Sesame‑Ginger Prawn Noodles
Quick, bright stir‑fried noodles with king prawns, crisp veg and a glossy sesame‑ginger sauce — ready in 35 minutes.
Bright, speedy and utterly satisfying — this sesame‑ginger prawn noodle stir‑fry is what weeknight dreams are made of. It brings sweet honey, tangy rice vinegar and a hit of ginger together to make a glossy sauce that clings to egg noodles and crisp veg.
Make it when you want a pescatarian dinner that feels a bit special but won't keep you in the kitchen. It scales easily and reheats well for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- 300 g egg noodles
- 300 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 courgette — cut into thin ribbons or half‑moons
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 1 brown onion — thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves — finely sliced or minced
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and grated
- 2 pak choi — leaves separated and shredded
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- 15 ml honey
- 5 g cornflour
- 2 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 1 lime — cut into wedges
- 1 red chilli — thinly sliced, seeds removed if preferred
- 15 g toasted sesame seeds
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- colander
- grater
- tongs
Instructions
Put the raw king prawns into a medium bowl. Add 15 ml light soy sauce, the cornflour, one crushed garlic clove and half the grated fresh ginger. Toss to coat, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and the egg noodles and cook exactly to the packet time until just tender. Drain in a colander and toss with a drizzle of vegetable oil to stop sticking.
Whisk together the remaining light soy sauce, the sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, the remaining grated fresh ginger and a squeeze of lime juice to make the sauce.
Heat a large frying pan over a high hob. When hot, add the vegetable oil, then the brown onion and chestnut mushrooms. Stir‑fry for 2 minutes, add the red pepper and courgette and continue to stir‑fry for a further 3–4 minutes until vegetables are bright and starting to soften. Add the pak choi, sliced spring onions, the remaining garlic clove and the red chilli and cook for 1 minute.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, add the marinated prawns and any sticky marinade juices. Spread the prawns out so they have contact with the pan and cook, undisturbed, for 1–1½ minutes, then flip and cook for another 1–1½ minutes until pink and just cooked through.
Add the drained egg noodles to the pan with the sauce you whisked earlier. Toss everything together over a medium‑high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and coats the noodles and veg. Season with black pepper and, if needed, a pinch more sea salt.
Remove from the heat, scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh coriander, and serve immediately with lime wedges.
Tips
- Marinate the prawns for no longer than 15 minutes — the cornflour helps with texture and a long marinade can make them mushy.
- Cook the noodles to the packet time and drain well; they should finish cooking in the pan. Tossing with a little oil after draining stops them clumping.
- Keep the pan very hot when stir‑frying for best colour and texture on the veg. Do the veg first and prawns last so the seafood doesn’t overcook.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while tossing, add 10–20 ml hot water to loosen and gloss it up.
- Make ahead option: cook the noodles and vegetables separately, cool quickly, and refrigerate. Reheat in a hot pan with the prawns and sauce for a fast finish.
Substitutions
raw king prawns, peeled and deveined → firm white fish fillets (e.g. cod), cut into 2 cm pieces and added at the same time as prawns
Noticeably differentegg noodles → fresh udon or wheat noodles, same weight
Stays closehoney → light brown sugar, 15 g
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari for a gluten‑reduced version (same quantity)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 630
- Calories
- 36 g
- Protein
- 72 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten‑free?
Swap the light soy sauce for tamari and use gluten‑free noodles. The flavour will be very similar.
How do I stop the prawns from becoming rubbery?
Cook them quickly over high heat and remove as soon as they turn opaque and curl — usually 2–3 minutes total for medium prawns.
Can I add more vegetables?
Yes — shredded carrot, mange tout or baby spinach work well. Add firm veg earlier and delicate leaves at the end.
Will this reheat well?
Yes; reheat gently in a frying pan with a splash of water or oil. Prawns can become slightly firmer after reheating but remain tasty.
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