Beef Chow Fun

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Beef chow fun also known as beef hor fun is an authentic Cantonese (Chinese) dish. The flat rice noodles are fried on a wok for that wok hei (smoky flavor). The beef is tender and soft, the perfect pairing with the soft rice noodles.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Beef Chow Fun
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
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Beef Chow Fun
Expert Tips

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Beef chow fun is also a quick and simple dish for those that want a hearty meal in 30 minutes. This beef chow fun may not be the same as the ones (they usually use lots of MSG) you have in restaurants, but comes VERY close! If you love this recipe, you also have to try my Spicy Beef Stir Fry from my dad’s restaurant.
The beef marinade is so simple and delicious! You can also use this marinated beef for other stir fries or even with fried rice (I suggest with this kimchi fried rice).

Ingredients

Here’s a look at what you need to make this beef chow fun. There are two steps in making this dish. First we will marinate the beef, then we will get all the ingredients together for a quick stir fry! The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

Olive oil, water, ginger, beef loin, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt laid out on the table.

Beef Marinade:

Beef Loin – a lean beef or a cheaper cut of beef is used. Since it is going to be in marinade, we don’t need to buy a super expensive cut.
Ginger – this cancels out the gaminess of the beef flavor. Make sure it’s sliced very thin so you’re not eating chunks of ginger when you eating the stir fried rice noodles.
Seasoning – Soy sauce, salt, sugar, and chicken bouillon is used to ensure that the beef is flavorful!
Tenderizer – we will use cornstarch, oil and water that gives the beef the tender and soft texture.

Green onion, white onion, soy sauce, chow fun noodles, bean sprouts, dark soy sauce, corn oil, marinated beef, sugar, and salt laid out on t table.

The beef stir fried rice noodles will cook quickly, so get all you ingredients out as we cook all of it on high heat!

Marinated Beef – the beef should be marinated at least 30 minutes to ensure the beef is savory and soft. You can also marinate it overnight.
Bean Sprouts – this is crucial for the authenticity of the dish and the soft crunch with the chow fun. If you want to substitute with different vegetables, see variations below.
Chow Fun (cooked flat rice noodles) – these rice noodles are made fresh and sold at the asian grocery store (like 99 ranch or Chinese/Vietnamese grocery). They are soft and can only last a few days in the fridge. When you make the chow fun make sure you separate the noodles by hand. There are no noodle substitutions for this recipe as this will change the flavor of this dish.
Green Onions – Lots of green onions and white onions is what gives the sweet flavor to the rice noodles. Make sure you cut them 4 inches long so it doesn’t burn while cooking.
Soy Sauce and Dark Soy Sauce – don’t be confused, we will need two types of soy sauces: low sodium soy sauce and dark sauce (for color). They are both needed for the flavor and the ‘look’ of chow fun noodles. I recommend buying the dark soy sauce in asian grocery stores like 99 ranch or hmart. It will say ‘dark soy sauce’ on there.

Substitutions and Variations

Swap the protein – You can use chicken, shrimp, or pork. Make sure that the meats are marinaded and are around the same measurement as the beef so the flavor still remains the same.
Add more vegetables! While the recipe is the most authentic Cantonese recipe, you can also add more vegetables to add more fiber to your dish. You can add bell pepper, celery, carrots and/or mushrooms to the dish. Keep in mind to not add too many veggies as it would make your rice noodles too soft from the water content.

How to Make Beef Chow Fun

Sliced beef, sliced ginger, cornstarch, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, soy sauce, olive oil and water in a bowl.

Step 1. Thinly slice beef loin. In a bowl, add the beef, ginger, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, soy sauce, water, olive oil, and corn starch.

Step 2. Mix together and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour (overnight is best!).

Sliced green onion and white onion on a chopping board.

Step 3. Start prepping for the noodles. Slice white onion and chop green onions 3 inches lengthwise. Wash and dry bean sprouts.

Step 4. Separate the rice noodles by hand to ensure they don’t stick together when frying.

Step 5. Heat large wok or pan on high. Once it starts smoking, add oil and then, add the beef. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the beef is golden brown. Be careful it might splatter. Set aside on a plate.

Green onion and white onion frying in a pan.

Step 6. In the same wok (on high heat still), stir fry white onions and green onions for 1 minute.

Frying chow fun noodles with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and sugar.

Step 7. Next, add bean sprouts and your rice noodles. Fry for one minute and keep stirring. Then, add soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for color), salt, and sugar. Mix together.

Beef, chow fun noodles, bean sprouts, green onion, and white onion cooking in a pan.

Step 8. Add the beef back in and cook for 1 minute and ensure that the soy sauce is well distributed. Don’t cook for too long or the noodles will soften and be mushy.

Expert Tips

Separate the rice noodles by breaking them apart when cooking.
Don’t stir the rice noodles too much while cooking are they break apart. Cooking them too long will also cause them to be mushy and break apart.
Fry the beef first and set it aside to ensure that it doesn’t get overcooked.

Recipe FAQs

What is beef chow fun?

Beef Chow Fun is a classic Cantonese stir-fry with flat rice noodles (hor fun, 河粉), thinly sliced beef, bean sprouts, and a savory soy-based sauce. The key to this dish? HIGH heat—we want that wok or pan to be sizzling hot to give the noodles that charred, smoky flavor (aka wok hei).

Where to buy chow fun noodles?

I found the chow fun noodles in the fresh noodle section (with pho, korean noodles, etc.) at my Asian market (99 ranch). The noodles are already cooked and are fresh! Before you fry the noodles, make sure you spread them apart so they don’t stick together when cooking.
If you can’t find fresh noodles, you can use these type of package noodles. Keep in mind that you will you need boil these noodles before stir frying. Cook the noodles until al dente according to package directions for the best beef chow fun result!

What sides can I serve this with?

Beef Chow Fun pairs well with light sides like Chinese broccoli (gai lan), stir-fried bok choy, or a simple cucumber salad. You can also serve it with cream cheese crab rangoon burrito or spring rolls for a complete meal.