Home > Dinner > Beef Chow Mein Beef Chow Mein April 6, 2019 | 26 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Easy 30-minute Beef Chow Mein has flavorful pieces of beef, plenty of veggies, and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I’m sharing all my tips and tricks for how to make Beef Chow Mein even better than takeout! Want to replace the beef with chicken? Try this Chicken Chow Mein version instead. Looking for an easy veggie-packed meal that can be ready in 30 minutes or less? Beef Chow Mein is just that! It’s simple to make and loaded with veggies. The stir fry sauce that covers this dish can be put together in just minutes and perfectly coats the noodles, beef, and veggies. What is the difference between Beef Lo Mein and Beef Chow Mein? It is often assumed that the main difference between lo mein and chow mein is the type of noodles that are used. However, mein (mian) is simply the Chinese word for noodles. So lo Mein translates to “tossed noodles,” while chow mein (chao) translates to “fried noodles” What kind of noodles are chow mein noodles? Chow mein is made with Chinese egg noodles — wheat flour noodles with egg added. You can use fresh or dried noodles for this Beef Chow Mein recipe. Below is a breakdown of different options: Yakisoba (such as Fortune® brand) is generally found in the refrigerated produce section of grocery stores. Fresh chow mein noodles are a good option but are often hard to find in the U.S. (They are available at some Asian grocery stores.) Dry spaghetti has a slightly different flavor, but it works. If you choose spaghetti, go with the thin spaghetti. Dry chow mein noodles (such as Wel-Pak®) are generally found in the Asian aisles of grocery stores alongside soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil (which are all conveniently needed for this dish). Using other vegetables One of the great things about Beef Chow Mein is how easy it is to customize. Feel free to use your favorite veggies. As long as the quantities remain consistent (and the veggies are chopped so they’ll cook in the right amount of time), you can use whatever you prefer. Here are some ideas: Bean sprouts Thinly sliced celery Julienned carrot Thinly sliced green bell pepper Thinly sliced sweet peppers Mushrooms Red cabbage (instead of green cabbage) Water chestnuts Snow peas If you can’t find the frozen vegetables recommended (not sponsored) in this recipe, I’d recommend adding 1-2 additional cups of cabbage, about 3/4 cup julienned carrot pieces, and 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery. (Add all these veggies in after about 1 minute of the beef cooking.) QUICK TIP Wait! Does this recipe actually call for marinating the beef in baking soda? Yes, it does. The technique is called velveting, and it’s the secret behind the super-tender meat served in Asian restaurants. Some recipes swap out corn starch for the baking soda, but either of these ingredients changes the pH level of the meat and prevents the meat fibers from getting tough and stringy. Just make sure to rinse the baking soda off the meat before cooking. Can you freeze Beef Chow Mein? Beef Chow Mein doesn’t freeze well. I recommend eating it fresh as soon as it’s finished being made. This recipe doesn’t make too much — 2 generous servings or 4 small servings. More noodles: Garlic Beef and Veggie Ramen Skillet Beef and Broccoli Ramen Spaghetti Bolognese (Crockpot) Chicken Ramen FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Beef Chow Mein 4.63 from 8 votes - Review this recipe Easy 30-minute Beef Chow Mein has flavorful pieces of beef, plenty of veggies, and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I'm sharing all my tips and tricks for how to make beef chow mein even better than takeout! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Beef Chow Mein 4.63 from 8 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Easy 30-minute Beef Chow Mein has flavorful pieces of beef, plenty of veggies, and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I'm sharing all my tips and tricks for how to make beef chow mein even better than takeout! Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine Chinese Keyword beef chow mein Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Cook Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 Calories 167kcal Author Chelsea Cost $8.20 Ingredients▢ 1 package (10 to 11 ounces) frozen stirfry vegetables▢ 1/2 pound (8 ounces) flank steak thinly sliced against the grain▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda▢ 2 cups green cabbage cut in small shreds▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic cloves minced (~2 large cloves)▢ 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced (~1-inch piece)▢ 1/4 cup green onions ~3 onions▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil▢ 1 package (6 ounces) chow mein noodles (I use WEL-pak)▢ 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce▢ 1/3 cup beef stock (beef broth works)▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar lightly measured, do not pack!