• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary logo

  • > Start Here
  • The Recipes
    • Browse all categories
    • Asian
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Roast Dinner
    • Curries
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • Big Batch
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • Skinny Recipes
    • Street Food
    • Lunch
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cakes & Treats
    • BBQ
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Sauces and Dips
  • My New Book
  • Blogger Resources
    • Living The Blog
    • How to start a food blog
    • Income Reports
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Sign-Up
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
go to homepage
Homepage link
  • > Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Never miss a recipe!
  • 20 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers & Party Food
  • Asian
  • Curries
  • Dinner
  • One Pot
  • Pasta
  • Roast Dinner
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooked
  • Soups
  • Street Food
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Asian

    Beef Chow Mein

    Published: Jan 30, 2022 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Tender steak strips with chow mein noodles and vegetables in a tasty stir-fry sauce.
    I love this beef chow mein for a quick dinner that everyone enjoys. It's not spicy, just full of umami flavour.
    You can use whatever vegetables you have to hand, and even use them to replace the meat if you're looking for a meat-free easy dinner.

    Beef chow mein on a blue plate on a grey background. There are chopsticks on the edge of the plate.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need?
    • 📺 Watch how to make it
    • 🍲 More fantastic Noodle dishes
    • Beef Chow Mein
    • 💬 Reviews

    I love a great noodle stir fry, and this one has so much flavour!

    We don't need to marinade the beef for this recipe - just a little sprinkling of garlic salt and black pepper, to compliment the flavour of the meat.

    The rest of the flavour (besides the noodles and vegetables), comes from the chow mein sauce, which is made from store-cupboard ingredients.

    So let's take a look.

    📋 What do we need?

    For The Stir Fry:

    Ingredients for a beef stir fry on a wooden table.

  • Steak - I like to use thin sirloin steak for the BEST flavour. You can replace with flank/skirt steak for a less expensive cut. If you're using flank/skirt steak, be sure to cut really thinly, as it can be chewy if sliced too thick. Always sliced AGAINST the grain.
  • For The Chow Mein Sauce:

    Overhead photo of Ingredients for chow mien sauce on a wooden table.
    • Chinese rice wine - this is made from fermented glutinous rice and has a slightly sweet flavour. You can use white rice wine, or Shaoxing rice wine (which is amber in colour and slightly richer). If you don't have rice wine, you can replace with sherry or mirin - but use ¾ of the amount of mirin as it's a fair bit sweeter, and we already have sweetness in the kecap manis.
    • Kecap manis - this is a sweet soy sauce with a syrupy consistency that adds a lovely sweet and savoury flavour to sauces.
    • Chow mein noodles - these are wheat-based noodles, often made with egg, but not always. They're usually quite thin and pale in appearance. I buy the dried ones online, as they're difficult to find any of my local supermarkets. You can use fine egg noodles instead, but I find them a little more eggy. If I can't find chow mein noodles, I tend to replace with ramen noodles (from ramen noodle packets, but with the flavour sachet discarded).

    📺 Watch how to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    1. First we cook the noodles, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles sticking together.
    2. Make up the chow mein sauce next. We simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl, but be sure to mix the cornflour (cornstarch) into the other sauce ingredients BEFORE adding the beef stock (adding cornflour to warm/hot stock will cause the sauce to go lumpy).
    3. Slice the steak into thin strips and season with garlic salt and black pepper, then fry in hot oil for a few minutes, until browned. Then remove from the pan/wok.
    4. Now we fry the vegetables in the wok in a little oil - onions, garlic, carrot, green pepper, cabbage and beansprouts.
    5. Add in the cooked steak strips, the noodles and the chow mein sauce and toss it all together using a set of tongs until everything is hot and the sauce clings to the noodles and vegetables.
    Close up of beef chow mein noodles being lifted with a set of chopsticks.

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP Place the steak in the freezer for 30-40 minutes to firm up a little. This will make it much easier to slice the steak into thin strips.

    I like to sprinkle with some sesame seeds, chilli flakes and chopped spring onions (scallions) before serving.

    Tall image of beef chow mein on a blue plate with a set of chopsticks on top. The is a further plate of chow mein, just out of shot. The plates are on on a grey background with a napkin and some sesame seeds and spring onions around the dish.

    Check out more tips in the recipe card below for scaling the recipe up and down and a few ingredient swap ideas.

