Hokkien Mee Recipe

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This Hokkien Mee Recipe is a stir fried noodle dish made with chewy egg noodles, pork belly, shrimp and a sweet and salty sauce. It's a one pan meal that’s big on flavor and takes less than 40 minutes to pull together!

This recipe has a long list of ingredients, but I promise it’s not difficult to make! With a little prep work ahead of time, this saucy noodle stir fry can come together quickly and easily.

What is hokkien mee?

Hokkien mee is a Malaysian noodle stir fry made with thick egg noodles, crispy pork, shrimp (or prawns) and shredded cabbage. 

While there are different types of hokkien mee in Southeast Asia, this version is based on the variation served in Kuala Lumpur (called KL Hokkien Mee). It has a distinct sweet and salty sauce that has a thick texture and dark color.

Why this recipe works

1. The sauce has amazing flavor thanks to the addition of sweet and dark soy sauces. It’s also quick and easy to make.
2. The noodles are thick, chewy and charred just a little and the crispy pork belly adds texture and salty flavor!
3. This recipe comes together in less than 40 minutes, making it a great option for busy weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and quantities used, please refer to the recipe card below.

You’ll need 16 ounces of Chinese egg noodles, cooked to package instructions. You can find fresh egg noodles in the refrigerator section of Asian markets or some local grocery stores.

Crispy pork fat adds texture and flavor to the noodles, so you’ll need 16 ounces of pork belly, sliced in 1-2" pieces. 

The recipe calls for 8 ounces of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined. You can buy them peeled and deveined to save yourself some time or you can peel and devein them yourself.

Three cups of shredded cabbage adds a little crunch to the noodles. You can use green or napa cabbage, whatever is readily available to you. You can also shred it yourself, or save time and buy pre-shredded.

For the sauce, you’ll need three different types of soy sauce - light, dark and sweet. 

Light soy sauce is the type that’s commonly used, and it’s saltier and thinner than the other types. Dark soy sauce is thick and often used to add color to dishes. Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) is also thick and sticky, and sweet from the added palm sugar.

Step by step instructions

Stir together the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat and add the pork belly. Cover with water (about 1 ½ cups) and bring to a simmer.

Let simmer until the liquid evaporates, leaving only oil and crisping the pork belly pieces (about 10-15 minutes). Remove and set aside.

Turn the heat to medium high and add the shrimp, cooking about 1-2 minutes until pink all the way through. Remove and set aside.

Add the cabbage and stir fry 1-3 minutes.

Add the noodles and stir fry 1-2 minutes, until slightly charred in spots.

Add the sauce, pork and shrimp and toss to combine. *Add the cornstarch slurry here if sauce is too thin.

Remove from heat and serve garnished with green onion and fried garlic.

Expert tips

1. If you want a thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
2. Be sure to let the pork belly cook until the liquid evaporates. This will ensure the pork gets crispy, which is essential for texture and flavor in this noodle dish.
3. Instead of shrimp, you can substitute prawns.
4. Shrimp are fast cooking so keep an eye on them. If they overcook, they will end up tough and chewy.
5. The recipe moves quickly, so I recommend having all the ingredients prepared before you start, including the sauce.
6. In order to fit all of the ingredients in the pan, use a wok or a large high-sided skillet.
7. I recommend using low sodium chicken broth to control the amount of salt in the sauce. You can also use this crockpot chicken broth recipe.

Common questions

Storage and reheating

Hokkien mee is best enjoyed as soon as it’s made. If you leave it sitting for long, the noodles will soak up the sauce and the cabbage can lose some of its crunch.

With that said, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

To reheat, just warm in a skillet on the stovetop.

Note that reheated leftovers will not have quite the same texture. The shrimp might be tough and the noodles and cabbage can get a little soft.

I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as the texture of the stir fry will not be the same once defrosted and reheated.

More Southeast Asian inspired recipes

• Sambal Eggplant
• Malaysian Butter Prawns
• Chicken Rendang
• Beef Rendang
• Prawn Laksa

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!