Chow fun noodles with beef, also known as ho fun noodles, is a hefty heavyweight contender for the title of fastest of the fakeaways. Slender strips of steak are tenderised in a sweet and swift marinade before being stir fried with chunky, chewy flat rice noodles, crisp beansprouts and then lightly coated in salty oyster sauce. Will you take up the stir fry challenge?

This particular Chinese stir fry recipe is not at all spicy. For some punch and powwow, but with rice, try Mongolian beef. Not actually Mongolian, but definitely spicy.

Top down shot of chop sticks picking up chow fun noodles with beef and beansprouts from a pan

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Ho fun noodles

Living in London gives you access to the most amazing and authentic yum cha. We are positively spoilt. Yum cha is basically the Cantonese version of brunch.

It is sublime and a tradition my family have fully embraced. Usually served before midday, you drink tea, eat dim sum, slurp up a noodle dish, pluck at roast duck on rice. That’s our selection anyway!

However, it can add up! Especially if your son putting away two steamer’s worth of xiao long bao by himself every visit to a Hong Kong-style teahouse. So, taking matters into my own hands, I decided to try making one of our favourite yum cha dishes at home: beef chow fun.

Chow fun, as it’s called in North America, or ho fun as it’s known in the UK, are both the exact same simple stir-fried noodle dish just with different names. The primary ingredients are thick, flat, white rice noodles called hor fun, and beansprouts.

Hor fun noodles are mostly used in stir fries but can also be seen in noodle soups. Our go-to is beef ho fun: pale and slippery noodles, marinated beef strips and just-cooked beansprouts in a sparing sweet and savoury sauce. Simple, authentic and delicious.

However, chow fun is easily tailored to your own tastes. You could swap the beef for pork, chicken, shrimp, or any meat you like. Personally, I think beef works best. And, if you want, you can add more vegetables; broccoli, mushrooms or pak choi are all suitable candidates.

So that’s the popular beef chow fun down. Now, on to those trickier xiao long bao…

Top down shot of chow fun noodles topped with beef and green onions on a plate with chop sticks

Recipe tips and notes

Not all rice noodles require cooking. Some just need a soak in boiling water. Check the package instructions before you take the plunge.
If your noodles do need cooking, I suggest reducing the cooking time as they will be fried later. Mine suggested 5 minutes, I cooked for 3 and they were absolutely perfect.
Chow fun noodle dishes are a quick fry. Make sure all the ingredients are prepped, chopped, mixed, and marinated before you turn on the heat.
Any meat or vegetables should be bite-sized, so they are easily plucked with a pair of chopsticks. You won’t find a knife in a yum cha tea house!
Meat is used sparingly in Chinese cooking and is sliced thinly. Freezing your steak for 30 minutes will firm it up making it easier to slice into slender strips.
The bean sprouts and green onions need seconds in the This is an affiliate link.wok. They should be hot, rather than completely cooked, and retain their texture.
Season your noodles twice. Once during frying and once at the end. Salt will enhance all the other marinade and sauce flavours making them clear as a bell.

Process shots of veg being prepared, chicken marinated before stir fried with noodles

Serving suggestions

Chinese stir fries are usually a complete meal in themselves- a fast-track, one-wok recipe combining protein, carbs and nutritious veg. And this recipe is no different; slivers of tender beef; chewy rice noodles; and crisp bean sprouts.

However, that is not nearly enough veg for my Western constitution so I would add a green side of steamed broccoli and bok choi.

If you like a bit of variety on the table, go full yum cha mode with an array of steamed and fried dumplings (these can be bought from some large supermarkets). Or add some sweet and gingery honey garlic shrimp (which doesn’t have to monopolise your wok) and/or some Asian air fryer chicken wings.

This ho fun noodle dish is sometimes unfairly criticised by spice lovers. A small dipping bowl of chilli sauce or chilli oil at the place of those critics will appease. Or offer a spicy side of Korean carrot salad or kimchi.

Top down shot of chow fun stir fry noodles in a large pan

Storage and leftovers

Leftover beef noodle stir fry can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I’m usually quite happy to eat cold noodles, but these fat and chewy bad boys are better reheated. Fire up that wok for Round Two! Or just zap them in the microwave for 60-90 secs.

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