    I'd love to know if you make it too! Drop me a comment below if you do 😊

    🍲 More fantastic Noodle dishes

    • With eggs two ways, you won't miss the meat in my Vegetarian Kway Teow! A quick meal, good for the mid-week dinner rush! Top with extra hard boiled eggs!
      Vegetarian Kway Teow (Asian Noodles)
    • My Crispy Chilli Beef Noodles can be on the table in 20 minutes. A great alternative to that Chinese takeaway!
      Crispy Chilli Beef Noodles
    • overhead of a Mee goreng (asian noodles) on a white plate with egg, chillies and lime slices
      Spicy Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles)
    • Square image of Asian salmon on top of stir fried noodles on a dark blue plate. Further plate of salmon and noodles in the background along with little plates of garnishes.
      Asian Salmon with Chilli Lime Noodles
    • Square image of Mee Siam fried noodles on a green plate on a dark background.
      30 minute Malaysian Mee Siam
    • Overhead shot of bowl of Beef Chow Fun
      Easy Beef Chow Fun Recipe

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    Square image of beef chow mein on a blue plate, with chopsticks resting on the plate.

    Beef Chow Mein

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Tender steak strips with chow mein noodles and vegetables in a tasty stir-fry sauce. A quick dinner that everyone loves!
    5 from 4 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories 470 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 150 g (5.3 oz) dried chow mein noodles - (or dried fine egg noodles)
    • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
    • 300 g (10.5oz) thin sirloin, skirt or flank steak - - sliced thinly, against the grain *Tip 1
    • ¼ tsp garlic salt
    • ½ tsp black pepper
    • 1 small onion - , peeled and sliced
    • 2 cloves garlic - , peeled and minced
    • 1 carrot - , peeled and sliced into matchsticks
    • ½ green bell pepper - , deseeded and sliced
    • ¼ savoy cabbage - , thinly sliced
    • 100 g (3.5oz) beansprouts

    Chow Mein Sauce

    • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
    • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
    • 2 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
    • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
    • 90 ml (⅓ cup) beef stock
    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • ¼ tsp white pepper

    To Serve

    • Chopped spring onions (scallions)
    • Sesame seeds
    • Chilli flakes

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Cook the chow mein noodles, in boiling water, as per the pack instructions, then drain and run under cold water to stop them sticking together.
    • While the noodles are cooking, make the chow mein sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour, soy sauce and Chinese rice wine, until the cornflour is fully incorporated.
    • Then add in the kecap manis, hoisin sauce, beef stock, sesame oil and white pepper. Mix together to combine and put to one side.
    • Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a wok over a high heat.
    • Season the steak strips in the garlic salt and pepper, then add to the wok and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once or twice, until the steak is just cooked.
    • Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
    • Add the remaining one tablespoon of oil to the wok
    • Add the onion, garlic and carrot, and fry for 3 minutes, regularly tossing everything together with a spatula.
    • Add the green pepper, cabbage and beansprouts and fry again for 2 minutes, keeping everything moving in the wok with your spatula.
    • Now add the steak strips back to the wok, along with the noodles. Pour the chow mein sauce over the top.
    • Stir fry everything together for 2-3 minutes, tossing regularly with a set of tongs, until the noodles are hot.
    • Serve topped with spring onions, sesame seeds and chilli flakes.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    *Tip 1 Freeze the Steak - just a little
    Place the steak in the freezer for 30-40 minutes before slicing. This will make the meat firmer and easier to slice thinly.
    Can I make it ahead and/or freeze?
    I don't recommend making this dish ahead, it tastes much better when eaten right away.
    Ingredient swaps
    Swap out the steak for chicken or prawns
    Add different vegetables - mushrooms, bamboo shoots, red peppers and mange tout all work great!
    How to scale up and scale down this recipe
    You can halve this recipe to serve two (or reduce it by one-quarter to serve 2 hungry people), sticking to the same ingredient ratios and cooking times.
    You can also scale up this recipe to serve more people, but there is quite a lot of volume in the wok, once the vegetables and noodles are in there, so you'll need to use a very large wok in order to double the recipe.
    If you are doubling, cook the steak in two batches (so the steak browns properly). You'll also need to cook the vegetables, and then the whole chow mein (once everything has been added to the wok) for a few minutes longer, to ensure it's all hot throughout.
    Nutritional information is per serving - this recipe serves 4.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 26gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 1486mgPotassium: 614mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 3173IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 4mg
    Keywords Beef Stir Fry, mid week dinner, Quick and Easy
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    More Asian Inspired Recipes

