Our beef chow mein recipe combines crispy stir-fried noodles with colorful vegetables and tender, juicy stir-fried steak. A flavorful sauce made with Chinese cooking wine, beef broth, oyster sauce and other savory ingredients completes this tasty dish. While a wok is an ideal Chinese cooking tool for making this dish, you can use a high-walled skillet if you don’t have one.

Fun fact: depending on where you live in the United States, chow mein and lo mein may be entirely different dishes. While both are staples at Chinese American restaurants, the names are often interchangeable on menus. However, while they both contain meat, vegetables and noodles, the key difference is in the preparation. In chow mein, the noodles (mein) are stir-fried with the meat and vegetables until they’re crispy (chow means “fried”); for lo mein, the noodles are boiled and then tossed together with the meat and vegetables (lo means “tossed”). Lo mein also tends to have more sauce than chow mein.

Ingredients for Beef Chow Mein

• Chow mein noodles: Use the noodles packaged in blocks (toss any seasoning packets) rather than the crunchy kind sold in canisters. You might also find fresh chow mein noodles at your local Asian market.
• Soy sauce: This salty and savory sauce comes from fermenting or hydrolyzing soybeans. If you’re watching your sodium intake, use a low-sodium variety. Use products from the top soy sauce brands for the best flavor.
• Chinese cooking wine: Also known as Shaoxing rice wine, this cooking wine can be found in Asian grocery stores. Its sweet and sour flavor complements the umami and salty flavors in this dish. If you don’t have it, use rice wine vinegar, dry cooking wine or a dry white wine.
• Beef broth: Beef broth adds a savory flavor to the cooking sauce. Use a low-sodium variety to control the overall salt level of this beef chow mein recipe.
• Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a savory, dark Asian sauce. It adds richness and umami to this recipe for beef chow mein.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the cooking sauce, complementing the salty and savory flavors.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce.
• Canola oil: Canola oil is a neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, making it an ideal choice for stir-fry recipes like this one.
• Beef tenderloin: Beef tenderloin is a lean and tender cut of beef. Cutting it into strips ensures a quick cook when stir-fried.
• Garlic: Minced garlic adds a punch of its characteristic pungent flavor to the beef chow mein.
• Assorted fresh vegetables: Veggies are stir-fried along with the beef to add fresh flavor. Choose colorful vegetables like red bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, green onions and bean sprouts.

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