Succulent beef slices stir-fried with soft, springy rice noodles then seasoned with soy sauce, beef chow fun is a classic Cantonese delicacy not to miss.
When I was working in Beijing, I always loved visiting Hong Kong-style Cha Can Ting/Cha chaan teng (茶餐厅, literally meaning Tea restaurant) for lunch. I’d order a plate of beef chow fun and a cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea. Simple, tasty and very satisfying! While there are no local outlets serving an authentic version of this dish near to where I live in England, I’m lucky enough to be able to find all the ingredients needed locally to make Beef Chow Fun (Beef Ho Fun, 干炒牛河) in my own kitchen.
What is beef chow fun
Beef chow fun consists of tender, succulent beef slices; soft, springy rice noodles; crispy beansprouts and aromatic Chinese chives. It’s tasty, comforting and nutritious (protein, vegetable and starch in one plate).
The Chinese name of this dish “干炒牛河” literally means “Dry fried beef and ho fun (a particular type of rice noodles)” As it suggests, the dish should look dry. That is to say, there shouldn’t be any excessive oil or sauce left on the plate when finished.
It’s not a complicated task to cook this delightful dish at home. However, I’d like to share a few tips and tricks to help you have a fail-proof experience.
Make the beef tender
- Choose the right cut of beef. This is the key to tender, tasty beef stir fry dishes. I recommend flank or skirt steak.
- Remember to slice the beef against the grain, especially if you use a cheaper cut of beef.
- Marinate the beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, water and a pinch of sugar. Massage the meat until it absorbs all the liquid. Then coat with a little oil to lock in the moisture.
Choose the right noodles
There are many types of Chinese rice noodles and they come in different shapes and forms. Authentic beef chow fun calls for a particular type named Sa-ho fun (沙河粉).
- Sa-ho fun are wide, slightly thick, non-transparent rice noodles.
- You may find them with different spellings such as Sa-ho fan, Sha he fen, etc. Show Chinese character 沙河粉 to the shop assistant if you have trouble finding them in Chinese stores.
- Use fresh sa-ho fun if available. They often come in a block pre-cut into strands. Prior to frying, gently separate them.
- Dried Sa-ho fun also work for this recipe. Follow the instructions on the package. Always remember not to overcook them and rinse under cold water right after boiling.
Use two types of soy sauce
Beef chow fun doesn’t require complicated seasoning. Two types of Chinese soy sauces are all that you need:
- Light soy sauce for its aromatic, sharp saltiness.
- Dark soy sauce for giving the dish an appetizing brown colour and a hint of sweetness to balance the taste.
Stir fry in sequence
To ensure the best texture of your homemade beef chow fun, please follow these steps when stir-frying:
- Quickly fry the beef in oil. Transfer out as soon as it turns pale (Do not overcook).
- In the remaining oil, stir fry sa-ho fun using a pair of chopsticks (They work better than spatular which breaks the noodles more easily).
- Add in beansprouts & onion slices. Cook them for a short period of time to retain their crispiness.
- Finally stir in the beef, Chinese chive and the seasoning. Dish out as soon as everything is evenly coated with the sauce.
Another note: Make sure you use a well-seasoned wok or a non-stick wok.
Beef Chow Fun (Beef Ho Fun, 干炒牛河)
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 140 g beef, preferably flank/skirt steak - 5oz
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
You also need:
- 450 g sa-ho fun - 16oz, see note 1
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 60 g beansprouts - 2oz
- ¼ onion, thinly sliced
- 30 g Chinese chives - 1oz, see note 2
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Instructions
Marinate the beef
- Slice the beef against the grain. Mix with light soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, water and sugar. Coat with oil then leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Prepare the rice noodles
- If using fresh ones: Gently separate the sa-ho fun by hand into long strands (try not to break them into small pieces).
- If using dried ones: follow the instructions on the package to cook then rinse under cold water prior to stir-frying.
