This Beef Chow Mein is full of tender pieces of beef, heaps of fresh veggies, and stir fried noodles coated in a flavorful sauce. Who doesn’t love a big bowl of stir fried noodles? The ultimate satisfying weeknight dinner!
This is your sign to toss the takeout menu and make this delicious (and much more economical version); tonight!
What you’ll need to make Beef Chow Mein
Beef
- 300 g steak sirloin, flank, or skirt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper – I use more because I like it peppery
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Chow Mein
- 6 oz dried chow mein noodles
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 5 scallions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup carrots
- ¾ cup celery
- ½ bell pepper – I use a combo of green and red for more color
- ¼ savoy or green cabbage – medium sized
- 227 g can sliced water chestnuts
Chow Mein Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce see notes
- 1½ tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine see notes
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ⅓ cup beef stock or water
- ½ tsp white pepper
Why am I coating the meat in a cornstarch mixture?
This is a technique called “velveting”, commonly used when cooking over high heat, like in a stir-fry. The meat is marinated in a mixture containing cornstarch, which essentially, acts as a protective barrier around the meat fibers, keeping them juicy and creating a slightly crispy exterior. There will never ever be dry meat in my stir fries. Not today (or any day) satan!
What is dark soy sauce? How does it differ from the regular stuff?
Dark soy sauce is a dark-colored soy sauce used mainly for adding color and flavor to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than regular soy sauce. I really love the rich color it adds to chow mein.
If you don’t have dark soy sauce on hand; no worries! I would swap for half soy sauce and half hoisin.
What is Shaoxing wine? What can I use instead?
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine that’s used for cooking and toasting. It’s a key ingredient in many Chinese dishes, including braised meats, stir fries, and Drunken Chicken. The taste profile is slightly sweet, with a potent smell, and a dry, sharp aftertaste.
This is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian noodles. You can substitute with Mirin, dry sherry, or sake.
Non alcoholic sub – sub the cooking wine low sodium broth/stock.
Looking for more homemade takeout or restaurant favorites? Take a peek at the ones below!
- Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
- Beef Lok Lak (Shaking Beef)
- Butter Chicken
- Falafel
- Saag Paneer
- LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
- Tuna Poke
- Garlic Noodles (Thanh Long and Crustacean Copycat)
Beef Chow Mein
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices. In a medium-sized bowl, make a slurry by whisking together soy sauce, water, and cornstarch. Whisk until there are no cornstarch clumps. Mix in kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder. Add sliced beef; toss until combined and coated. Cover, then pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- While the steak is chilling in the fridge, let's make the sauce and prep the fresh ingredients. Stir-fries go down incredibly quickly! If you don't have everything ready to go and organized, the recipe is already doomed. Preparation is key, especially with fast cooking meals, like stir fries.
- In a medium-sized bowl, make a slurry with cornstarch, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine; whisk until cornstarch is fully incorporated and there are no visible lumps. Add hoisin, oyster sauce, sesame oil, beef stock, and white pepper; whisk until well-combined. Set aside.
- Prep all the veggies, garlic, and strain the water chestnuts.
- Cook the chow mein noodles in boiling water, then drain and run under cold water to stop them from sticking together. Use your fingers to separate the noodles while rinsing. Set aside. I'm hesitant to say "follow the package instructions" because the ones I buy say to cook for 3 minutes but they're ready in exactly half the time. Just be aware of this.
- Remove the steak from the fridge. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (with a high smoke-point) in a wok over a high heat. Add steak to the wok and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning couple of times, until the steak is just cooked. Using tongs, remove the steak from the pan and transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add whites from the scallions, garlic, carrot, and celery; fry for 3 minutes, continuously tossing everything together with a spatula.
- Add the bell pepper, cabbage, and water chestnuts; fry again for 2 minutes, keeping everything constantly moving in the wok with your spatula. See why everything needs to be ready to go? This is a full body activity.
- Add the cooked steak back to the wok, along with the noodles and green parts of the scallions. Pour the sauce over the top. Stir fry everything together for 2 minutes, tossing regularly with a set of tongs, until the noodles are hot.
- Serve with sesame seeds and sliced scallions (optional).
