• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Seasonal Cravings

Simple Recipes for Food Lovers

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Resources
    • Gluten Free For Beginners
    • Gluten Free Food List
    • Pros and Cons of a Gluten Free Diet
    • How To Meal Plan
    • Clean Eating For Beginners
    • Clean Eating Pantry Staples
    • Gluten Free Halloween Candy List
    • Gluten Free Diet Meal Plan
    • 100 Gluten Free Dairy Free Breakfasts
    • 100 Gluten Free Lunch Ideas for Kids
    • 50 Easy Gluten Free Chicken Dinner Recipes
    • 45 Best Gluten Free Products at Costco
    • 30 Best Gluten Free Products at Trader Joe's
  • Recipes
    • Dairy Free
    • Keto
    • Paleo
    • Whole30
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Cocktails
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Instant Pot
    • Salads
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups
    • Smoothies
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • About
    • About Karen
    • Contact
    • Disclaimer | Policies
    • Food Blogging Resources
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Beef Chow Fun Recipe

    Published: Dec 21, 2022 Modified: Dec 22, 2022 by Kristy Alexandra This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    beef chow fun

    Beef chow fun (also known as beef ho fun or beef hor fun) is a traditional Cantonese dish where beef is stir-fried with hor fun, also known as rice noodles.  Typically fried in delicious savory sauce over high heat, beef chow fun offers a variety of flavors when eaten. Imagine tender strips of beef combined with crunchy bean sprouts and crispy scallions served with a fried egg on top - it is no wonder this dish is so popular in many Asian households worldwide!

     

    cooking in a wok

    Photo Credit: Canva

    Fun fact: Most chefs in Chinese restaurants aspire to create ‘wok hei’ or ‘breath of the wok’ when frying beef chow fun because extreme heat allows the flavor to develop while maintaining the original crunchy texture of the ingredients. Wok hei also gives the dish a smoky flavor that adds to its deliciousness.

    Beef Chow Fun - What’s Inside

    Other ingredients besides beef and rice noodles include bean sprouts, scallions, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and green onions. 

    The beef is marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, Shao Tsing yellow wine, baking soda, cornstarch, and water.

    The rice noodles are seasoned with oyster sauce and soy sauce - yummy! 

    It is incredibly easy to make, and you can whip up a plate for lunch or dinner from the comfort of your kitchen in under 30 minutes!

    Ingredients:

    • Beef
    • Wide rice noodles
    • Light soy sauce
    • Dark soy sauce
    • Oyster sauce
    • Sesame oil
    • Shao Tsing wine (a popular Chinese cooking wine, also known as the Chinese rice wine)
    • Baking soda
    • Ground white pepper 
    • Scallions
    • Bean sprouts
    • White onions
    • Baby bok choy (optional)
    chow fun

    Photo Credit: Canva

    Tips For The Best Beef Chow Fun Noodles

    1. The most important thing is to remember to prepare all marinated ingredients before cooking because rice noodles get sticky and mushy very quickly when left in the pan or the wok for too long.
    2. Get a non-stick wok so you won’t have to scrape the noodles off the bottom of the pan after cooking. If you are planning to create a smoky flavor (wok hei), use woks made from carbon or stainless steel as these can withstand very high heat.
    3. Popular cuts include flank steak and sirloin. Other widely used cuts include the skirt steak, tri-tip, and eye of round. Brisket beef is not recommended as it is overly chewy and does not go well with the overall recipe. 
    4. Always slice the beef very thinly against the grain. 
    5. Marinade your beef before doing anything else, because it’ll take at least 20 minutes for the beef to tenderize.
    6. Remember to strain excess beef marinade liquid before frying.
    7. Both light and dark soy sauces are necessary for this recipe. The light soy sauce gives you a hint of saltiness, while the dark soy sauce creates the signature dark color of the noodles. 
    8. If you are really unable to find dark soy sauce, you can settle for regular soy sauce. However, you will not be able to create the dark color so synonymous with the Cantonese beef chow fun.
    9. Wash your bean sprouts well before cooking. This is to eliminate the odor of unwashed bean sprout and avoid food poisoning.
    10. Rice noodles come in different shapes and sizes. If you’re unsure of which one to get, pick one that says ‘sa ho fun’ or ‘sha hor fun’ - these are the ones traditionally used in beef chow fun recipes.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are Beef Chow Fun And Beef Chow Mein The Same?

    No, they’re not the same. Chow fun is made with rice noodles (flat, white, and wide-ish).

    Chow mein noodles are made with egg noodles (yellow, stringy noodles)

    Where Can You Get Rice Noodles?

