Shanghai Fried Noodles. Chewy noodles stir fried in a savory sauce with pork, leafy greens, green onions and shiitake mushrooms.
These Shanghai noodles are a perfect easy weeknight meal for the whole family. Ready in just 30 minutes!
Very addictive to eat. Because they're bouncy in texture and packed with immense flavor! So simple to make at home. Certainly one of my favorite Shanghainese noodles ever!
What are Shanghai Fried Noodles?
Shanghai-Style Noodles (Cu Chao Mian - 上海粗炒面) are a popular dish served at many Shanghai restaurants and Chinese restaurants. This stir-fry noodle originates from Northern China making its way to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
This Chinese food is made of thick stir-fried noodles with pork strips or pork belly with cabbage or bok choy with mushrooms and sliced green onions. The thick noodles are packed with delicious flavors and have a dark brown color thanks to the sauce.
Shanghai noodles are already well known in Chinese cooking. However, it became even more popular in recent years because it's frequently ordered at Ding Tai Fung. Ding Tai Fung is one of the most well-known Shanghainese restaurants. Furthermore, they're well liked for their dumplings and is one of my favorite dumpling houses in North America.
Easy Noodle Recipe
These shanghai stir fried noodles are made of simple ingredients. Also, they come together easily in just 30 minutes or less! Because the cooking process only takes 5-7 minutes. So, it's great for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
You'll need the below ingredients for these Shanghai pan fried noodles. Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Fresh noodles made of wheat flour, water, salt, corn starch and vegetable oil. These can be found at most Chinese or Asian grocers in the refrigerated section. Substitute? Feel free to replace with Japanese udon noodles. Fresh wheat noodles only take a couple of minutes to cook in hot boiling water because we will stir fry the cooked noodles too. Therefore, it's important not to over blanch the noodles.
- Tip: Rinse the wheat noodles with cold running water or ice water to remove any residual starch.
- You may use dried noodles made of wheat flour but please follow package directions in preparing them and only cook until Al dente.
- Pork loin or pork belly
- Napa cabbage: or substitute with bok choy or choy sum
- Shiitake mushrooms: or substitute with wood ear mushrooms or button mushrooms
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
Pork marinade:
- Regular soy sauce: or light soy sauce if you want to make the dish lower in sodium.
- Cornstarch: or potato starch, tapioca starch or rice flour
- Neutral oil: a tablespoon of oil will help create moisture in the pork.
- Shaoxing wine aka Chinese cooking wine. Substitute? Dry sherry or rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
- White pepper or black pepper
Noodle sauce:
- Dark soy sauce: A soy sauce that is thicker in texture and has a deep brown color. It's less salty than regular soy sauce and meant for coloring a dish thanks to the darker colour.
- Regular soy sauce: A soy sauce that is thinner in texture and meant to help flavor a dish.
- Oyster sauce: Substitute? Vegetarian stir fry sauce is a good replacement.
- Chinese black vinegar. Substitute? Rice vinegar
- Shaoxing wine aka Chinese cooking wine. Substitute? Dry sherry or rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
- White granulated sugar: 1 teaspoon sugar will help balance out the salty flavors in sauce.
- Sesame oil: if you're allergic omit it.
- Cornstarch: or potato starch, tapioca starch or rice flour
- Chicken stock: or substitute with beef stock or vegetable stock
How to Make Shanghai Fried Noodles
Thinly slice pork loin into 1 cm wide pieces. Transfer sliced pork into a medium bowl.
Marinade sliced pork with Marinade ingredients as listed. Marinate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In large pot filled with boiling hot water, blanch noodles for 2 minutes until Al dente and strain immediately. Do not overcook.
Rinse under cold water to remove any residual starch. Shake out any excess water.
In a large wok or large skillet on medium high heat, add vegetable oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and marinated pork. Fry until pork is about 75% cooked.
Then add napa cabbage, green onions and mushrooms. Cook until wilted.
Afterward, add cooked noodles and noodle sauce. Mix until noodles are coated in sauce and most of sauce has evaporated, a couple of minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
These shanghai stir fried noodles will last up to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
FAQ
Where can I find thick wheat noodles?
Any Asian grocer will carry them or feel free to replace with frozen udon noodles for best bouncy texture.
Can I substitute the napa cabbage?
Yes, feel free to replace with bok choy, choy sum aka yu choy or normal cabbage.
How do I reheat these Shanghai Noodles?
Microwave them until warm for about 2-3 minutes or recook them on the stove top over medium heat to medium-high heat. If you're reheating on the stove top, I would recommend to add a splash of water to help loosen the noodles and make them slippery again.
Can I use other noodles?
Yes, but please prepare them according to package directions and undercook them a bit.
Other Noodle Recipes You May Enjoy!
If you enjoyed my shanghai stir fried noodles with pork and vegetables, you may like these other noodle recipes:
- Scallion Oil Noodles
- Beef and Broccoli Noodles
- Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
- Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
- Black Pepper Udon
Easy Shanghai Fried Noodles
Ingredients
- 453 grams fresh wheat noodles or sub with udon noodles
- 226 grams pork loin or sub with pork belly
- 3 cups Napa cabbage chopped
- ½ cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup green onions sliced into 1 inch long pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Pork marinade:
- 2 teaspoon regular soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or sub with Dry Sherry
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Noodle sauce:
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or sub with rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sub with Dry Sherry
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil optional
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup chicken stock unsalted
Instructions
- Thinly slice pork loin into 1 cm wide pieces. Transfer sliced pork into a medium bowl.
- Marinade sliced pork with Marinade ingredients as listed above. Marinate for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- In large pot filled with boiling hot water, blanch noodles for 2 minutes until Al dente and strain immediately. Do not overcook. Rinse under running cold water to remove any residual starch. Shake out any excess water.
- In a large wok or large skillet on medium high heat, add vegetable oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and marinated pork. Fry until pork is about 75% cooked.
- Add cabbage, green onions and mushrooms. Cook until wilted.
- Add cooked noodles and noodle sauce. Mix until noodles are coated in sauce and most of sauce has evaporated, a couple of minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Did you enjoy my recipe?