I’ve wanted to do a series on Dragon Noodle variations for a while. The wildly popular original Dragon Noodle recipe is so simple that it’s the perfect jumping off point for several interpretations. You’ve all chimed in with your own favorite ways to personalize the recipe, so I thought I’d bring some of those ideas to life and give direction to those who are not ready to experiment on their own. First up, Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles! 👏👏👏 (that’s the crowd applauding, btw)
This version is a great demonstration of three ways to customize the original recipe: switch out the protein, use a different type of noodle, and add to the sauce. So, I used shrimp for protein instead of egg this time around. While shrimp are just as easy to cook as eggs, they can be a little more expensive, so I also switched out my favorite wide lo mein noodles for a less expensive ramen (because once they get drenched in that spicy sweet sauce, who cares what kind of noodle it is, gnome sayin’??). Finally, I added some fresh lime juice to the sauce (and served it with wedges for squeezing over the noodles) to add freshness and help highlight the seafood flavor.
Can I Use a Different Type of Noodle?
Yep! I’ve made variations of my Dragon Noodles many types of noodles. My favorite are the wide lo mein noodles, but these inexpensive ramen noodles also work well. If you’re in a pinch you can even use regular pasta, although lighter egg noodles will probably be a better fit (and are also inexpensive).
Do I Have to Use Shrimp?
Nope. The original Dragon Noodle recipe uses scrambled eggs and I think that would work just as well here, and cut the cost even further.
How Spicy Are Dragon Noodles?
Dragon Noodles are VERY SPICY. They’re for spicy food lovers. If you want to lighten up the heat just a bit you can opt for half the amount of sriracha. If you want to make something like this with absolutely no heat, I suggest trying my Garlic Noodles recipe instead.
Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles
Servings 2 to 4 servingsIngredients
- 1/2 lb frozen peeled & deveined shrimp (51/70 size) ($3.00)
- 2 packs (3 oz. each) ramen noodles ($0.50)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ( $0.18)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1 lime ($0.50)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.18)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 green onions ($0.17)
- Handful fresh cilantro ($0.10)
Instructions
- Place the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cool water until thawed. Let the shrimp drain until ready to use.
- In a small bowl stir together the sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, and about 1 Tbsp juice from the lime. Set the sauce aside.
- Fill a medium sauce pot with water, place a lid on top, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the ramen noodles (without the flavoring packet) and continue to boil until the noodles are tender. Drain the noodles in a colander (if using the same colander for the shrimp, make sure to wash it with soap and water first).
- While waiting for the water to boil, mince two cloves of garlic. Add the butter and garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the garlic is soft (about one minute). Add the shrimp and continue to sauté until the shrimp turn pink and opaque (about 3-5 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Once the noodles have drained, add them to the skillet with the shrimp, then pour the prepared sauce over top. Toss the noodles in the sauce until everything is coated in sauce. Top the dragon noodles with sliced green onion, fresh cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lime.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles – Step by Step Photos
Defrost 1/2 lb. of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp. They defrost quickly if you place them in a colander and run cool water over them. Let them drain until you’re ready to use them. I used 51/70 size, which I found to be just right for the noodles. “51/70” means there are on average between 51 and 70 shrimp per pound.
Next, prepare the Dragon Noodle dressing so it will be ready to go when you need it. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp sriracha, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and about 1 Tbsp of lime juice. Save the rest of the lime to serve as wedges with the meal.
Bring a medium sauce pot full of water to a boil, then add two packages of ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet). Boil the noodles until tender, then drain in a colander. If you use the same colander to drain the noodles as you used to rinse the shrimp, make sure to wash it out with soap and hot water first.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, you can continue preparing the shrimp. Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to a large skillet along with 2 Tbsp butter. Sauté the garlic in the butter over medium heat for about a minute, or just until it softens a bit and gets really fragrant, but doesn’t brown.
Then add the thawed and drained shrimp and continue to sauté until they turn pink and opaque. Shrimp cook really quickly, so this should only take a few minutes. If you continue to cook them, they will shrink and become very tough, so remove the skillet from the heat at this point.
Finally, add the cooked and drained noodles to the skillet and pour the sauce over top. Toss the noodles in the sauce until everything is coated.