    • Overhead image of chicken lo mein on a blue plate on top of a wooden table. There is a pot of sweet chilli sauce and some chopsticks at the top of the image.
      Easy Chicken Lo Mein
    • Crispy orange beef with peppers and onions on a shallow oval plate. There are slices of orange on the plate.
      Crispy Orange Beef
    • Square image of seafood laksa in a white bowl on a dark surface. The laksa is topped with a coriander-chilli-red onion garnish.
      Seafood Laksa
    • Square image of a bowl of minced beef fried rice, topped with sliced spring onions. There is a fork sticking out of the bowl.
      Minced Beef Fried Rice

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    Plate of honey and soy chicken stir fry with noodles
    Honey and Soy Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Asian Noodles
    Overhead image of chicken lo mein on a blue plate on top of a wooden table. There is a pot of sweet chilli sauce and some chopsticks at the top of the image.
    Easy Chicken Lo Mein
    Black pepper beef stir fry with red and green peppers in a black bowl
    Black Pepper Beef
    beef and broccoli stir fry in a pan with a wooden spoon
    Beef and Broccoli

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate the recipe




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Sarah says

      March 12, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      We made this tonight, it was so much nicer than buying the ready made mixed stir fry vegetable bags from the supermarket , It Was lovely and fresh and very tasty loved the chow mien sauce taste, thank you.

      Reply
    2. Rick Jones says

      February 15, 2022 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      The key is the chow main sauce. Absolutely delicious and you can then use this for any type of food. Thank you

      Reply
    3. Jean hinds says

      February 07, 2022 at 7:29 am

      5 stars
      Made this chow mien. Recipe .
      Loved it , so easy and tasty

      Reply
    4. Andrean says

      February 05, 2022 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent have made it twice now one as per original and next with chicken and different veg. This and your crispy sesame chicken with Asian sauce are family favourites
      Thanks Nicky

      Reply
    5. Vicky says

      February 01, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      So sorry to hear of the health problem but as you say, family comes first.
      I do appreciate your recipes .Thank you.

      Reply
    6. Geraldine says

      January 31, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      Hi Nicky & Chris. Really sorry to hear you've been having a difficult time lately. It's always hard juggling things where family is concerned. But we're all here waiting patiently for when you are ready again to share your wonderful recipes. I wish your relative a speedy recovery. . Take care. Geraldine X

      Reply
      • Chris Corbishley says

        February 03, 2022 at 2:25 pm

        Thank you so much Geraldine

        Chris & Nicky

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    Recipes by category:

    • Popular Recipes
    • Asian
    • Curries
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • British Classic Recipes
    • BBQ
    • Roast Dinner
    • Street Food
    • Pasta
    Search For a Recipe

    Our Top Trending Recipes:

    • Crispy Sesame Chicken on a bed of rice in a stone bowl
      Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
    • honey garlic chicken in a bowl on top of boiled rice
      Honey Garlic Chicken
    • Roast potatoes with salt and fresh thyme leaves
      The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
    • Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).
      Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon
    • Chicken curry in a white bowl with rice.
      Easy Chicken Curry
    • Satay sauce in a small copper pan topped with peanuts and coriander
      Easy Satay Sauce Recipe
    • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
      Korean Fried Chicken
    • Overhead image of tuna pasta bake in a white dish topped with finely chopped parsley.
      Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

    FREE recipes direct to your inbox!

    Never miss a recipe and sign up for our completely FREE emails.

      Featured Recipes:

      • Hands holding bowl of Bowl of chilli con carne with rice
        Chilli Con Carne
      • Lancashire hotpot on wooden background
        Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
      • A dish of creamy chicken pie with puff pastry sat on a blue and white striped cloth.
        Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
      • Egg fried rice on a dark bowl on a white background.
        Egg Fried Rice
      • Bowl of Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds and strips of spring onion.
        Korean Fried Chicken
      • Firecracker Chicken on a blue plate against a dark background
        Copycat Firecracker Chicken
      • Square image of buffalo chicken pasta in a silver pan on a light grey background.
        Buffalo Chicken Pasta
      • A simple made-from-scratch curry, slow cooked to intensify the heat and flavour.
        Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
      As Featured On
      brit and co logo
      buzzfeed logo
      cheshire life logo
      country living logo
      beautiful home and life logo
      my fitness pal logo
      Neff logo
      The telegraph logo
      The Kitchn logo
      Vegetarian society logo

      Footer

      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

      DMCA.com Protection Status

      Most Recent Recipes

      • Spaghetti aglio e olio
      • One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
      • Easy Chicken Lo Mein
      • Pork Carnitas
      • Sticky Pineapple Chicken

      Copyright © 2023 LoveFoodCreative Ltd - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Terms & Conditions