Shrimp chop suey is a classic Chinese-American dinner. This recipe combines shrimp and other fresh vegetables with a savory, mouthwatering sauce. It's a quick meal that's perfect for weeknights and can be adjusted to what you have on hand. Made with easy to find ingredients, everyone will enjoy this simple and popular recipe.

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white bowl with shrimp chop suey with blue background

Shrimp chop suey is a popular menu item in Chinese restaurants. It's commonly served with white rice and occasionally served with chow mein. The meal features juicy shrimp and vibrant colors from the snow peas, carrots, celery, baby corn, and mushrooms. This healthy meal brings Chinese cuisine to your home in an easy and practical way.

Don't have a lot of cooking experience? You don't have to worry about that with this shrimp chop suey recipe. Many times making foods from different countries can be intimidating. A lot of times this boils down to the hard to find ingredients and the special instructions that are required. That stopped me from exploring new recipes for so long. When I decided to step out of my comfort zone, I found it was way easier than I thought it would be.

Why You'll Love Shrimp Chop Suey

skillet with shrimp chopped suey covered in a savory sauce

Healthy - This recipe is made from a protein source and a variety of stir fried vegetables. It's packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Simple ingredients - Most if not all the ingredients from this recipe can easily be found in your local grocery store. Oyster sauce and rice wine vinegar may be the two ingredients you don't commonly use. If that's the case, don't hesitate to grab these up. They have a relatively long shelf life and are widely used in other stir fry recipes. Consider also using them in a chicken marinade. In other words, there are many ways to use these up so they're not just sitting around until you make this recipe again.
Easy to make - Everything about this is very simple. The vegetables are stir fried until tender, the sauce is made in a small bowl separately, and at the end everything comes together nicely. After all the ingredients have been prepped, everything easily comes together in 30 minutes or less.
Flexible - If you don't have all the veggies from the ingredients list on hand, consider raiding your fridge and using what you already have. The ingredients list is a simple suggestion based on what's commonly used in the traditional recipe but this doesn't have to be what you use. Try adding bok choy, bell peppers, bean sprouts, broccoli, or green onions.

Chop Suey History

It's widely believed that chop suey was developed here in the US by early Chinese Americans. When it comes to the single origin story, there are quite a few of them. The story that stuck with me was how the dish was created one night in the 1800's. A group came into a restaurant right before it was about to close. Instead of cooking up menu items from scratch the owner made a stir fry with different scrap vegetables and tossed with a simple sauce. It was a hit amongst the crowd and they asked for more. There you have it, one story on how chop suey was created.

One thing that most people can agree on is that it is based on a dish called tsap seui which translates to "miscellaneous leftovers". This dish is commonly served among the Cantonese. While each recipe may vary in the meat and vegetables used, the flavors of early Chinese Americans are woven all throughout this dish. It's extremely fun to make and such a great way to use up the scrap vegetables you already have on hand. Not to mention it's healthy too.

Ingredients

wooden cutting board with chopped vegetables including mushrooms, carrots, celery, and peas

For the stir fry

Vegetable oil - a light oil for sautéing the vegetables to make the stir fry. Canola oil can be substituted.

Sesame oil - an oil packed with flavor for stir frying. This is used with the vegetable oil to add subtle flavor without overwhelming the flavor of the vegetables

Shrimp - one pound should be enough for this recipe. I recommend using large shrimp or jumbo shrimp because as they cook they have a tendency to shrink and you don't want them to be too small

Snow peas - also known as Chinese pea pods and are commonly found in Chinese food, more specifically stir fries

Carrots - for crunch and added color, we always have these laying around and they fry up perfectly

Celery - also for added crunch and color.

Mushrooms - this is one of my favorite ingredients. This isn't one of the key ingredients and can easily be substituted or omitted if you or your family don't enjoy mushrooms. I find that it absorbs the flavor so nicely. Try using white button, baby Bella, shiitake, or enoki mushrooms.

Baby Corn - this ingredient is usually found canned and is harvested early while the stalks are small and not matured. Also commonly found in stir fry.

