Inspired by my favourite takeaway dish, these 15 minute garlic prawn noodles come together quicker than you can decide what to order! With thick and chewy udon noodles coated in a rich oyster sauce with broccoli and prawns, this is one of my favourite easy meals to make midweek.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it was a very tasty meal, added more prawns as well as we love prawns. it was quick and easy, would certainly make again. – janis
This is another recipe inspired by those times when I don’t really want to cook but I also don’t really want to order takeaway, again. I know you feel like this too somedays!
This dish was inspired by one of my absolute favourite takeaway dinners – the Garlic Prawns from Noodle Box. It’s got thick, chewy noodles, loads of crunchy veg and big juicy prawns all smothered in a delicious oyster sauce. The problem is that my local store has a consistency problem.
Lately I’ve found it very underwhelming especially for the price of delivery, and I find myself often disappointed. So this is my version and yes, its so good it’s now a firm favourite in my collection of dairy free dinner recipes. Plus it’s a simple enough recipe that I can handle it on those nights when ordering takeaway feels preferable.
The base of this recipe was inspired by Pinch of Yum’s recipe for black pepper noodles. This recipe led me to try using udon noodles instead of hokkien and it’s a game changer! The udon noodles give us that thick, chewy texture and when coated with a rich, sticky sauce that makes this dish so delicious and takeaway quality.
For more quick and easy noodles, try these 10 minute chilli udon noodles, these chicken satay noodles, or these spicy pork and peanut noodles.
Key Ingredients
You only need 7 ingredients to make this garlic prawn noodles recipe and I’m hoping a few of them are pantry staples making this such an easy dish to pull together with minimal effort.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Raw peeled prawns – I love to use frozen as it means they are always ready to go, just defrost in some water first and you’re ready to use. Always try to buy Australian caught as well!
- Udon noodles – You can get a few different brands of the packets of udon noodles in the Asian food aisle in the supermarket. I’ve used different ones and they are all pretty much the same.
- Brown sugar – This makes the sauce a bit sweet, but mostly sticky and allows it to caramelise on the noodles and be super delicious.
- Dark soy sauce – you can use light soy instead if you don’t want to buy something different but your flavour will be more subtle and your noodles won’t get as dark in colour as the ones in my picture. I definitely prefer this dish using the dark soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce – The main hero of the sauce.
- Garlic – these are called garlic prawns after all! I use at least 2-3 cloves depending on their size and they are added right at the end. But if you don’t love the strong garlic flavour as much as I do, feel free to tone down based on your preferences.
- Broccoli – you can use any veg you prefer but I love broccoli plus it’s a veg that lasts ages in the fridge so I always keep it on hand.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these you could certainly use a wok but for some reason my frying pan always feels like less overall effort so that’s generally what I grab. Other than that, some tongs are going to come in handy.
Step 1: Start by mixing up your sauce. Next if you’re using frozen prawns, go ahead and defrost them by sitting them in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes. Chop up your broccoli into bite-sized florets.
Step 2: In your favourite frying pan add your udon noodles with a bit of water. Then, using your tongs, gently break them apart. The water and heat should loosen them so they don’t break too much. Add in half your sauce and toss through the noodles to coat.
Step 3: Next, add in your broccoli to start to steam. You don’t want to mix the noodle too much during this stage as they are best left to sit in the sauce and get a bit caramelised. But basically just toss the noodles and broccoli every couple of minutes until the sauce darkens and everything is coated and the broccoli has started to soften.
Step 4: Push the noodles to one side of the pan and then add in your prawns so you can easily cook them for a couple of minutes on both sides.
Step 5: Once the prawns are cooked, toss everything together with the remaining sauce and add in the crushed garlic.
👉Tip! If the noodles are getting a bit sticky or dry, just add in a splash more water to loosen them.
Step 6: Remove from heat and serve straight away topped with sesame seeds.
Recipe FAQs
I’d say no. Prawns are never their best when reheated and the noodles may become sticky if they sit for too long. With how quick this recipe is to make, it’s definitely designed to cook then eat straight away.
You can, but the method of cooking will change. Prawns cook really quickly making them perfect for this one pan meal If you want to substitute with tofu or chicken for example, you’ll need to cook these separately first then just mix through at the end with the remaining sauce once the noodles and broccoli are cooked.
To ensure your prawns are cooked through, cook them for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they turn pink and opaque. Be careful not to overcook them, as this can make them tough and rubbery.
While udon noodles are recommended for this recipe, you can use other types of noodles if you prefer. The easiest substitute would be fresh hokkien but you can use any noodles such as rice noodles or soba noodles, just cook them first according to their packet directions and add to the pan with the sauce.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More quick and easy noodle recipes:
5 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
Crispy Tofu and Zoodles with Peanut Sauce
10 Minute Peanut Butter Noodles
20 Minute Chilli Beef Noodles
15 Minute Garlic Prawn Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 x 440gram pack udon noodles
- ½ head broccoli florets
- 200-250 grams raw prawns peeled with tails removed
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, add the udon noodles with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Gently break apart with tongs as they start to soften, being careful not to break the noodles too much. Once the noodles have separated, add half of the sauce and stir to combine. Place the broccoli florets over the top of the noodles to start to cook. Gently toss the noodles and the broccoli together every minute or two until the noodles begin to darken as the sauce thickens.
- Once the noodles are cooked and coated in the sauce, push them to one side of the pan and add the prawns. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they change color.
- Add the garlic to the remainder of the sauce and add to the pan. Toss everything together until coated in the sauce and then turn off the heat. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in May 2023 and has been updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same.
Michelle says
I made this dinner the other night and it was a thumbs up from the family. I think next time I make it, I will use another noodle other than Udon and light soy sauce. I added extra veggies such as snow peas and capsicum along with the broccoli. It was a quick and easy mid week dinner.
Janis says
Made this tonight, added some fresh chopped chilli with the garlic and garnished with coriander as well as sesame seeds, also doubled the sauce recipe. It was a very tasty meal, added more prawns as well as we love prawns. It was quick and easy, would certainly make again.
Sally says
Glad you enjoyed it Janis!
Katie Clare says
10/10