Beef Chow Mein (Niú Ròu Chǎo Miàn 牛肉炒面)

Stir-fried noodles with beef have a long history in Chinese cooking, reaching back to the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220), when noodles began to appear regularly on Chinese tables. Noodles were very popular in ancient China because they were filling and easy to make, and during the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties they were increasingly stir-fried. As markets and night markets grew in China’s big cities, fried noodles became a popular dish that anyone could buy quickly right on the street.

Beef chow mein most likely comes from southern China, where stir-fried dishes spread quickly thanks to the availability of fresh ingredients. Beef became common in Chinese cooking relatively late: for centuries, cattle were valued mainly as work animals, so beef was eaten far less often than pork. Once it became more widely available, beef with noodles grew hugely popular.

In its basic form, the dish is noodles (often egg or wheat noodles) stir-fried until golden, then tossed with slices of marinated beef, onion, bell pepper and other vegetables. The beef is marinated first so it’s tender and full of flavor, then seared quickly to stay juicy.

Regional Variations

Chinese cooking is incredibly diverse, and beef chow mein adapts to whatever ingredients are available.

1. Cantonese style – In Guangzhou (Canton), thin noodles are pan-fried until crisp. The dish is finished with a sweet-savory sauce based on oyster or soy sauce, which gives it a delicate, balanced flavor.
2. Sichuan style – This version adds spicy elements such as Sichuan peppercorns and chili for a hot, gently numbing flavor typical of Sichuan cooking. Instead of oyster sauce, fermented chili bean paste, doubanjiang (豆瓣酱), is sometimes used, giving the dish a bold “mala” (麻辣) character.
3. Shanghai style – This version uses more dark soy sauce, which gives the noodles a deep color and a slightly sweet flavor, characteristic of Shanghai stir-fries.
4. Taiwanese style – In Taiwan, beef fried noodles (牛肉炒面) are often seasoned with a little Chinese five-spice powder, which adds subtle aromatic notes. The local version also often includes sweet soy sauce, which softens and lightly sweetens the overall flavor.
5. Chinese-American style – In the US and other Western countries, mushrooms, carrots and sometimes broccoli are added. The sauces tend to be bolder, often with more oyster sauce and sesame oil. If you like the takeout version, try our chow mein recipe too.

The Secret to Tender, Juicy Beef

Tender, juicy beef is the key to any great noodle stir-fry. The technique behind it is called velveting. It’s widely used in Chinese cooking not only for beef but also for chicken and pork, and it keeps the meat soft and succulent even when it’s stir-fried quickly over high heat.

How to Velvet Beef

1. Prepare the meat: Slice the beef thinly against the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers, so the meat stays tender instead of turning tough when it’s fried.
2. Mix the marinade: In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine or sherry. Add cornstarch, which forms a thin protective coating, and optionally a little beaten egg white for an extra silky texture.
3. Marinate: Add the sliced beef to the marinade and mix thoroughly so every slice is coated. Let it marinate for at least 15–30 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, 15 minutes is enough, but longer gives better results.
4. Blanch or pre-fry the meat:
   • Blanching: The traditional Chinese method is a quick blanch. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then lower it to a gentle simmer. Add the beef and blanch for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until it turns pale. Remove quickly and drain. This sets the coating and gets the meat ready for a fast finish in the sauce.
   • Pre-frying: If you’d rather not blanch, quickly sear the beef in a wok with a little oil (about 1 tablespoon). Heat the oil until very hot and fry the beef only until half-cooked – about 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5. Finish in the main dish: Once the beef is velveted, add it to your dish – here, the stir-fried noodles – for the last couple of minutes of cooking, so it heats through and picks up the other flavors.

Print Recipe

Beef Chow Mein (Niú Ròu Chǎo Miàn 牛肉炒面)

Stir-fried noodles with tender, velveted beef, onion and peppers in a savory soy sauce – a quick wok classic with a long history in Chinese cooking.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 200 g beef about 7 oz, flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
• 200 g egg or wheat noodles about 7 oz
• 1 tsp light soy sauce for the marinade
• 1 tsp oyster sauce for the marinade
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• pinch of ground white pepper
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 onion sliced
• ½ red bell pepper cut into strips
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 2 scallions cut into pieces
• 2 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

• Mix the beef with the marinade soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil and white pepper. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
• Cook the noodles according to the package, rinse under cold water and toss with a few drops of oil so they don’t stick.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and quickly sear the beef until just cooked. Remove and set aside.
• Add another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the garlic, onion and bell pepper. After a moment, add the noodles and the light and dark soy sauce, and toss.
• Return the beef to the wok, add the scallions and toss everything together briefly. Serve right away.

Notes

Slice the beef thinly against the grain – partly freezing it for 20–30 minutes makes this much easier.

Fresh or dried chow mein noodles, egg noodles or thin wheat noodles all work. Look for “chow mein noodles” or “Hong Kong-style egg noodles” at Asian grocery stores.