Beef Pan-Fried Noodles (2024)

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: restaurant-style

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

• 8 oz (225 g) flank steak (or skirt steak) , thinly sliced against the grain
• 8 oz (225 g) fresh Hong Kong pan fry noodles (or other type of thin noodles) (Footnote 1)

Meat & Marinade

• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauce

• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (*Footnote 2)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Stir-Fry

• 4 tablespoons peanut oil , divided
• 4 heads baby bok choy , quartered
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 inch (2.5 cm) ginger , minced
• 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
• 1/2 carrot , sliced into strips

• Combine the beef and the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Toss with your hands to coat the beef evenly and let marinate while preparing other ingredients.

• Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.

• Prepare the noodles according to package directions (*Footnote 3). Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.

• Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan (nonstick or carbon steel) with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the noodles into a patty shape (*Footnote 4). Cook without flipping until the bottoms turn golden. Turn the noodles to fry the other side until golden. Drizzle in a bit more oil to help with the frying, if needed. Once done, transfer the noodles to a big serving plate.

• Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the same pan. Add the beef and spread it out in a single layer using a pair of tongs or chopsticks. Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds or so, or until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip to cook the other side until browned. Stir a few times until the beef is cooked (it’s OK if there’s a hint of pink inside), transfer to a big plate, and set aside.

• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and carrots. Quickly stir a few times to mix well. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.

• Add the bok choy. Cook and stir for another minute, until the veggies start to soften.

• Stir the sauce thoroughly to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour the sauce into the pan. Stir and cook to bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until it starts to thicken.

• Add the cooked beef back into the pan. Stir to mix everything well. Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, pour everything over the fried noodles. (*Footnote 5)

• Serve immediately as a main dish.

1. Hong Kong noodles will yield the best texture. The best alternative is vermicelli pasta, which yields a similar result. If you can’t find either, you can also use ramen noodles (a bit thicker) or angel hair pasta (a bit thinner).
2. If you wish to add the dark brown color to your noodles (as shown in the photos), replace 1 teaspoon of soy sauce with dark soy sauce. It won’t affect the taste either way.
3. Hong Kong noodles can have different preparation methods depending on the brand. Some don’t require boiling and you can directly pan fry them. In such a case, you might need to pour in a small cup of water (1/4 cup or so) to steam the noodles in the frying pan so they are not too dry. If the package requires boiling but doesn’t indicate a time, you should boil the noodles and keep a close eye on them so they will be al dente. I briefly cooked mine for under 1 minute. If you use pasta, cook it until al dente. If you use thin Asian noodles, cook them 1 minute less than the package indicates.
4. This recipe yields a big plate of noodles to share. If you wish to cook individual servings, you can fry the noodles in 2 to 3 batches to create smaller plates.
5. If you do not plan to serve the dish immediately, transfer the sauce into a big bowl and cover it to keep warm. Pour the sauce over the noodles right before serving so the noodles remain crispy.