Name: Beef Chow Fun Recipe (Chow Ho Fun)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (dry sherry is a good substitute); 1 teaspoon cornstarch; Salt to taste (note: soy sauce is typically quite salty); 1/2 pound 8 ounces/225 g flank steak (sliced into thin strips across the grain (or use skirt steak or hangar steak)); 12 ounces dried rice noodles (chow fun noodles); 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional); 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine; 1/4 cup beef broth (you can use vegetable broth); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use a neutral oil or sesame oil for extra flavor); 1 medium onion (white or yellow, sliced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 3 scallions (sliced into 2-inch slices); Bean sprouts (for serving)

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Beef Chow Fun is a classic Cantonese stir-fried noodle dish with tender beef slices, wide rice noodles (ho fun), and bean sprouts wok-tossed in a savory soy-based sauce. It is easy to make and huge on flavor!

A bowl of beef chow fun features wide, flat noodles with tender beef slices, garnished with green onions. The richly sauced dish boasts a glossy texture. Beside the bowl on a blue surface lies a folded dark cloth napkin accented with a lighter section.

Beef Chow Fun Recipe

We're making Beef Chow Fun in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, and this is a dish that is ready to satisfy your cravings for big flavor.

Beef Chow Fun (aka Chow Ho Fun or Gon Chow Ngau Ho) is a classic Cantonese dish with tender slices of beef stir fried with silky wide rice noodles and fresh bean sprouts in a simple sauce that is savory and bursting with the bold flavor you love.

This dish known for its smoky “wok hei” flavor, which comes from high-heat cooking in a well-seasoned wok.

What You'll Love About This Recipe

This recipe brings you the traditional taste of Cantonese cuisine for a genuine Beef Chow Fun dish you will love.
I share with you how to achieve "Wok Hei" at home, which is the distinctive smoky flavor you get from restaurant-quality stir-fries.
I'll show you how you can customize the dish with other ingredients to make it your own without losing its core flavors.
It's quick and easy, done in about 15 minutes!

Let's talk about how to make beef chow fun, shall we?

Beef Chow Fun Ingredients

The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

FOR THE BEEF MARINADE
Flank Steak. Flank is great for tender, flavorful beef slices. YOu can substitute with skirt steak or hanger steak.
Dark Soy Sauce. Adds flavor depth and umami. Use light soy sauce for a milder flavor.
Shaoxing Wine. A classic addition. Use dry sherry as an alternative.
Cornstarch. Essential for marinating and tenderizing the beef, and creating its characteristic silky texture.
FOR THE BEEF CHOW FUN
Chow Fun Noodles (Ho Fun). These are wide, flat rice noodles that absorb flavors well. Fresh rice noodles are best, but dried rice noodles work great as well.
Sauce. Light soy sauce, oyster sauce (optional), and beef broth. This is a great combination of umami and savory.
Vegetable Oil. Use any neutral oil used for high-heat cooking. Sesame oil is great for extra flavor.
Vegetables. Onion (white or yellow) for the base, fresh aromatic garlic, scallions or green onion, and fresh bean sprouts for crispness.

How to Make Beef Chow Fun - the Recipe Method

Make your marinade first. Whisk together the dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch together in a large bowl.

Pat the steak strips dry and squeeze out any excess moisture, which will help with stir frying. Add them to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat.

Left: A bowl of marinated beef pieces in a dark sauce, ready to star in a delicious beef chow fun recipe. Right: Sliced onions frying in a black wok on a blue countertop, setting the stage for this classic dish.

Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight for more flavor penetration.

When you're ready to go, cook the noodles per packaging instructions, usually just a few minutes. You can do this while the meat is marinating.

Drain and set into a large bowl with a bit of oil to keep moist.

Whisk together the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and beef broth.

Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat and stir fry the onion for 1 minute. You can add some bean sprouts here if you'd like.

Side-by-side images of a savory stir-fried beef Chow Fun in a pan; the left shows beef, onions, and green onions sizzling away, while the right displays the same with added wide noodles, all set against a blue textured surface.

Add the beef, garlic, and scallions and quickly stir fry for 1 minute to cook the beef, then stir in the noodles and sauce. Mix well and warm though.

Boom! Done! Your beef chow fun is ready to serve. Serve garnished with bean sprouts.

