Easy Beef Chow Mein (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)

Think Chinese takeaway style Beef Chow Mein is too difficult to make at home? Think again! This Easy Beef Chow Mein is not only quick and simple to make, it’s also healthier than a standard takeaway version… and cheaper too! What’s not to like?

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 395kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Super Tender Beef Strips

450 g beef sirloin steak (approximately 2 steaks) fat removed and chopped into thin slices on the diagonal
¼ teaspoon baking soda (See Note 1)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Easy Chow Mein Sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce)
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 tablespoons cold water

Beef Chow Mein Stir Fry

1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small red pepper peeled and thinly sliced
½ small savoy cabbage thinly sliced
150 g beansprouts
4 spring onions thinly sliced
225 g dried medium egg noodles (I use Sharwoods Medium Egg Noodles)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preparation

Place the thin strips of beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and pour over 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Use your hands to turn the beef and get it evenly coated with the baking soda / soy sauce / sesame oil mixture (see Note 1). Set aside until later.
Mix all the Chow Mein Sauce ingredients in a jam jar (or similar). Screw the lid on tightly and give it a good shake.
Prepare all the vegetables as above. (This is important because you will need to work fast afterwards!)

Cooking

Place the dried noodles in a saucepan. Cover with plenty of boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3½ minutes or until nearly (but not quite) done to your liking. Use a fork to separate the noodles during cooking to ensure they don’t all clump together. Drain immediately when cooked. (See Note 2.)
Meanwhile, place a wok (or very large frying pan) over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the beef strips and fry for 1½ - 2 minutes, until nicely browned on the outside and but still a little pink in the middle. (See Note 3.) Remove the beef to a plate.
Put the wok back over a high heat and add the sliced onion, carrot, red pepper and cabbage. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the chow mein sauce to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly. Add the beef strips to the pan and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the drained noodles, beansprouts and HALF the sliced spring onions. Stir together thoroughly for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

To Serve

Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining sliced spring onions.

Notes

Using baking soda is a Chinese restaurant secret hack! It tenderises the meat, meaning that, though your beef is nicely browned on the outside, you will get super tender beef inside!
If you are leaving the noodles to stand for more than a minute, toss with a tablespoon of sesame oil to stop the noodles sticking together. It is important you don’t quite fully cook your noodles at this point, as they will cook a little more in the wok.
I recommend you don’t keep moving the beef around too much or you will not give the beef enough time to brown nicely on the outside. You want the beef to have lots of nice dark brown colour on the outside for maximum flavour, while leaving it slightly pink in the middle for maximum tenderness.
Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition