Easy Beef Chow Mein Recipe
Craving Chinese takeout but want something quick, easy and budget-friendly? This easy Beef Chow Mein is the perfect weeknight meal!
It comes together in around 15–20 minutes using simple ingredients you can easily find at your local Asian supermarket. The secret to making this recipe extra quick is using thinly sliced frozen beef, the type commonly used for hot pot. Because the beef is sliced so thinly, it cooks in just a couple of minutes.
Add some crunchy cabbage, carrots and fresh chow mein noodles, toss everything together in a simple savoury sauce, and you have a delicious homemade noodle dish that's perfect for the whole family.
Why You'll Love This Beef Chow Mein
Quick and easy – perfect for busy weeknights.
Beginner-friendly – no complicated cooking techniques.
Budget-friendly – simple ingredients and inexpensive cuts of beef work beautifully.
One-wok meal – less washing up!
Takeout-style flavour – savoury, slightly sweet and full of flavour.
Customisable – easily swap or add your favourite vegetables.
INGREDIENTS
Chow Mein noodles - 375g or one packet
Beef slices - 200g
Chinese Cabbage - 150g
Carrots - 80g
Garlic - 4 cloves
Scallions - 20g
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
SAUCE
Water - 3 tbsp
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Dark Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp
Sugar or MSG - 1/2 tsp
COOKING PROCESS
PREPARING THE INGREDIENTS
Mince 4 cloves of garlic
Thinly slice cabbage and carrots
Cut the white part of the scallions into small pieces, then cut the green part into 2-inch pieces.
SEASON THE BEEF
Place the thinly sliced beef in a bowl and add the soy sauce and sugar.
Mix well to coat the beef and set it aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
MAKE THE SAUCE
In a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar or MSG. Adjust the taste to your liking.
Mix well and set aside.
Having the sauce ready before you start cooking is important because stir-frying happens very quickly.
PREPARE THE NOODLES
Blanch the fresh chow mein noodles in boiling water for about 30 seconds, just long enough to loosen them.
Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. This helps stop the cooking process and prevents the noodles from sticking together.
Set aside.
BRINING THE DISH TOGETHER
Heat a wok over high heat and add the cooking oil.
Add the seasoned beef and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Because the beef slices are extremely thin, they cook very quickly. Once they're just cooked through, remove the beef from the wok and set it aside.
Using the same wok, add the minced garlic and the white parts of the scallions.
Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the sliced cabbage and carrots and stir-fry until the vegetables have softened but still have a little crunch.
Add the prepared chow mein noodles to the wok, followed by the sauce.
Toss and stir-fry everything together for about 1 minute, making sure the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.
Return the cooked beef to the wok and toss everything together.
Add the green parts of the scallions and give everything one final mix.
And that's it!
Your delicious homemade Beef Chow Mein is ready to serve.
Hope you enjoy this recipe! Please watch the Youtube video for more info - Easy Beef Chow Mein Recipe (Better Than Takeout in 20 Minutes!)
