Easy 30-minute Chinese Beef Chow Mein recipe. This is another one of our all-time favorite Chinese beef dishes! Well,🤔 along with shrimp chow mein and chicken chow mein. All right!!!🤯
We love noodles in general. 🤫😁Honestly, we could eat this every day! 😋
While Chinese Beef Chow Mein is an easy dish made with obviously very few humble ingredients, there is something special and unique about the way the flavors harmonized, so simple yet so flavorful.
One of the things my husband and I love the most about Beef Chow Mein is that it's very versatile, and you can switch the ingredients to fit your taste or pantry.
Here's our easy, under-30-minute home-cooked version recipe that has become a much-loved family favorite in our house over the years...Give it a try!😉
How to Make Beef Chow Mein
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Boil noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Rinse with tap water, drain, and set aside.
(I recommend cooking the noodles 1 minute less than the package recommends, they’ll be a bit underdone but will be perfectly cooked once stir-fried in the sauce).
In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Let it marinate at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients.
Stir to combine. Chop aromatics and vegetables set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, set the heat to medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and wait for the oil to become hot.
Swirl oil, tilting to coat sides. Quickly add the beef and spread the pieces to a single layer, allowing them to sear and brown for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Flip to cook the other side for 1 to 1.5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the beef is lightly charred but the inside is slightly pink. Transfer to a plate.
Add the same skillet back to the stove and turn to medium-high heat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and add onion, carrots, and peppers.
Saute for about 2 - 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the ginger, garlic, Napa cabbage, and green onion. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
Add the beef and noodles into the pan; stir the reserved sauce quickly and pour over the noodles. Use tongs to toss noodles to coat with sauce. Keep tossing until the sauce starts to thicken and starts to bubble.
Taste and season with more soy, if needed. (You will know your Chinese Beef Chow Mein is done when the sauce becomes darker, translucent, and thick).
Toss everything together until thoroughly combined with the sauce and stir-fry it for about 1 minute. Transfer the Beef Chow Mein to the serving plate. Serve hot! Enjoy with some chili oil!😋🍻
Related Recipes:
- Shrimp lo mein
- Baked Pasta with Creamed Spinach
- Vegetable Lo mein
- Chicken lo mein
- Lemon Pasta
- Pasta with Oil and Garlic
📖 Recipe
Easy Beef Chow Mein
Tools
Ingredients
- 300 g whole-wheat spaghetti or chow mein stir-fry noodles * (you may also use lo mein noodles or udon noodles)
For Marinade:
- 1 pound flat iron steak , cut into ¼-inch thick strips
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup hot water combined with Knorr granulated chicken-flavored bouillon or Knorr beef flavor bouillon
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce or dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper , ground black pepper, or red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Stir Fry:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , canola, peanut, or vegetable oil
- 1 small onion , sliced
- 1 poblano pepper or any bell pepper , cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 scallions , cut into 2 ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup shredded Napa cabbage
- ⅓ cup julienned carrots
- Kosher salt & red pepper flakes , to taste
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Rinse with tap water, drain, and set aside. (I recommend cooking the noodles 1 minute less than the package recommends, they’ll be a bit underdone but will be perfectly cooked once stir-fried in the sauce).
- In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Let it marinate at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients. Stir to combine. Chop aromatics and vegetables set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, set the heat to medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and wait for the oil to become hot. Swirl oil, tilting to coat sides.
- Quickly add the beef and spread the pieces out to a single layer allowing them to sear and brown for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.
- Flip to cook the other side for 1 to 1.5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the beef is lightly charred but the inside is slightly pink. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the same skillet back to the stove and turn to medium-high heat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and add onion, carrots, and peppers. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
- Add the ginger, garlic, Napa cabbage, and green onion. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- Add the beef and the noodles into the pan; give the reserved sauce a quick stir and pour over the noodles. Use tongs to toss noodles to coat with sauce. Keep tossing until the sauce starts to thicken and starts to bubble. Taste and season with more soy, if needed. (You will know your Chinese Beef Chow Mein is done when the sauce becomes a darker color, translucent and thick). Toss everything together until thoroughly combined with the sauce and stir-fry it for about 1 minute. Transfer the Beef Chow Mein to the serving plate. Serve hot! Enjoy with some chili oil!😋🍻
Notes
- To store: Allow the beef chow mein to cool to room temperature before storing. Then, transfer to an airtight container: Place the leftover beef chow mein in an airtight container. Glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids work well. Refrigerate: Store the beef chow mein in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: The beef chow mein, transfer to a microwave-safe dish and heat it until heated, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat it on the stove in a pan or wok over medium heat, occasionally stirring until heated. If the beef chow mein has been in the refrigerator for more than 4 days, or if it has an off smell or appearance, discard it.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.