This 20-minute Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry is lip-smacking perfection for weeknights. You also get to experience a whole new purpose for your Ramen noodles!

I love shaking things up with a stir-fry by serving it with a pile of squiggly noodles instead of rice. It’s an entirely different experience; noodle-pulling slurp-worthy goodness. I’m urging you to trash those flavor packets and give the Ramen noodles in your pantry a whole new purpose. A much more wholesome purpose, at that.

Skillet full of Ramen noodles, shrimp, and vegetables.

Sesame shrimp stir-Fry with Ramen noodles—easy enough for weeknights.

It’s true. Whether you’re looking for an inspired hump day meal to get you through the rest of the week or an easy way to celebrate Stir-Fryday, this meal ticks all the boxes. The prep is hasty, the ingredients are simple, and the process is unfussy.

What is stir-frying?

There are a couple of techniques for stir-frying, but in general, the process involves frying ingredients in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred in a wok. Due to the heat, the cooking process is super quick, retaining the color, texture, and nutritional value of the ingredients resulting in a quick and healthy dinner option. In other Chinese-inspired dishes, like this sesame chicken and broccoli, I opt for steaming. But when it comes to a hasty sizzling stir-fry, tossing the veggies in the wok is a huge win.

You can easily personalize this stir-fry to your liking.

Vegetables, cut and washed, on cutting board and in strainer.

  • Swap the carrot matchsticks for strips of crisp bell pepper.
  • Trade the broccolini for broccoli florets.
  • Omit the eggs—or add more!
  • Throw some snow peas into the mix.
  • Toss some crunchy sprouts in there.
  • Amp up the heat by adding more chili sauce.
  • Use cremini or baby bella mushrooms in place of shiitake.
  • Make it Meatless Monday-friendly by skipping out on the shrimp; add crispy tofu instead!

How to make the perfect shrimp stir-fry sauce.

Pinch bowls of stir-fry sauce ingredients, and a bowl of the sauce itself.

A good stir-fry sauce should be light with a good balance of sweet, heat, nuttiness, and umami. My favorite stir-fry sauce includes the following:

  • Honey for the sweet (though you can use sugar instead)
  • A bit of hot chili garlic sauce or Sriracha for the heat
  • Sesame oil for that nuttiness
  • Soy sauce for the umami

Another key ingredient is fish sauce. If you’ve worked with fish sauce before, you already know it smells pretty foul—but a splash of it does WONDERS for flavor. There’s a reason it’s a staple in East and Southeast Asian cuisine. Trust the chefs on this one, not your nose.

Tips for making a good shrimp stir-fry with Ramen noodles.

Shrimp stir-fry and Ramen noodles plated with chopsticks.

This recipe is mostly foolproof, but there are a few things to keep in order to dish out a successful and crave-worthy meal.

  • A wok or laaaarge skillet are recommended. You need extra room to toss around your ingredients and evenly coat them in sauce without your ingredients spilling over onto the stovetop. (Take it from me… )
  • When cooking with sesame oil, be sure to use the regular stuff—not toasted. Toasted sesame oil can be used in the sauce, but it’s best kept away from high heat or it gives off a burnt smell and flavor.
  • Cook your Ramen noodles and shrimp first, then set them aside before you start your vegetables in the wok. The veggies will cook quickly, and once your veggies are at that perfect crispness, you’ll want to act fast in adding the shrimp, noodles, and sauce to prevent overcooking.
  • Always add the sauce at the end; my stir-fry sauce is NOT meant to be a simmer sauce. Cooking it will alter the flavor and rob the veggies of their perfect color and crispness.

Skillet full of Ramen noodles, shrimp, and vegetables.

Some other sesame-flavored recipes I love:

If you make this recipe, be sure to give me a shoutout on Instagram @killing__thyme.

Skillet full of Ramen noodles, shrimp, and vegetables.

Get the Recipe:

Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry with Ramen Noodles

Yield: 4 people
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
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Ingredients

Stir-fry.

  • 2 packages of instant Ramen (6 oz); discard the seasoning packet
  • 12 oz large shrimp; peeled and deveined
  • 2-3 TBSP sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup julienned carrots or matchstick carrots
  • 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 3 large scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups of broccolini or broccoli florets
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Stir-fry Sauce.

  • 4 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 3 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid honey
  • 2 TBSP rice vinegar
  • 3 large garlic cloves, grated into a paste or minced
  • 2 tsp sambal oelek (garlic chili sauce), Sriracha will also work.
  • 2 TBSP hot water

Garnishes (optional)

  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Chili flakes

Equipment

  • A wok or a large skillet

Instructions 

Stir-fry Sauce.

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk all of the listed sauce ingredients together until cohesive; set aside.

Stir-fry.

  • Cook the Ramen noodles as per the directions on the package. When done, drain and set aside.
  • Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until it's very hot—almost smoking. Add 1 TBSP of sesame oil, then add the shrimp. Give the shrimp a few tosses and move them around so they don't stick. Cook until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and curled into a C. This should only take 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of te shrimp. When done, transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add another TBSP of sesame oil to the wok or skillet. Add all of the vegetables and give them a few tosses. Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. The mushrooms will soak up a lot of the oil, so add more as needed. You can also add a few splashes of water to a drying pan to keep things from drying out and sticking.
  • With a spatula, move the vegetables to the side of the wok. Add the lightly beaten eggs. The eggs will start cooking as soon as they hit the pan. Treat it like you would a scrambled egg, stirring it occasionally, until it breaks off into fluffy chunks, for about 1 minute.
  • Add the shrimp to the wok and toss in the Ramen noodles. Remove the wok from the heat and drizzle the stir-fry over all of the ingredients. Carefully toss everything until you have even coverage. Taste, and if needed, add a bit more sesame oil and/or sambal oelek.
  • Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or chili flakes.
Author: Dana Sandonato
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Comfort Food, Pescatarian, Pescetarian