    Rice noodles can be found in most Asian markets or supermarkets, in the refrigerated section.

    Avoid getting tightly packed or small packets of rice noodles, because these have been bunched together and are mostly used as soup noodles, where they loosen up in hot water.

    Trying to break up and stir fry tightly bunched rice noodles will only result in shredded and torn-looking noodles.

    What Kind Of Bean Sprouts Should You Get?

    Mung bean sprouts are the best choice; however, if you cannot find them, you can always go for soybean sprouts. 

    What Is Beef Chow Fun Called In Cantonese?

    Beef chow fun is called ‘gon chow ngau ho’ in Cantonese.

    cooking in a wok

    Beef Chow Fun

    Tasty and tender beef stir-fried with fresh rice noodles and fresh green vegetables.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Keyword: chow fun
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 762kcal

    Equipment

    • Stainless steel wok or non-stick wok

    Ingredients

    • 900 grams of fresh flat rice noodles - to soak in warm water
    • 300 grams of steak flank, sirloin, skirt
    • 1 white onion sliced thinly
    • 1 cup of green onions
    • 3 tablespoon of cooking oil some use avocado oil
    • 150 grams of bean sprouts - washed and dried
    • Sliced bok choy optional

    Noodle Sauce

    • 3 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon of light soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon of oyster sauce
    • A dash of black pepper optional

    Beef Marinade

    • 2 tablespoon of Shao Tsing wine
    • 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
    • ½ tablespoon of baking soda
    • 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon of white granulated sugar or 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of water
    • 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce

    Instructions

    • Soak the noodles in warm water for 20 minutes.
    • Drain the noodles. Add a teaspoon of cooking oil or olive oil over the noodles and coat them with your fingers. This is to loosen them up so they do not stick together and become clumpy. Use this with fresh ho fun or noodles as well.
    • Thinly slice your flank steak against the grain.
    • Marinate the beef with the prepared sauce above. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes in room temperature.
    • Strain the beef of any residual liquid before cooking.
    • Heat up cooking oil over medium-high heat in a clean wok.
    • When the oil heats up, add the beef strips to the wok. Let the strips sear for about 30 seconds.
    • Proceed to stir fry the beef for a few seconds more until it is halfway or slightly more than halfway cooked. Remove the beef strips from the wok and put on a clean plate. Do not cook the beef fully because you’ll be adding them to the noodles later. Cooking them fully now may result in overcooked and tough beef.
    • In another clean wok, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. When it heats up, add your white onions. If you have sliced bok choy (or any other vegetables of choice), stir fry them here together with the white onions.
    • When the white onions show a tinge of brown, use your spatula to push both onions and vegetables to the side of the wok. Turn up the heat to make your wok is as hot as possible.
    • Add the rice noodles. Give them a quick stir, then pour the noodle sauce over it.
    • Stir for even mixing.
    • Add the cooked beef and bean sprouts. Mix everything together.
    • Break an egg over it and mix. Optional, but my favorite.
    • Add the green onions. Stir fry and mix for a bit more.
    • Remove from heat quickly and transfer to plate. Serve and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 762kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1774mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonal_cravings or tag #seasonal_cravings and I will repost on my stories.

     

    Summary

    We all love Chinese takeout now and then, but whipping up a homemade beef chow fun can be incredibly satisfying and affordable!

    Let me know how this recipe turned out for you. In the meantime, check out other yummy beef recipes here!

     

     

     

    Kristy is a pharmacist turned funnel builder. She builds funnels and copywrites for 7 figure businesses. She is also an avid blogger who loves geeking out over SEO. She shares her journey and tips for freelancing at https://kristyting.com.

     

     

    Reader Interactions

    If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #seasonal_cravings on Instagram.  Please leave a comment below and rate the recipe. Thanks so much!

    Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook , and Instagram for all of the latest recipes and content.

     

    Tell Us What You Think Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello!

    I'm Karen Kelly a health coach, food and travel photographer and recipe creator. At Seasonal Cravings you will find quick, healthy recipes made with seasonal ingredients. Let's get cooking!

    ABOUT KAREN»

    Soups & Stews

    tomato soup in a bowl with a spoon

    Spicy Tomato Soup

    tortellini soup with bread

    Tortellini Soup with Sausage

    Instant Pot Beef Stew {Gluten Free}

    Instant Pot Taco Soup

    Healthy Turkey Chili - gluten free

    Healthy Turkey Chili

    Apple Cider Beef Stew

    Apple Cider Beef Stew

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Disclaimer | Policies

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Seasonal Cravings