Slice up a couple of green onions and pull a handful of cilantro leaves from the stems.
Sprinkle the green onions and cilantro over the noodles. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to serve with the noodles.
#dragonnoodlelove
This was super easy & surprisingly flavorful! I added some snap peas for color (and just to have a veggie) and I used brown rice ramen (3 packages). It turned out excellent, although a bit too spicy for my 9 year old. Thanks for the recipe!
This was easy and delicious. I did add a spoon of smooth peanut butter to the sauce (It seemed to scream for it).
What kind of veggies do you think would go well with this recipe? Either as a base or a side.
I would probably do a cucumber salad or my Crunchy Asian Salad.
This recipe was delicious! Very good flavor and a nice heat. I love how you take pretty simple ingredients and turn it into something amazing. You need to put out a cookbook!
I have one! :D
I was ecstatic when I came across this website. I’m about to start a new job taking a serious pay cut and have been getting used to budget friendly recipes these last few months. I had a feeling this would turn out great, and I was right. I’ve never been one for ramen. Those salty noodles were always so offensive to my tastebuds. I’m glad to have found a recipe that that makes good use of such a cheap resource. These noodles were also a lot spicier than I originally anticipated. I’ve recently reignited my love affair with spicy foods and found it was quite pleasant, though not overwhelmingly hot. Next time I might even slip a little bit of gochujang in. So glad to have found this recipe! Can’t wait to try more!
I made this this with zucchini noodles, 1T (instead of 2T sriracha) and it was great! Make sure to drain zucchini noodles before adding sauce, or it will water it down!
I made this twice so far and it is so easy and so good!! The second time I ran out of Sriracha so I used garlic chilli sauce and it was still very good! Thanks for this recipe!
I wish I could speak multiple languages so I could THANK YOU in all of them. I just found Budget bytes for the first time today. I thought I died and went to recipe heaven. Not only are your recipes beautiful to look at, they are perfect for me! Right down to the saving money. I am 71 and on Social Security. Lately buying groceries is down right depressing. It seems like prices only continue to go up. I am not a Vegan. I am a carnivore by nature. Your recipes give me an affordable way to still enjoy the the meats I like with veggies that are very appealing to me. I also pinned some vegetarian recipes that I found very, very appealing. Thank you again for the recipes. I am actually looking forward to my next shopping trip. You ¨bulked¨ up my wallet AND my plate. Best wishes and keep testing. Barb.
Thank you Barb! That makes me so happy!!
Switched out the shrimp for chicken because of a food allergy and it was great!
I’ve been dying to try this. I finally ordered some specialty gluten free ramen from amazon. Just made this for dinner, and oh my god, it’s amazing. Dragon noodles are one of my favorite recipes, and this is an amazing version of it. I just wish the pack of GF ramen wasn’t 30 dollars for a pack of 8. Not quite the budget dinner, but sooo good.
Are there other types of gluten free pasta that are cheaper? It doesn’t have to be ramen! How about wide rice noodles? Those would be awesome with this. :)
I usually use rice noodles for these, but I was dying to try it with the texture of ramen noodles.
I bought organic millet and brown rice ramen noodles at Costco. I think there might have been 8 bars(?) Of noodles in it. Don’t remember the price but not that much. They are gluten free and vegan.
I made this with chicken and shrimp. Who would’ve thought something so simple could have so much flavor? Definitely a weekly staple from now on.
I have made this over and over for my family of 5 and it was phenomenal every time! It’s too bad the calorie content is so high. I want to try this with zoodles instead of ramen. I have my fingers crossed!
I’ve made these several times for my husband and daughter, and it’s always a hit. They’re a great sub if you’re craving pad Thai without making the house reek of fish sauce. One tip if you’re making it for young kids or anyone who doesn’t like spicy foods- I substitute ketchup for sriracha. I’m Asian, and it’s something my mom used to do in other sauces when we were young. It gives the sauce similar consistency and flavor without the heat. I also use canola oil instead of butter. Keep the recipes coming, Beth!
Love the recipe. I do this one with strained udon noodles, sea food mix (shrimp/squid/mussels), shiitake and onions. Delicious, cheap and easy.
This was fabulous! And so easy to make! Thanks for the recipe!