Shanghai Fried Noodles (Cu Chao Mian) (2024)

Shanghai Fried Noodles, or Shànghǎi cū chǎomiàn (上海粗炒面) is a simple dish that only takes minutes to make.

Thick wheat noodles are stir-fried with mushrooms, pork (or you could use dark meat chicken), and leafy greens, making a one-pan meal that everyone will enjoy!

A Restaurant Favorite

I wish I could say that as a Shanghai native, I grew up eating Shanghai Fried Noodles or (Shanghai cu chao mian- 上海粗炒面).

I don’t actually remember eating this when I was young, so for me, it’s been a dish that we order in restaurants. In recent years, I’ve noticed that my cousin always orders it for her kids when we eat out at Shanghainese restaurants. Thekids would immediately go for the noodles, ignoring everything else on the table.

I also couldn’t stop eating themafter getting a taste. These noodles are very addictive. The flavor profile is somewhat similar to my Soy Scallion Noodles (葱油拌面), which I love. The difference is that Shanghai Fried Noodles are often made with thicker, chewier noodles, and they’re stir-fried!

Recipe Notes

Shanghai Fried Noodles is a super easy dish to make, with only a few ingredients. It’ll be done and on the table within 15-20minutes.

The Noodles

You will need thick noodles for this recipe, such as a fresh or frozen udon noodle or sometimes you’ll find thick noodles labeled “Shanghai noodle.”

Dried thick noodles are another option, though they may not stir-fry as well. If you use dried noodles, please follow the package instructions to boil them until al dente before you start cooking.

After boiling, rinse them with cold water to remove surface starch, and toss them in vegetable oil to prevent them from sticking together.

The Meat

This dish traditionally contains pork (boneless pork shoulder or pork butt work best, though you can also use boneless country ribs or leaner pork loin).

If you don’t eat pork or don’t have any in your freezer, you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs here without any adjustments to the recipe. Chicken thighs are preferred over breast, as they are more flavorful and juicy.

If you’re a vegetarian/vegan, simply leave out the meat and replace it with more mushrooms!

The Mushrooms

We call for either fresh or dried mushrooms here. Wile you can use either the flavor of reconstituted dried mushrooms will be much stronger than fresh mushrooms. If you like, you could also do a mix of the two.

To reconstitute dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in hot water for at least 2 hours or overnight. It helps to put a plate on top of the bowl to hold the mushrooms down in the water.

I assure you that everyone in your family will love these noodles.

Other popular Chinese noodles recipes include Cantonese Chicken Hong Kong pan fried noodles, and a Beijing favorite Chinese noodle recipe we picked up while we lived there, Zha Jiang Mian.

On to the recipe!

Shanghai Fried Noodles: Recipe Instructions

Mix together the pork, cornstarch, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and sugar. Set aside for while you prepare the other ingredients.

You want all the ingredients ready to go before you turn on your stove. This dish comes together very quickly!

When ready to cook, heat a wok over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok.

(Find out why preheating your wok before adding oil is so important to creating a nonstick cooking surface!)

Add the pork, and stir-fry until browned. Reduce the heat to medium, remove the pork from the wok, and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes.

Break up the udon noodles gently with your hands and add them to the wok with the mushrooms

Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry everything together until the noodles get an even, deep brown color. If you’re not seeing the color you want, add a little more dark soy sauce.

Add the leafy greens (choy sum and baby bok choy both work well), along with the pork.

Mix in with the noodles until wilted.

Serve these Shanghai Fried Noodles hot!

Some people like to add a few drops of black vinegar right before eating—totally up to you.