Prawn Noodle Stir Fry

a bowl with prawns, noodles and vegetables, with chopsticks on the side.

5 from 1 vote

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. Ready in just 20 minutes, it is sure to become a regular in your dinner rotation!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: main

Cuisine: Australian, Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 571kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

For the stir fry sauce

¼ cup dark soy sauce be sure to use dark soy, not light soy.
¼ 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

For the stir fry

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.

Optional topping ideas

sesame seeds black or white.
spring onion thinly sliced
crushed peanuts
chilli flakes

Instructions

To make the sauce

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a jug until combined. Set aside.

Cook the noodles

Check your noodles and cook them according to their packet instructions. However, cook them for 1-2 minutes less than the cooking time specified on the packet, as they will continue cooking in the stir fry. Use a fork or a chopstick to gently separate the noodles as they cook.
Place the noodles into a colander and run them under a cold tap to stop them from cooking. Drain completely and set aside.

For the stir fry

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking hot. Add half of the oil and heat.
Add the prawns and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, turning, until they are almost cooked through. Remove the prawns from the wok and set aside.
Add the remaining oil, onion and garlic and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until softened and slightly browned on the edges.
Add the thinly sliced veggies and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked and drained noodles, prawns and sauce and stir fry until everything is combined and the noodles are slick with sauce.
Taste the stir fry and adjust with a little more soy sauce or sesame oil, if needed.
Serve immediately with your choice of toppings and garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

Prepare your ingredients ahead of time. Stir frying is quick and time sensitive. So, there isn’t time to stop and cut vegetables once you have started. Have everything chopped and the noodles prepared, ready to add to the wok to 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 it cooks through. If using broccoli, blanch it 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. Drawing the excess water from the prawns means they will sizzle and fry nicely.
When preparing the udon noodles, they should be slightly undercooked so that they do not overcook and become mushy when they are 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.
If you prefer the sauce a little thicker, you can stir through 1 teaspoon of cornflour before adding the sauce to the wok. Mix the cornflour with a little water first, to prevent lumps.
Storage; 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.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the stir fry being divided into 4 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the stir fry.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition