Beef chow fun or gon chow ngau ho (乾炒牛河) is a classic and well known Cantonese dish. This beef chow fun recipe is healthier and less oil.
Love noodles? Check out these popular instant noodles stir fry, crispy pan fried noodles and wonton noodle soup recipes.
What is beef chow fun (乾炒牛河)?
Beef chow fun is a classic and well known Cantonese dish in southern China. It is a stir fried beef with ho fun (wide rice noodles) and bean sprouts.
In Cantonese, it called gon chow ngau ho (乾炒牛河). Also, beef chow fun is a dry fried style beef with ho fun noodles which means fried without sauce.
What is ho fun?
Ho fun is wide rice noodles which is also known as Shahe fen because it is originated from Shahe, Guangzhou.
Ho fun usually cook in soup or stir fried. Besides, ho fun can be dry-fried (fried without sauce) or wet-fried (fried with a sauce).
What are the ingredients in beef chow fun?
The three main ingredients are ho fun rice noodles, beef and bean sprouts.
How to make the best beef chow ho fun?
First, marinate the meat. Then, add the marinated beef into the wok and stir fried. Next, add other ingredients, ho fun noodles and sauce. After that, add bean sprouts and stir fried with chow fun.
The most important factor to make good beef chow fun is “wok hei” (鑊氣) which is cooking over a high flame and stirring quickly. Not only stir ho fun quickly, but also need to handle them gently, so the noodles will not break into pieces.
Besides, the amount of oil needs to control very well. If not, the excess oil will dry up noodles texture and ruin the dish.
Cooking tips for how to make beef chow fun:
- Personally, I love beef chow fun and I like to make it at home using less oil. The tip is to use non-stick pan to stir fried ho fun.
- I like to use fresh ho fun. If you cannot find fresh ho fun, use dry ho fun it works too. Although I can find fresh ho fun at the store nearby, most of time they are refrigerated. Often, I microwave the ho fun noodles and cover with a wet paper towel for a minute or two to soften them first. It is easier to separate and stir fry them.
FAQs:
What is dry chow fun?
Dry chow fun means stir fried rice noodles without extra sauce.
What kind of noodles do you use in chow fun?
Ho fun is a wider rice noodles and often use for beef chow fun dish.
What is the different between lo mein and chow fun?
It is the different ways to cook noodles. Lo mein is tossed noodles and most of time use Chinese egg noodles. On the other hand, chow fun means stir fried wider rice noodles in a pan or wok.
Instructions for how to make gon chow ngau ho:
1. If ho fun rice noodles refrigerated before, cover ho fun with a wet paper towel and microwave them for one or two minutes.
2. Next, separate the ho fun, so it’s not stack together and easy for stir fry.
3. After that, sliced beef into strips.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder to marinate the beef around 5 to 10 minutes before cooking.
5. After, pour 1/2 tablespoon of oil into non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Then, add bean sprouts, sprinkle some salt and stir fried for a minute or so. After that, set them aside.
6. Add ginger and marinated beef into non-stick pan.
7. Then, stir fried them until it turns brown. And, set them aside. (Don’t over cook the beef)
8. In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix them well.
9. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil into non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Then, add ho fun noodles, and pour the sauce from step 8 stir fried the noodles for one to two minuets.
10. Next, add beef, bean sprouts, green onion to the noodles and stir fried them little bit.
Enjoy this delicious and simple Chinese beef chow ho fun recipe! Also, check out these chicken udon stir fry, homemade chow mein and soy sauce noodles recipes.
You May Also Like These Noodle Recipes:
- BRAISED BEEF HO FUN NOODLE SOUP (牛腩河)
- JAPCHAE KOREAN GLASS NOODLES
- CHICKEN YI MEIN NOODLES
- CHICKEN STIR FRIED UDON NOODLES
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Beef Chow Fun
Ingredients
- 1 pack Ho fun rice noodles (32oz) 2 lb
- 1/2 lb Beef tri tip
- 5 slices Ginger
- 2 cups Bean sprout
- 2 sticks Green onion
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
MARINATED MEAT:
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder
SAUCE FOR NOODLES:
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Brown sugar
Instructions
- If ho fun rice noodles refrigerated before, cover ho fun with a wet paper towel and microwave them for one or two minutes.
- Separate the ho fun, so it’s not stack together and easy for stir fried
- Sliced beef into strips
- Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder to marinate the beef around 5 to 10 minutes before cooking.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil into non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Then, add bean sprouts, sprinkle some salt and stir fried for a minute. After that, set them aside.
- Add ginger and marinated beef into non-stick pan.
- Then, stir fried them until it turns brown. And, set them aside. (Don’t over cook the beef)
- In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix them well
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil into non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Then, add ho fun noodles, and pour the sauce from step 8 stir fried the noodles for one to two minuets.
- Next, add beef, bean sprouts, green onion to the noodles and stir fried them little bit.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make beef chow fun:
- Personally, I love beef chow fun and I like to make it at home using less oil. The tip is to use non-stick pan to stir fried ho fun.
- I like to use fresh ho fun. If you cannot find fresh ho fun, use dry ho fun it works too. Although I can find fresh ho fun at the store nearby, most of time they are refrigerated. Often, I microwave the ho fun noodles and cover with a wet paper towel for a minute or two to soften them first because it is easier to separate and stir fried them.