Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

Garlic Noodles with Shrimp is a noodle dish I love with my whole dang heart. Chewy spaghetti noodles (or any noodles really) are tossed in a garlic butter sauce with savory umami Asian flavors. Juicy seared shrimp complements it perfectly, bringing some additional flavor and texture to the dish.

This is an Asian-inspired shrimp garlic noodle dish featuring flavors that are unique and distinct. It’s a simple shrimp and noodles combo that is proof that a handful of pantry staples can turn into something seriously crave-worthy.

Noodles are such easy and delicious meals that can be made quickly. Be sure to also check out other noodle dishes that are similar to this Garlic Noodles with Shrimp that I think you will enjoy: Shrimp Stir Fried Noodles, Chicken Lo Mein, Ramen Noodle Stir Fry, Tom Yum Fried Noodles, Mongolian Beef Noodles, and Mee Goreng Mamak (Malaysian Fried Noodles).

Asian Shrimp Garlic Noodles

Contrarary to what most might think, garlic noodles are actually not an authentic Asian recipe. It originated from a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco, and it’s typically served with seafood such as crabs, prawns and shrimp.

These Vietnamese garlic noodles calls for Asian ingredients like fish sauce and oyster sauce, along with western ingredients like butter and spaghetti noodles. 🙂 When I first had it in San Francisco, I fell in love with it, probably because it reminded me of noodle dishes I grew up with in Asia, but with a fun twist.

Most importantly, it is VERY DELICIOUS, and addictive. Whenever I make them at home, I like to make my garlic noodles with shrimp – a simple seafood that’s easy to find, budget-friendly, and not hard to whip together.

Here’s all the reasons why you need some Shrimp Garlic Noodles in your life:

• Ready under 25 minutes! This noodle dish is quick, easy, and perfect for busy evenings.
• Easy-to-find ingredients. Do not be intimidated by the Asian ingredients on the list – they’re all in the Asian aisle at most mainstream grocery stores, and they show up in a lot of the Thai and Chinese dishes you’ve probably had at restaurants.
• Oh so flavorful! If you love complex, bold flavors, you’ll love this. It may not look wet and overly saucy, but trust me, that garlic butter sauce is crazy flavorful. So proceed with caution. 🙂
• Saves well as leftovers/ meal prep. This is also an easy recipe to double or triple and then save leftovers as meals for the next day, and the next day, and the next day…

This garlic noodles with shrimp recipe will also go perfectly with fish, scallops, crabs, lobster, or any seafood instead of or in addition to shrimp. The flavors of the noodles complement any seafood extremely well.

If you really want to make this with chicken, tofu, beef or pork, it’ll be very tasty too.

Honestly, with that flavorful sauce, it’s hard to go wrong with garlic noodles of any sort. 🙂

Ingredients

I’ve raved about the sauce in this Garlic Noodles with Shrimp recipe so much, I figured it’s about time I give you the deets.

You should be able to find all of these items in the Asian aisle at most mainstream grocery stores. If not, I’ve linked some affiliate options below if you’d like to grab them online, or just want to see what the products look like.

So, here you go! Here are the ingredients that go into the sauce:

• Garlic: Use fresh, not powdered – powdered garlic is a hard pass for this dish.
• Fish sauce: A classic Thai seasoning with a strong smell, but don’t let that intimidate you – once cooked, it turns into the most gorgeous savory flavor. It’s a key ingredient in classic Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, and Pad See Ew.
• Oyster (flavored) sauce: Another sauce widely used in a lot of Chinese and Asian cooking. You don’t have to like oysters to like this – it brings a beautiful umami flavor to the dish. (P.S. I don’t even like oysters.)
• Butter: Cooking oil can’t hold a candle to the flavor butter brings here. Trust me.
• Brown sugar: Balances out the saltiness from the fish sauce.
• Sesame oil: A nutty, fragrant oil used often in Asian cooking.

When I think of the sauce for these Asian shrimp garlic noodles, I think of it as a ‘seafood’ sauce. Something about the fish sauce and oyster sauce combination just makes this so perfect with any seafood.