▢ 1/2 teaspoon toasted (or plain) sesame oil▢ Freshly cracked pepper▢ Optional: toasted sesame seeds InstructionsBEEF PREP: Thinly slice the beef (1/4 inch thick) against the grain. Slice long strips into 2-3 smaller pieces. Place in a small bowl and toss with baking soda. Place in the fridge, covered, for 15 minutes. This will make the beef super tender! After 15 minutes, place beef in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly. (This step is optional; you can simply slice the beef and use like that.) Place in a bowl and add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce Cover and marinate for 15 minutes to an hour. Pat dry with a paper towel and it's ready for this recipe!VEGGIE PREP: prepare the ingredients in advance because the cooking goes fast! Finely shred the cabbage, coarsely mince the ginger and garlic (don't want too fine of a mince or they burn; don't use jarred/tube ginger or garlic). Thinly slice the green onions to separate the white root from the green. You should get about 1/4 cup thinly sliced white roots. Reserve the thinly sliced green part for later.SAUCE PREP: Whisk the cornstarch and soy sauce with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the oyster sauce, beef stock, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Add pepper to taste. (I add about 1/2 teaspoon.) Whisk until smooth. Reserve for later.NOODLES: Follow package directions to prepare the chow mein noodles. Rinse in cold water and set aside.COOK: Add the frozen veggies (unthawed and don't add liquid) to a large nonstick skillet. Put the heat on high and, stirring frequently, cook until mostly thawed, about 5 minutes (add vegetable oil if sticking/needed). Transfer to a plate. Add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the same skillet and keep over high heat. Add the white roots of the onion for a minute or two and then add in the garlic and ginger. Be very careful to make sure neither burn -- only cook for about 10-20 seconds. Add the beef (patted dry from the marinade) and stir constantly for about 1 minute or until both sides are lightly browned (but not cooked through).COOK CONT.: Add the cabbage right on top. Stir near constantly until cabbage is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetables that were set aside back in to the pan. Add in the cooked noodles and the sauce mixture. Toss with tongs for 1 minute. Add in the thinly sliced tops of the green onions.Enjoy immediately with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Nutrition FactsCalories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 847mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Hi Chelsea, as always you are the queen of one pot meals. This Chinese version is no exception and I would gladly turn my stove on and make this, then order take out. Reply
I always love your easy one-skillet meals and this one does not disappoint! Looks SO good, and I’m glad you had such a pleasant 4th weekend! Reply
So cute to hear about your little nugget enjoying the parade! I really love the theme of it too. My 4th was more low-key and just involved staying at home, so I’ll just have to live vicariously through you ;). This looks delicious! My half-Asian heart is singing right now <3 Reply
This sounds amazing and love that it’s a one skillet meal! I’ve done one-bowl and one-pan desserts, but I’m definitely going to start trying out one-pot/skillet savory meals, too! Reply
Yay for one skillet meals! I really need more of them in my life! haha Love the sound of that sauce especially! Reply
Sounds like you had a great weekend, Chelsea! This skillet looks delicious! You seriously make the best one pan meals. Can’t wait to try this out! Reply
Your holiday sounds great! I bet it was so fun to see the parade through Gray’s eyes! This is my kind of dinner – one pot, and so delicious! My husband will love this!! Reply
I am like you I always like to start up the week with an easy dinner 😉 This recipe sounds perfect for a Monday night dinner 😉 Pinned! Reply
Made this tonight. Delicious!!! Will definitely make again. The cabbage adds a great flavour! Thanks for a great recipe! Reply
lo mein and chow mein do use different types of noodles. Lo mein are thick and yellow round shape noodles where as chow mein could mean pan fried, stir-fried, or deep fried noodles in Mandarin. The translations from Cantonese to Mandarin then to Western interpretation made them a bit confusing. Lo = to pick it from bottom up and toss | Chow = stri-fry. So not only the types of noodles are different the cooking techniques are different, too. Reply
Simply divine! I used a wok, because I doubled the recipe. The sauce was bliss and the beef oh so tender. Thank you, I will be adding this to my repertoire! Reply
Made it last week. We really enjoyed it but I’m not crazy about oyster sauce. Could i use housin next time I make it? The trick to marinade the meet worked really well. I was afraid it would be tough.. Reply
I’m so glad you loved! You could definitely use hoisin in place of the oyster sauce! Thanks Glenda! 🙂 Reply
