Beef Ho Fun (Beef Chow Fun): Easy One-Pan Noodle Recipe
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Beef ho fun is the sort of meal you make when you want something hot, savory, and ready in minutes. Wide rice noodles soak up the sauce, the beef stays tender, and everything comes together in one pan. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but feels like something you’d order out.
What Is Beef Ho Fun
Beef ho fun, often called beef chow fun, is a Cantonese stir-fry built around wide, flat rice noodles. They’re tossed with sliced beef, bean sprouts, scallions, and soy-based sauces until everything is coated and just slightly charred at the edges.
The dish originally comes from Guangzhou but has traveled far. You’ll find similar noodle plates across Asia, such as Pad Thai in Thailand, and kweetiau in Indonesia. Each has its own flavor, but they all have the same fast, high-heat cooking at the core.
What makes beef ho fun stand out is the texture. The noodles are soft but not limp. The beef is tender. The bean sprouts stay crisp. Every bite has contrast.
Although bean sprouts and scallions are the most commonly used veggies for this delicious stir-fried noodles, you can always use different vegetables that you like.
Try bell pepper, carrot, green beans, sugar snaps, or mushrooms. They all will make delicious beef chow fun.
Beef ho fun can be enjoyed as a main course or served as a part of a larger meal alongside other dishes such as egg rolls or dumplings.
The key to making flavorful beef ho fun is to use high-quality ingredients and the right cooking techniques. But don’t worry, it won’t take a genius to do so. All you need is a good taste bud that can tell the difference between each item in the required ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick. You can have it on the table in about 30 minutes.
- Everything cooks in one pan, so clean-up stays easy.
- The ingredients are simple and easy to swap based on what you have.
- The noodles soak up the sauce without turning heavy or greasy.
- You get that slightly smoky, takeaway-style flavor at home.
- It’s filling without feeling overly rich.
- You can adjust the heat with chili or keep it mild.
- It works as a full meal or part of a larger spread.
Simple Ingredients
You don’t need much, just a few things that work well together:
- Beef
- Flat, wide rice noodles
- Scallions
- Bean sprouts
- Garlic
- Light soy sauce
- Sweet soy sauce
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Cooking oil
If you like heat, add fresh chili or chili flakes.
Any flat rice noodle works. If you can’t find Chinese ho fun noodles, Thai pad thai noodles are a good stand-in; they cook the same and hold sauce well.
No sweet soy sauce? Mix dark soy sauce with a spoonful of honey. It gives you that same deep, slightly sweet edge.
How to Make Beef Ho Fun
Prepare the beef by marinating it in a tablespoon of light soy sauce and half of the crushed garlic. To help the flavor develop better, pierce the meat all over with a fork. Set it aside.
Next, cook your wide rice noodles according to the instructions. For this recipe, you only need a cluster of dried flat rice noodles. Boil until the noodles are cooked through. Strain and discard the water.
Then heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok, frying pan, or skillet, and lightly fry the noodles until they are fully coated with oil. Take the noodles out of the wok and set them aside.
This way, we prevent the noodles from getting soggy when we stir-fry them with other ingredients later.
On the same wok, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Fry the remaining crushed garlic and half the sliced scallions until fragrant.
Stir in the beef slices and fry for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is just cooked.
Then add the noodles, sweet soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir well until everything is coated with the seasoning sauces.
Add the bean sprouts and season with black pepper and salt. Keep stirring to make sure everything is mixed well.
Lastly, stir in the remaining scallion slices and sprinkle chili flakes/ chili slices (if using) before serving.
Tips for Achieving the Best Flavor and Texture
- The beef should be thinly sliced against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- The rice noodles should be cooked until they are just cooked – al dente. So they won’t get soggy or mushy when you stir-fry them.
- Quickly fry the cooked noodles in a little oil, ensuring all pieces are coated before cooking the beef. This will prevent the noodles from overcooking and becoming too soft.
- Prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook. Make sure everything is within reach. So your stir-fry will not be overcooked, and the veggies in it will be nice and crunchy.
How to Store Your Cooked Beef Chow Fun
Put the cooked beef ho fun in a tight-lidded food container and refrigerate it. It keeps well for up to one week. You can warm it up in a microwave or a wok before serving.
If you reheat it in a wok or frying pan, sprinkle a little water so that your beef chow fun will not get dry.
Common Questions Answered
Can I use a different cut of beef?
Yes. Flank steak, sirloin, or rump all work well. The key is slicing it thinly against the grain so it stays tender.
Why do my noodles turn mushy?
They’re likely overcooked or not dried enough before stir-frying. Boil them until just tender, drain well, then toss them in a quick oil before adding them back to the pan.
Can I make this vegetarian?
You can. Swap the beef for firm tofu or mushrooms and use vegetarian oyster sauce if you have it. The cooking method stays the same.
Beef Ho Fun Recipe
Equipment
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 2 Ounces flat rice noodles ho fun/ ho fan noodles, or pad thai.
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil rapeseed, groundnut, or sunflower oil.
- 5 Ounces beef cut into small slices.
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 2 stalks stalks of scallions/ spring onion sliced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce see the note
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes optional
Instructions
- Cut the beef into small pieces and marinate them with light soy sauce and half of the crushed garlic. Top tip: Pierce the meat with a fork or skewers to help the meat absorb the marinade better. Set it aside.
- Boil the noodles, strain them, and discard the water according to the instructions. Set it aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan and lightly stir-fry the cooked noodles for a few minutes. Set it aside.
- Using the same pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the remaining crushed garlic and half of the sliced scallion (spring onion) until fragrant.
- Add the beef and stir-fry until it is thoroughly cooked. It takes approximately 2-3 minutes as they are small slices.
- Next, add the flat rice noodles and pour the sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until everything is mixed and nicely coated with the seasoning sauces.
- Then add the bean sprouts, coarse black pepper, and salt. Stir until all is mixed.
- Sprinkle the remaining sliced scallion. If you use chili flakes, you can sprinkle them towards the end just before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have sweet soy sauce or can not get hold of it, you can substitute it with dark soy sauce and honey. For this recipe, one tablespoon each of dark soy sauce and honey is enough. Mix them both well until all is combined.
