An easy beef chow mein is one of the tastiest Chinese dishes and if you are in the mood to rustle up your own, rather than ordering takeout, you can expect not only to save money but also to be able to enjoy a superior, more authentic flavor.
You can make this easy beef chow mein in about 15 minutes flat, maybe less, and enjoy it for lunch or dinner. This is very soon going to be one of your favorite Chinese dishes!
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Different Types of Beef Chow Mein
Chow mein translates to mean fried noodles. Chow means ‘fried’ and ‘mein’ means noodles. There are 2 main variations of the dish – Hong Kong style which is with crispy noodles, or steamed chow mein.
In this recipe we are pairing beef and noodles with various vegetables (feel free to substitute any you don’t like for veggies you do) and keeping the seasoning simply by using soy sauce and oyster sauce, as well as a splash of sesame oil, to add that authentic Chinese flavor.
Easy Beef Chow Mein: Tweaks You Can Make
If you wish to make any other changes to your easy beef chow mein recipe, such as swapping the beef for chicken or seafood, or using just soy sauce instead of the oyster sauce and sesame oil, go ahead, and the dish will still be tasty.
See what you have in the cupboards and throw in anything you wish to use. That’s one of the great thing about noodles.
You can add all kinds of things and if you don’t have one of the ingredients just forget about it and add something else in the easy beef chow mein.
Can You Make Chow Mein with Spaghetti?
Use egg noodles, wide flat noodles, udon noodles (not traditional but yummy) or another variety. Can you make chow mein with rice noodles? Yes of course. You can throw in any kind of spaghetti or noodles.
Check the packaging first though, because different noodles have different cooking times and some need to be pre-soaked. But pretty much anything goes here.
PrintEasy Beef Chow Mein
Chow mein is one of the simplest Chinese dishes to learn and anyone can make it. Beef, noodles, vegetables and seasonings are combined to make this delicious dish – great for lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 17 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) can beansprouts, drained
- 7 oz (200g) soft noodles
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) beef, cut into strips
- 1/3 chopped red bell pepper
- 1/3 chopped carrot
- 1/2 chopped celery stalk
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt, to taste
- White pepper, to taste
- 1 3/4 oz (50g) canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained (optional)
- 1 sliced green onion, for garnish (optional)
- Oyster sauce and sesame oil, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Stir-fry the beef, bell pepper, carrot and celery in 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok for 3 minutes, then remove to a dish.
- Add the rest of the oil to the wok and get it nice and hot.
- Add the noodles and beansprouts.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef and veggies back in, along with the bamboo shoots, and cook for 3 minutes more.
- Grind in some salt and white pepper, and add the soy sauce.
- You can also add a teaspoon or so of oyster sauce and/or sesame oil if you want.
- Stir-fry for another 3 minutes, then serve hot, garnished with green onions if liked.
Notes
- Change the amounts of soy sauce and other seasonings if you need to, if you have used more vegetables or more noodles. Just use your judgement with quantities.
- To liven your easy beef chow mein up, adding a few red pepper flakes works well.
- If you don’t have white pepper, use black pepper (although white is more authentic in this recipe).
Keywords: beef chow mein recipe, how to make chow mein, can you make chow mein with spaghetti, can you make chow mein with rice noodles