Stir fry
- Pour oil into a hot wok. Stir in the marinated beef slices. Fry until they just turn pale (do not overcook). Dish out and leave the oil in the wok.
- Put in sa-ho fun. Gently stir around with a pair of chopsticks. When the sa-ho fun begins to wilt, add in beansprouts and onion. Fry for 30 seconds or so.
- Add the beef and Chinese chives. Pour in light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Cook for a further 30 seconds.
NOTES
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
First time customer, and I hope I learn more than I know, thank you so much 👍👍👍
You’re welcome Edgar! Have fun cooking yummy dishes!
great recipe!
and your tips and information are so on spot! I have been trying to replicate grandma’s cooking from my childhood. I am now almost 65.
thank you…
you should publish a cookbook!
I have a recipe for wontons. my wife says that it’s tasty, but doubted the recipe was authentically Hong Kong.
one time we had business in Hong Kong. of course, I had wonton noodles every morning! my wife had to agree that my recipe tasted just like Hong Kong wontons. it was not easy to find a restaurant that made wontons with a shrimp/pork mixture. I had been vindicated…
note: she is northern Chinese, and her family can trace lineage to a royal line. my heritage? from a rice paddy northwest of Kwangtung, that to this day, are rice fields. talk about North vs. South, royal blood vs. farmhand, educated vs. rustic. so many differences on so many social economic levels…
Very happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed my recipe. Thank you for sharing your story. Very interesting!
Thank you for the recipe! It is one of my favourite dishes, and another one I remember from the Chinese restaurant I used to work years ago (now it is closed down) it was called Char Kway Teow. And would love to know how to make it 🙂
My pleasure to share Simona! Sorry I’m not familiar with Char Kway Teow. Food blogger Nagi seems to have a recipe. Check it out!
Thanks again for sharing some of the foods of your culture. I LOVE trying new things and YOUR RECIPES are not only delicious but they are easy. I PRAY You and Your Family be BLESSED this New Year, and many more to come. So I THANK for your season greeting and inspiring recipes, keep em coming, have a great new year. Rockie❤
Thank you so much Rockie for your appreciation for my work! A very happy new year to you too!
Love all your recipes. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Rockie! Wish you a wonderful year in 2021!
I’m sorry but the proportions seem to be off. Too many noodles and not enough beef or sauce. I think the dish is good if you cut back on the noodles.
Thank you John for visiting my blog. Cooking is a very personal thing after all. My recipe reflects how I like this dish to be and the noodle beef ratio I enjoy when eating in restaurants in China. Please feel free to adjust based on your own preferences.
Hi! Will this recipe work if I use the hand pulled noodles from your other recipe- letting them be the wide kind? TIA!
Hi Kit! I’ve never thought of making this with hand-pulled noodles. But why not! In fact, stir-fried hand-pulled noodles is a recognised dish in the region where I grew up. Cook the hand-pulled noodles first. Rinse very well under water to prevent sticking. Then stir-fry the same way.
this will be my lunch😋
I wanted to ask your opinion about the different types of wok..which do you think is the best and more versatile(in terms of using on different cooking surface)?
Thank you!
I like carbon steel woks the most. If you want to use it on various types of cookers, buy a flat bottom one which works on electric stoves (including induction hob).
Hi Fred! Yes you are correct that authentic beef chow fun doesn’t call for oyster sauce, garlic and ginger. I add a little onion to the traditional recipe as I personally like a little oniony flavour. Also as I mentioned in my recipe notes, authentic recipe calls for yellow Chinese chives. I use regular green Chinese chives as the yellow ones are much less accessible outside China.
Hi Wei,
There are many beef chow fun recipes on the internet. I’m looking for an authentic version. Can I consider your version to be authentic? Is it correct that there’s no oyster sauce, garlic and ginger in an authentic beef chow fun?
Thanks in advance and greetings from The Netherlands,
Fred