A pan full of wide, shiny chow fun noodles mixed with slices of meat and garnished with green onions. This Beef Chow Fun Recipe is saucy, boasting a rich brown color.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Achieving Wok Hei. Wok Hei refers to the smoky flavor you get from restaurant stir-fries. To do this at home, preheat your wok or skillet until it is very hot before adding ingredients.
Marinate the beef longer to develop more flavor and tenderness to the final dish.
Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers, sliced hot peppers, or mushrooms to your preference. Skip the beef and use more vegetables like shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
To make it spicier, add sliced red chilies, chili oil, or a dash of white pepper. Add fish sauce for more umami.
MSG is a common addition in more authentic Cantonese cuisine, and helps achieve the "restaurant-style" flavor you love. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to the sauce if you'd like. Dashi powder is a nice substitution as well.

Serving Beef Chow Fun

Beef chow fun is a complete dish on its own, but you can pair it with steamed vegetables or a light soup on the side to round out the meal.

Serve it with spicy chili oil or homemade chili crisp on the side for those who like to spice it up.

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftover chow how fun in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

You can reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stove top - just add a splash of broth or water to loosen the noodles if needed.

I do not recommend freezing leftovers, as the noodles can become mushy when thawing.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this chow ho fun recipe, aka beef chow fun. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.

The Essential Wok Cookbook, by Naomi Imatome-Yun
The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, by J. Kenji López-Alt
Also, check out my cookbook - The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist

The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook - Fiery, No-Fuss Meals, by Michael Hultquist

Tools Used For This Recipe

HexClad 12 Inch Hybrid Stainless Steel Wok Pan with Stay-Cool Handle - I've been loving this wok, makes stir frying and clean up so easy. It gets very hot! Perfect for stir fry dishes.

Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

Yaki Udon - Stir-fried udon noodles! The sauce uses only 4 simple ingredients, and it's easy to customize. On the table in minutes!
Pad See Ew (Stir Fried Thai Noodles) - Wide rice noodles stir fried in a savory sauce with vegetables and your choice of protein
Chili Oil Noodles - A quick and easy dish of noodles tossed with garlic, chilies, scallions, and cilantro in a spicy hot oil, delicious!
Chicken Lo Mein - Chewy noodles stir fried with crunchy bell peppers, snap peas and more in a flavorful sauce.

A bowl of beef chow fun, featuring wide rice noodles stir-fried with tender beef, is garnished with bean sprouts and green onions. Served in a blue bowl on a matching surface, the dish captures a rustic charm against the backdrop of dark and light cloth.

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

A bowl of wide, flat noodles mixed with slices of beef, green onions, and bean sprouts offers a delicious beef chow fun experience. The dish is coated in a rich, dark sauce.

Beef Chow Fun Recipe (Chow Ho Fun)

Beef Chow Fun is a classic Cantonese stir-fried noodle dish with tender beef slices, wide rice noodles, and bean sprouts wok-tossed in a savory sauce.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: beef, Stir Fry

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Calories: 487kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

MARINADE

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine dry sherry is a good substitute
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt to taste note: soy sauce is typically quite salty
1/2 pound 8 ounces/225 g flank steak sliced into thin strips across the grain (or use skirt steak or hangar steak)

FOR THE BEEF CHOW FUN

12 ounces dried rice noodles chow fun noodles
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce optional
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1/4 cup beef broth you can use vegetable broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil use a neutral oil or sesame oil for extra flavor
1 medium onion white or yellow, sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 scallions sliced into 2-inch slices
Bean sprouts for serving

Instructions

For the marinade, whisk together the dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch together in a large bowl.
Pat the steak strips dry with paper towels. Squeeze them of excess moisture. Add them to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight for more flavor penetration.
Cook the noodles per packaging instructions. Drain and set into a large bowl with a bit of oil to keep moist.
Whisk together the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and beef broth. Set aside for now.
Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Swirl to coat the pan.
Add the onion and quickly stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the beef, garlic, and scallions. Quickly stir fry for 1 minute, or until the beef is cooked through to your liking.
Stir in the noodles and reserved sauce. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes to warm though.
Serve garnished with bean sprouts.

Notes

You can also add some or all of the bean sprouts to the wok with the onions, if desired.
Wide rice noodles (ho fun) are traditional, but you can use wide egg noodles or thinner rice noodles if needed.
MSG is a common addition for extra umami flavor, which enhances the soy sauce. Add1/8-1/4 teaspoon with the sauce if you wish.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 487kcal Carbohydrates: 77g Protein: 17g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 34mg Sodium: 1121mg Potassium: 331mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 90IU Vitamin C: 4mg Calcium: 48mg Iron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Beef Chow Fun (Chow Ho Fun)