Cantonese Beef Chow Fun Noodles (Beef Ho Fun)

Beef chow fun, or beef ho fun, is made with tender, crispy pieces of marinated wok fried beef with deliciously chewy rice noodles in a droolworthy umami packed sauce. PLUS, after a quick marinade, this dish comes together in under 15 minutes!

Stir fry dishes are the ultimate quick and easy weeknight dishes - if you like quick dishes like this shrimp lo mein, Thai basil pork or even this pad woon sen, you're going to absolutely love this Cantonese beef chow fun stir-fry.

Making homemade Chinese food used to intimidate me when I was younger. But now that I've been making them at home for years, I realize they are so easy to make! This chow fun recipe is literally just marinated beef and stir frying a few items together to make a deliciously sweet and salty, slightly charred flavor packed dish.

This tender beef noodle dish is one of those dishes that everyone in the family will love! Authentic beef chow fun is a classic Chinese dish that is both easy to make and packed full of flavor.

Why this Cantonese beef chow fun recipe works

• The cornstarch used in the beef marinade is used to velvet the beef, a Chinese method of cooking where a protein is marinaded in a mixture including cornstarch and then stir-fried in hot oil to make it ultra tender and and delicious. We use this method to make this spicy kung pao chicken.
• It's a quick and easy weeknight meal - after a quick marinade, it only takes less than 15 minutes to get the dish on the table.
• It's a family favorite that everyone will love!

Ingredients to make beef ho fun noodles

The full list of ingredients and amounts for this Cantonese dish is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

We use flank steak cut into about ¼" strips for this recipe. Flank steak comes out perfectly tender but with a little bit of chew that is perfect for this stir fry recipe. Be sure to slice the beef against the grain to keep it tender.

Wide, flat rice noodles are the signature of this dish and very important to the final results. Cook or soak them according to the package instructions if using dried noodles. If using fresh noodles, separate them, or slice them into wide sections if you bought them in sheets, and set them aside.

We use a mixture or dark soy sauce and light soy sauce in the marinade, along with umami packed oyster sauce. A light soy sauce is your typical Kikkoman or other brand soy sauce, while a dark soy sauce is less salty and more earthy. Check out some of these substitutes for dark soy sauce if you can't get it.

Shaoxing wine is a Chinese dry rice wine that is used very often in Chinese cooking like in this Hunan shrimp or Shanghai chicken.

A touch of baking soda is used in the marinade to help tenderize the beef even further.

A touch of sesame oil is used in the sauce to give it just a hint of nutty flavor, while white pepper adds a floral heat. If you don't have white pepper, you can substitute black pepper.

The oil for stir frying needs to be a high smoke point oil like vegetable, canola, peanut or avocado oil. Any high heat, flavorless oil will work just fine here (don't use olive oil or butter).

Variations and substitutions

• You can substitute pork, chicken, tofu or any other protein for the beef.
• Add a couple dried red chilies and or diced hot peppers to the sauce for some extra heat in the dish.
• You can substitute skirt steak, tri-tip steak or flat iron steak for the flank steak if needed as they are closely related to flank steak. You can also substitute any other type of sliced beef for the flank steak, but the texture may not be he same.
• You can also use fresh rice noodles if you can get them. Just separate them and set them aside until ready to use. Don't rinse as it can make them soggy.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the beef for about 1 minute.

Step 2: While beef marinates, mix the stir fry sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a carbon steel or cast iron wok over high heat until smoking. Add the marinated beef slices (cook in at least 2 batches) and quickly sear until browned on edges. Remove and set aside.

Step 4: Add remaining 2 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the scallions (green onions), garlic and ginger and quickly stir fry for 15-30 seconds, stirring often to prevent burning.

Step 5: Add the noodles and cook for 30 seconds, tossing constantly.

Step 6: Add the stir fry sauce and toss to coat the noodles in the sauce. Add the bean sprouts and cook 20-30 seconds. Add the beef back in, toss to combine then remove from heat and serve hot.

Expert tips to make the beef chow fun

1. Do not leave the beef in the marinade for longer than 60 minutes as the baking soda will cause the beef to break down too much.
2. Make sure to cut the flank steak against the grain to ensure it stays tender when cooked. When looking at the meat, you'll see a grain (much like a wood grain) running in a direction. Slice the opposite way of this grain.
3. Mix your sauce ingredients together and have your aromatics prepped before starting to cook as the process will go quickly and you want your ingredients ready.
4. Do not overcrowd the pan when cooking the beef or it will not brown on the edges. I recommend cooking in AT LEAST 2 batches.
5. You can use a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet instead of a wok if you don't have one.
6. Use tongs to toss the noodles and ensure they get coated with sauce and don't stick to the wok.
7. The wok should be smoking before you add the oil for the best results. It need to be very hot to prevent the beef from sticking and to provide that smoky wok cooked flavor (wok hei).

Frequently asked questions

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