Beef chow mein is a fast, savory noodle dinner built around browned beef, crisp vegetables, and a glossy soy-oyster sauce. The noodles soak up the sauce while cabbage, carrot, and bean sprouts keep each bite lively. With the ingredients prepped before the pan gets hot, this recipe comes together in about 25 minutes and makes two generous servings for a weeknight meal.
Why this recipe works
The recipe layers flavor in the same pan: beef is browned with garlic, a little sauce caramelizes around it, then vegetables and noodles finish in the remaining seasoned sauce. High heat keeps the cabbage and carrot from becoming soft, while the cornstarch slurry helps the sauce cling instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
What is beef chow mein?
Beef chow mein is a quick stir-fried noodle dish with beef mince, vegetables, and a savory sauce.
Ingredients and preparation
Gather 200 g chow mein noodles, 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 finely minced garlic cloves, 200 g beef mince, 3 green onion stems, 1 egg, 2 cups finely sliced green cabbage, 1 carrot cut into thin batons, and 1 heaped cup bean sprouts.
For the sauce, mix 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar, and a pinch of white pepper. Separately mix 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water.
How to make beef chow mein
Prepare the noodles according to the packet directions and drain them well. Keep the white and green parts of the onions separate so each can go into the pan at the right time.
Method summary: Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and white pepper. Mix the cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Prepare the noodles according to the packet directions, then drain well. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds, add the beef, and cook until no pink remains. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce and the white part of the green onions; cook for 2 minutes until caramelized. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the remaining sauce. Add the egg to the pan and stir it through the beef until mostly scrambled. Add the carrot and cabbage and cook for 1 minute, until the cabbage begins to wilt. Stir the sauce, then add the bean sprouts, noodles, and sauce. Toss for 1 minute, add the green part of the onions, and toss for 1 more minute.
- Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and white pepper.
- Mix the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry.
- Prepare and drain the noodles.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds, add the beef, and cook until no pink remains. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce and the white onion pieces; cook for 2 minutes until caramelized.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the remaining sauce.
- Add the egg and stir through the beef until mostly scrambled.
- Add carrot and cabbage and cook for 1 minute, until the cabbage begins to wilt.
- Stir the sauce, then add bean sprouts, noodles, and sauce. Toss for 1 minute, add the green onion tops, and toss for 1 more minute.
- Divide between bowls and serve hot.
Serving ideas
Serve the noodles as soon as they leave the pan, while the sauce is glossy and the bean sprouts still have some snap. A simple cucumber salad, steamed greens, or quick pickled vegetables makes a fresh contrast. This is a complete use case for a busy weeknight dinner, but it also packs well for a next-day lunch.
Tips and optional variation
Have every ingredient measured before cooking because the high-heat stages move quickly. If the noodles look dry, toss them for another few seconds with the sauce rather than adding a large splash of water. Optional variation: replace the ground beef with thinly sliced beef, keeping the same sauce and vegetables, and cook the slices in a single layer until just browned.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate cooled leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a teaspoon of water, tossing until steaming. The bean sprouts will be softer after storage, but the sauce will loosen again as it warms.
FAQs
Can I use ramen noodles?
Yes. Use thin yellow egg noodles or three ramen cakes, cooked and drained according to their packet directions.
How do I keep the vegetables crisp?
Slice them thinly, keep the pan hot, and cook them only until the cabbage begins to wilt before the noodles and sauce finish the dish.
Why use cornstarch slurry?
It thickens the remaining sauce just enough to coat the noodles and beef, preventing a watery result.
Before cooking, line up the sauce, slurry, noodles, and vegetables beside the stove. The first few minutes build the beef flavor, and the final toss is intentionally short. If the pan cools when the noodles go in, give it a moment to recover before adding more liquid. You are looking for noodles that are hot and separated, cabbage that is just wilted, and bean sprouts that remain visibly fresh.
The sauce balances salty soy, savory oyster sauce, fragrant cooking wine, and a small amount of sugar. Dark soy sauce mainly deepens the color, so measure it carefully rather than adding extra for more flavor. The slurry should be stirred again immediately before it goes into the pan because cornstarch settles quickly in water.
Final cooking notes
The order matters because each ingredient needs a different amount of heat. Beef mince benefits from direct contact with the hot pan, while cabbage and carrot need only a brief cook. Noodles can turn soft if they sit in liquid, so keep the final toss moving and serve as soon as the sauce is glossy. If you are cooking for more people, use a wider pan or work in batches so the ingredients sear instead of steaming.
For a milder bowl, use a mild oyster sauce and skip extra chili at the table. For more savory depth, add the optional sliced-beef variation described above, but keep the same measured sauce so the noodles do not become overly salty. Leftovers are best reheated once, in a skillet, until steaming.
Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl.
Beef Chow Mein
Adjust the serving amount to scale the ingredient list. Written quantities in the steps refer to the original recipe; adjust them in the same proportion. Timing may vary with batch size.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 200 g chow mein noodles or thin yellow egg noodles or 3 ramen cakes
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 200 g beef mince ground beef, any fat percentage
- 3 green onion stems cut into 5 cm lengths, white and green parts separated
- 1 egg
- 2 cups green cabbage finely sliced, or Chinese cabbage
- 1 carrot peeled and cut into thin batons
- 1 heaped cups bean sprouts about 75 g
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine Shaoxing
- 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch cornflour
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Instructions
- Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and white pepper.
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
- Prepare the noodles according to the packet directions, then drain well.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds, add the beef, and cook until no pink remains. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce and the white part of the green onions; cook for 2 minutes until caramelized.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the remaining sauce.
- Add the egg to the pan and stir it through the beef until mostly scrambled.
- Add the carrot and cabbage and cook for 1 minute, until the cabbage begins to wilt.
- Stir the sauce, then add the bean sprouts, noodles, and sauce. Toss for 1 minute, add the green part of the onions, and toss for 1 more minute.
- Divide between bowls and serve hot.
