This beef chow mein recipe can literally be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
If you like a good beef chow mein, there’s no need to go out to the takeaway to get it. You can make it at home with amazing results. In the recipe card and step by step photos below, you will see beef chow mein in its simplest form.
If you want to take things up a couple of notches, be sure to velvet your beef before starting with the recipe. Your beef, regardless of the cut of beef you used will be so deliciously tender. It’s most definitely worth giving this meat tenderizing method a go!
About this beef chow mein recipe
This is a quick and easy noodle stir fry. You will get restaurant quality results using the recipe below. If you use sirloin or ribeye, you could get away without velveting the meat but if using tougher cuts, I recommend doing so.
In the recipe card below, you will find a list of vegetables that you can add to your beef chow mein. Feel free to just use those or choose your own veggies.
What are the key ingredients in this dish?
To make the beef chow mein sauce.
- Light soy sauce: This adds a nice salty flavour to the sauce
- Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is thicker and not as salty as light soy sauce. It is added mainly for colour.
- Oyster sauce: This sauce adds a sweet and salty flavour to the sauce.
- Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing) or dry sherry: This bring it all together with a delicious umomi flavour
- Sugar: I don’t add it because I find the the oyster sauce makes the sauce sweet enough but you might like more sweetness in that sauce
- Finely ground white peppercornflour (corn starch)
Which cut of beef is best?
I like to use skirt steak. This cut has a lot of flavour in it but it can be tough if you don’t tenderize it. Tenderizing the meat (velveting) is really easy to do though and only takes a few minutes. If you would rather go straight to cooking, I recommend using sirloin or ribeye.
How do you cook the noodles?
The cooking time for chow mein noodles can vary so you should follow the instructions on the packaging. That said, take the noodles out of the water a couple of minutes earlier than suggested. You want the noodles to be al dente as they will continue to cook in the hot wok.
How long can you store leftover beef chow mein?
You can keep this wrapped tightly in your fridge for at least three day. Then simply reheat it in a hot wok or in your microwave.
Can you freeze this?
Yes. It freezes really well for up to 6 months with little to no loss of flavour. Then just let it defrost completely and reheat in a hot wok or in your microwave.
Step by step photographs
Prepare all you ingredients before you start cooking. It’s easier that way.
Mix the sauce ingredients up to and including the white pepper. Then make a slurry with the cornflour and water. Whisk about a tablespoon of the slurry into the sauce. Retain the rest of the slurry.
Heat 2 tbsp of rapeseed (canola) oil over a high heat in a wok. When smoking hot, add the beef and fry for about 3 minutes, turning once or twice to give it a nice char.
Transfer the cooked meat to a plate and set aside. Then add the chopped garlic, ginger and spring onions (scallions).
Stir in the shredded cabbage, bell pepper and grated carrot.
Fry the veggies for about 3 minutes. They should be cooked through but still a bit crisp. Then toss in half of the bean sprouts.
Pour in the prepared sauce and drizzle in a tablespoon or so of the slurry to thicken. You can add more slurry if needed. Then return the meat to the wok.
Now add the al dente noodles and stir fast and hard. Toss the chow mein from with your spatula from the bottom of the wok.
Give it all another good stir or two and add the spring onions and the rest of the bean sprouts.
Give it all a good stir. If you find that the sauce is too thin, just add a little more of the slurry.
Fry until the noodles are soft and crispy in places.
That’s it! Easy and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Dig in and enjoy!
If you like this beef chow mein, you might like to try some of these Chinese takeaway favourites too:
I am currently updating my blog with the most popular Chinese takeaway recipes so be sure to check back often for new recipes. There are a lot on the way!
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Crispy Chicken and Broccoli
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Orange Chicken
- Hainan Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Chow Mein
- Mongolian Beef
- Chinese Crispy Beef
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spicy Won Ton Soup
- Egg Fried Rice
- Potstickers
- Bam Bam Chicken
- Beef in Black Bean Sauce
- Black Bean Noodles
- Chinese Chicken Curry
- Chili Oil Noodles
Have you tried this beef chow mein recipe?
If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
Beef Chow Mein
You can have homemade beef chow mein on your table in less than 30 minutes that is just as good if not better than the Chinese takaway!
Ingredients
- 200g/ 7 oz chow mein noodles
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or peanut oil
- 300g (10.5oz) skirt, flank or sirloin steak, sliced thinly against the grain
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) ginger, finely chopped
- 4 spring onions (scallions), 2 sliced into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces and 2 finely chopped
- 150g green Chinese cabbage or any fresh green cabbage, shredded
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100g bean sprouts
- FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce or more light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing) or dry sherry
- 1 tsp sugar or to taste
- ½ tsp finely ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
- 3 tbsp water or unsalted chicken or beef stock
Instructions
- Start by cooking your noodles as the package instructions but cook them for a bit shorter time. The noodles should be a bit al dente as they will continue to cook when the hit the sauce and steam in your wok.
- Strain the par-cooked noodles completely and stir in about 1/2 tsp sesame oil so that they don't stick together. Set aside.
- Stir the sauce ingredients up to and including the ground white pepper together and also, in another bowl whisk the cornflour (cornstarch) and water together to make a slurry. Whisk in about 1 tbsp of the slurry into the prepared sauce. Set aside and retain the remaining slurry if needed.
- When ready to cook, heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed (canola) oil and the remaining sesame oil over a high heat in a wok. When smoking hot, add the beef and fry for about 3 minutes, turning once or twice to give it a nice char. Transfer the cooked meat to a plate and set aside.
- Using the same oil in the wok, stir in the garlic, ginger and finely chopped spring onions and fry for about 30 seconds. Then stir in the shredded cabbage, grated carrot and bell pepper.
- Fry the veggies for about 3 minutes. They should be cooked through but still crisp. Toss in half of the bean sprouts followed by the fried beef.
- Give it all a good stir to combine and then add the par-cooked noodles, the remaining bean sprouts and the remaining spring onions (scallions).
- Add the prepared sauce and bring it to a simmer while you toss the noodles around in the wok. If the sauce is looking a bit thin, go ahead and add the remaining slurry. Continue simmering and tossing the ingredients in your wok around to coat.
- The noodles will cook through and become softer. If you wok is hot enough, they will also char in places which gives a delicious smoky flavour just like you find at so many good takeaways.
- Check for seasoning and serve hot from the wok.
Notes
Velveting the meat: It is always a good idea to velvet the beef before cooking. This is especially so if you are using tougher cuts of meat such as skirt steak. Use my velveting beef recipe for perfectly cooked and tender meat. If using sirloin or ribeye, it is not as important to velvet the beef.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 2152mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 22g