Beef Ho Fun

Satisfy your craving with this restaurant-worthy version of Chinese beef ho fun. It’s an easy and quick recipe choice for a weeknight dinner.

What is beef ho fun

Beef ho fun – a.k.a. beef chow fun – is flat rice noodles stir-fried with beef, beansprouts, scallions, and seasoning sauces. 

This classic Chinese noodles dish was originally from Guangzhou and became well-known around the globe. Now you might come across many versions of these stir-fried flat rice noodles.

In Thailand, they have a similar dish called Pad Thai. And in Indonesia, there is Kweetiau which is very much alike.

This savory and satisfying dish features tender slices of beef stir-fried with wide rice noodles and vegetables. 

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.

Simple ingredients

There are nine items as the key ingredients to make beef chow fun. However, if you like a bit of spice in your noodles, you can add an extra item which is red chili flakes or fresh chili slices. 

So the ingredients you need are beef, flat wide rice noodles, scallions, beansprouts, garlic, light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, black pepper, salt, and cooking oil. 

When it comes to noodles, any flat rice noodles will do the job. If you can not get hold of the Chinese flat wide rice noodles, you can use Thai pad thai noodles. As they are both made of rice and have a thin flat shape. 

As for sweet soy sauce, if it’s not available to you, you can substitute it with a mix of one tablespoon of dark soy sauce and one tablespoon of honey. 

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 piece 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 it is 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 they release an aroma.

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 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 were just cooked – al dente. So they won’t get soggy or mushy when you stir-fry them.
• Quickly fry the cooked noodles in little oil and ensure all pieces are coated with oil 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-lid food container and keep it in the refrigerator. 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.

Beef Ho Fun recipe

Satisfy your craving with this restaurant-worthy version of Chinese beef ho fun. It’s an easy and quick recipe choice for a weeknight dinner.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 portion

Calories: 812kcal

Author: Devy Dar

Equipment

• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• Wok
• Slotted spoon

Ingredients

• 1 pack/ 2 oz/ 100 grams flat rice noodles ho fun/ ho fan noodles, or pad thai.
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil rapeseed oil, groundnut oil, or sunflower oil.
• 150 grams of beef cut into small slices.
• 2 cups/ 100 grams bean sprouts
• 2 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 of skewers to help the meat absorb the marination better. Set it aside.
• Boil the noodles according to the instructions, strain them, and discard the water. Set it aside.
• Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil on 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 beansprouts, 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 a mix of dark soy sauce and honey. For this recipe, one tablespoon of dark soy sauce and honey respectively is enough. Mix them both well until all is combined.

Nutritional Info Disclaimer

The nutritional info on this page is only an estimate using online calculator. It should not be used for health related guidance. Please verify your own data if you seek an accurate info.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 39331mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 5mg