For the chop suey sauce

Chicken broth - the base of the sauce that adds the perfect amount of savoriness. Low sodium chicken broth or cold water can be used.

Rice wine vinegar - for tanginess, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be substituted

Soy sauce - for delicious umami flavor

Sugar - to balance the acidity this will not make it sweet

Oyster sauce - this ingredient is commonly used in Chinese cuisine made from oyster extract, sugar, and salt. If you don't have this on hand, fish sauce can be substituted. It's not the perfect choice but it will do okay.

Corn starch - to thicken the sauce

How to Make Shrimp Chop Suey

white bowl with shrimp chop suey with a fork

Step 1. In a small bowl combine all ingredients for the sauce and whisk until well combined and no more corn starch lumps remain. Set aside. Depending on how long it sits, you may need to whisk the sauce again to redistribute the corn starch.

Step 2. In a wok or a large skillet heat the vegetable and sesame oil over medium heat.

Step 3. Once the oil has heated add the carrots and celery. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until softened. Depending on how large the carrots and celery are they may need longer.

Step 4. Add the snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn, and sauce and cook for about 4-5 minutes until the sauce has started to thicken. Stir frequently to keep the sauce from burning and to redistribute the thickened sauce over the vegetables.

Step 5. Add the shrimp in with the sautéed vegetables and stir fry sauce and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Remove from heat and serve over rice or noodles.

Other Ways to Make Shrimp Chop Suey

Substitute shrimp for other types of protein such as chicken breast. This is a very common way of serving the dish.
Incorporate other types of seafood such as squid, crab meat, and or grouper.
Use seasonal vegetables depending on the season you're in, try adding red bell peppers, squash, or even asparagus
Add spicy by incorporating red pepper flakes or sriracha

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shrimp Chop Suey gluten free?

This recipe is not gluten free but fortunately it can be with a few simple swaps. The ingredients that are not naturally gluten free are soy sauce and oyster sauce. Soy sauce can be substituted for one that's labeled gluten free, or tamari. Tamari is a great option if you love the flavor of soy sauce because it's brewed in a similar way. Oyster sauce on the other hand may contain soy sauce which is why it's not gluten free. However, some brands are completely gluten free. I recommend doing your research before buying this ingredient. Gluten free fish sauce can be substituted.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Yes, this chop suey recipe can be made vegetarian. All you have to do is omit the shrimp and swap the oyster sauce for a vegan or vegetarian variety. Some brands will make a vegan version of oyster sauce with mushrooms and it tastes so good. It has the same texture, color, and the flavor is very similar. Vegetarian oyster sauce is typically sold at specialty food stores. If you don't have access to this ingredient, consider adding more soy sauce in place of the oyster sauce.

Is shrimp chop suey healthy?

Shrimp chop suey is healthy. It's one of the lighter Chinese American meals. There are no noodles, nothing is deep fried, and it's mostly vegetables. There are also different types of vegetables making this meal well rounded with vitamins and minerals.

What size shrimp should I use?

I highly recommend using large or jumbo. Shrimp have a tendency to shrink as they cook in the flavorful sauce and using a larger shrimp is best. However, at the end of the day it all boils down to your personal preference. Do you like smaller shrimp or larger ones? Choose what you'd like. If you're feeling extra over the top try adding prawns to make a king prawn chop suey.

Shrimp chop suey vs chow mein

Shrimp chop suey is different than chow mein in a few ways. Chow mein is more authentic to Chinese cuisine while chop suey is American made by chinese immigrants. Chow mein consists of noodles and veggies cooked in one wok. Chop suey on the other hand is made of various vegetables cooked in a sauce separate from rice or noodles. Chop suey is also a lot more flexible allowing you to add vegetables or meats you already have on hand.

Storing

The shrimp chop suey can be stored in an airtight container the refrigerator for around 3 days. It can be stored in the freezer in a freezer safe air tight container for around 3 months. Be sure to allow the dish to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator or the freezer.

The Best Shrimp Chop Suey

Why You'll Love Shrimp Chop Suey

Chop Suey History