Here are the rest of the ingredients to make Garlic Noodles with Shrimp:

• Raw shrimp: Don’t use cooked shrimp. Fresh, good-quality shrimp makes a noticeable difference to the quality of this Shrimp Garlic Noodle dish as a whole.
• Spaghetti: You can use any noodles you like here – ramen noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, angel hair pasta, and more all work.
• Green onions: For garnish – don’t skip them!

How to make Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

Step 1: Boil Noodles

First, cook or soften the noodles you’re using. I’m using regular pasta noodles here, so I’m boiling them in water based on the package instructions. If you’re using a different type of noodle, follow its package instructions instead. The goal is to soften the noodles so they can easily toss in the garlic sauce.

Avoid overcooking the noodles – they’ll cook a little more once tossed in the hot sauce.

Step 2: Sear Shrimp and Make Garlic Sauce

While the noodles boil, heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat.

We’ll use the same skillet to first sear the shrimp, then make that delicious garlic sauce.

When searing shrimp, there are a few things to note:

• shrimp should be completely defrosted and pat dry before adding to the skillet to sear.
• do not overcook shrimp. Overcooked shrimp is tough and unappetizing. Cook it for 1-2 minutes on each side. Shrimp is cooked once it turns orange/pink, and curls up. Remove shrimp from heat immediately once cooked. Don’t leave it on the skillet, even if the heat is turned off.

Set shrimp aside, and use the same skillet to make the sauce. Here’s why: 1) the delicious flavor left behind from searing the shrimp gets soaked right into the sauce, and 2) fewer skillets to wash at the end of it all.

To make the sauce, first melt the butter in the skillet, then stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients – fish sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, and brown sugar.

Mix everything together, then scoop out about 1/4 cup of pasta water from the pot and stir it into the sauce to thin it out slightly.

Step 3: Toss noodles and shrimp in sauce

When the noodles are done, drain them and add them straight into the garlic butter sauce.

Use a pair of tongs to toss everything together so the noodles are evenly coated.

Then add the shrimp back in, and toss it along with the garlic noodles in the sauce.

Step 4: Garnish and serve

I usually say garnishes are optional, but for this dish, I’d highly, highly recommend it – unless you really can’t stand green onions, in which case, feel free to skip it.

Green onions give this Garlic Noodles with Shrimp dish a nice pop of freshness and some crunchy texture.

Variations and subsitutions

Garlic noodles is a highly versatile dish and can be made with many different variations:

• Other seafood: Instead of or in addition to shrimp, crab meat, salmon, tilapia, clams, or scallops would all be delicious with these Asian garlic noodles.
• Add vegetables: Toss in extra veggies like carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, peas, or bok choy. Sear the vegetables first (before the shrimp), fully cook them, set aside, then add them back in with the noodles and shrimp at the end. If you’re adding a good amount of vegetables, make a little extra sauce so everything stays coated.
• Swap the noodles: Ramen noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, or other long pasta like linguine or angel hair all work well here too. Just pre-boil or pre-soak according to the package instructions so they’re soft enough to toss in the sauce.
• Try a different protein: Chicken, tofu, beef, or pork are all tasty swaps if shrimp isn’t your thing.
• Add a Maggi kick: A small splash of Maggi seasoning (a southeast Asian seasoning with umami flavors) stirred into the garlic sauce adds an extra layer of savory depth – it’s a popular flavor booster in a lot of Southeast Asian noodle dishes, and it works beautifully here too.
• Change up the garnish: Cilantro, fried onions, or fried garlic are all delicious finishing touches on these Vietnamese garlic noodles.

Make Ahead, Storage, And Reheating

Make ahead: This dish comes together so quickly it’s usually best made fresh, but you can measure the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and pat the shrimp dry up to a day ahead to make dinner even faster.

Storage: Store leftover garlic noodles with shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating: Add a splash of water to loosen the noodles, then microwave in short bursts until warmed through. You can also reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth to bring the sauce back to life.

Freezing: Freezing isn’t recommended for this dish, since the noodles and shrimp texture will change once thawed.

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More Asian Recipes

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• Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
• Rice Paper Dumplings
• Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
• Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
• Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry