bottom of the wok/pan and cause the temperature to lower, as well as stewing the prawns instead of flash frying them. Drawing the excess water from the prawns means they will sizzle and fry nicely.
When preparing the Udon noodles (or your choice of noodles), they should be slightly undercooked so that they do not overcook and become mushy when added to the wok. Subtract 1 minute from the packet cooking time and run them under cold water immediately after cooking to keep them firm.
Keep things hot! Woks will generate more heat compared to a frying pan, ensuring that everything is sizzling and flash-fried, rather than steamed or stewed. Make sure the wok is smoking hot before adding your ingredients. If using a smaller frying pan, I recommend frying the prawns, vegetables and noodles in batches and then toss everything together at the end, to avoid overcooking or stewing the ingredients.
If you’re short on time, use a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables instead of fresh. There is no need to thaw them first, but they may need an extra 1-2 minutes to cook through.
Meal prep; the sauce can be made ahead of time and stored (covered) in the fridge for around a week. The veggies can be chopped ahead and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend cooking the noodles fresh when you are ready to cook and eat them.

FAQs

How to store it;

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing these noodles in the sauce, as they will lose texture when frozen. To reheat, microwave or stir in a wok over medium heat until steaming hot. A little stock can be added to loosen the noodles, if needed.

What do you put on top of Udon noodles?

Garnishes can add extra flavour and texture to a dish, as well as making them look extra appealing! Add a little crunch and sharpness with some sliced spring onions, add spice with a sprinkle of chilli flakes or top the noodles with some sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.

How do you cook pre-packaged Udon noodles?

Remove the noodles from the packet and gently loosen the noodles from each other. Place them in a pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes (or as specified on their packet), before draining and running them under cold water. Remember to subtract 1 minute from the packet cooking time for this recipe, as the noodles will cook further in the wok.

How do you keep noodles from getting soggy in a stir fry?

Keep them al dente and avoid overcooking the noodles before they are added to the stir fry. Once they are ready, run them under cold water to prevent them from continuing to cook. Toss the noodles through the stir fry right at the end, to avoid overcooking them. This will stop them from becoming soggy.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in January 2022, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in January 2023.