Beef Chow Fun

This Beef Chow Fun recipe is an easy and authentic version of a popular Chinese takeout dish. It’s full of bold flavors and tender, juicy strips of beef. A healthy dinner recipe that everyone is going to devour!

Juicy, Spicy Homemade Beef Chow Fun

I love Chinese takeout food, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to make your favorite dishes at home. This beef chow fun is one of my go-to recipes when I want to make Chinese food in my own kitchen. It’s easy and fun to make and, most importantly, tastes just as good as what you’d get at a restaurant. 

The beef in this recipe is marinated, and the result is that it’s incredibly tender, while also packed full of flavor. It’s spicy, acidic, and salty, and also melts in your mouth. When added to the rice noodles and bean sprouts, you’re left with a pretty perfect dish. It certainly satisfies my cravings when I’m in need of some good Chinese takeout. 

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make this authentic Chinese dish at home. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact quantities for each ingredient.

For the Beef:

• Flank steak
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce – Make sure to use a high quality oyster sauce that hasn’t been diluted.
• Sugar
• Sesame oil – You can use regular or toasted sesame oil for this recipe.
• Garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• Cornstarch 

For the Chow Fun: 

• Vegetable oil – Canola oil, or any other neutral oil works fine as well.
• Scallions
• Rice noodles – You want to use wide rice noodles for this recipe.
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Shaoxing wine – This is a Chinese rice wine that is commonly used in Chinese cooking. 
• Sesame oil
• Ginger
• Bean sprouts

Why Flank Steak? 

Flank steak is the most commonly used cut of beef in Chinese stir fries. It’s a very lean cut of beef, and also one of the most flavorful. It’s able to hold a lot of flavor from marinades, and becomes very tender when stir fried. If you don’t have flank steak, you can use skirt steak or sirloin steak for this recipe.

How to Make Beef Chow Fun

This is a straightforward recipe, and I think it’s fun really fun to make!

• Marinate the beef. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch to a bowl, and whisk to combine. Place the strips of beef in a ziploc bag, then pour the marinade in the bag. Seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the beef through the bag. Put the bag in the fridge for an hour. 

• Prepare the noodles. Follow the instructions on the package of rice noodles to prepare them using the soaking method.

• Dry the steak. After it has marinated for an hour, remove the steak from the bag, and dry the pieces with a paper towel.
• Stir fry the beef and scallions. Heat a wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add oil and then the beef, and sear for 2 minutes. Flip the slices of beef over, and sear for 2 more minutes, then add the scallions and cook for 1 minute.

• Stir fry the noodles. Add the noodles, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Toss or stir until the ingredients are combined, and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add the bean sprouts. Add the bean sprouts to the pan, then toss or stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds, then serve. 

Tips for Success

Here are some tricks for making the best beef chow fun. 

• Briefly freeze the beef. You want to cut the flank steak very thinly for this recipe. Since beef is fairly soft, it can be hard to cut it into thin slices. To make it easier, freeze the steak for about 20 minutes before cutting it. That will firm up the steak enough that it will be easier to cut it into even, thin slices, but it won’t be frozen when you cook it. 
• Use the water test. With stir frying, it’s important to make sure that the wok or pan is very hot. That’s how you get a good sear on the meat. To make sure that your pan is hot enough, put a drop or two of water in it. The water should dance and sizzle. If it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough yet.
• Cook the beef in a single layer. In order to get a good sear on the steak, you want to cook it in a single layer. Make sure that the beef is spread throughout, so that every piece is making contact with the pan. If your pan isn’t big enough to accommodate all the steak, cook it in batches. When all the steak is cooked, return it all to the pan, and continue with the recipe.

How to Store and Reheat Beef Chow Fun

This recipe will last in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, add a splash of water to the chow fun to keep it from drying out. Cook on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. You can also reheat the dish in the microwave. Cook on full heat in 30-second increments until the steak is warm all the way through. 

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

You can keep beef chow fun in the freezer for an easy weekday meal. Just store it in an airtight container, and it will last for up to 3 months. Let the chow fun thaw in the fridge before reheating. 

More Asian Recipes to Try

If you loved this tender and spicy beef chow fun, then make sure to check out some of my other favorite Asian recipes!

• Homemade 5 Minute Stir Fry Sauce
• Chinese boneless spare ribs
• Asian chicken legs
• Chinese BBQ pork tenderloin
• Asian glazed chicken wings
• Slow cooker nutty Asian pork

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