Beef Chow Fun
Wide rice noodles, marinated beef, bean sprouts, scallion — a Cantonese stress test for wok hei.
Ingredients
- 500 g Flat rice noodles (he fen)
- 400 g Beef flank steak
- 200 g Bean sprouts
- 4 Scallions
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 10 g Ginger
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Peanut oil
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
- ½ tsp White pepper (optional)
Method
- Slice the beef thin against the grain.
- Marinate the beef with the light soy, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, white pepper, and a little sesame oil. Rest while you do the next three prep steps.
- While the beef marinates, mince the ginger and garlic. Cut the scallions into batons.
- Still during the marinade, stir the remaining light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar, and a splash of water together in a small bowl.
- Finish the marinade window by loosening the rice noodles with wet hands until the strands separate cleanly.
- Heat the wok dry until smoking. Add a little peanut oil and sear the beef in a single layer, then scoop it out.
- Return the wok to high heat with the remaining oil. Toss in the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Tip in the rice noodles and toss gently, letting them sear undisturbed between flips so they pick up colour.
- Pour the sauce around the rim of the wok. Toss to coat the noodles evenly.
- Add the beef, bean sprouts, and scallions. Toss until just heated through.
- Tip onto a platter. Serve at once.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Beef Chow Fun
Beef chow fun is a Cantonese classic and, as the dish's reputation goes, a real test of a wok cook — its whole identity rests on wok hei, the smoky char you only get from high heat and a well-seasoned wok. Wide, flat rice noodles are stir-fried with marinated flank steak, bean sprouts, and scallion in a dark, savory sauce that stains the noodles glossy brown. Done right, the noodles pick up faint scorch marks and a slippery-chewy texture while staying separate rather than clumping or breaking.
Getting there is about heat and prep. The beef is sliced thin against the grain and marinated with soy, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch to stay tender, while the noodles are gently loosened with wet hands so the strands separate without tearing. The wok is heated dry until smoking before any oil goes in, and everything cooks fast and hard from there — sear the beef, then the noodles and sauce, tossed quickly so nothing steams into mush. It's substantial, high in protein, and best eaten immediately, straight from the wok while the char and the noodles are at their best.
Beef Chow Fun: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Beef Chow Fun?
A serving has about 779 calories — 31.7g protein, 111.5g carbs, 21.8g fat, 4.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 31.7g of protein, roughly 16% of its calories.
Is Beef Chow Fun gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce, Dark soy sauce, Oyster sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How long does Beef Chow Fun take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 18 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Beef Chow Fun?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out toasted sesame oil, white pepper — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Beef Chow Fun make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.