Beef Chow Mein With Peppers Onions (Printable)
Tender beef strips stir-fried with crisp vegetables and egg noodles in a savory sauce for a quick, satisfying Chinese-inspired meal.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 12 oz beef sirloin, thinly sliced
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), thinly sliced
03 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
04 - 2 scallions, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, julienned
→ Noodles
07 - 10 oz chow mein noodles or egg noodles
→ Sauce and Seasonings
08 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
10 - 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
11 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
12 - 1 tsp cornstarch
13 - 1 tbsp water
14 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
→ Cooking Oil
16 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
# How To Make:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth. Set aside.
02 - Prepare the chow mein noodles according to package directions. Drain well, rinse under cold water to halt cooking, and set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced beef in a single layer and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until just browned on the outside but still slightly pink inside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok. Toss in the garlic, ginger, and sliced onion, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant and the onion begins to soften.
05 - Add the sliced bell peppers to the wok and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping the heat high, until the peppers are just tender but still retain a slight crunch.
06 - Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the wok. Add the cooked noodles and pour the prepared sauce over everything. Using tongs or a spatula, toss vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until all components are evenly coated and heated through.
07 - Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates, garnish with sliced scallions, and serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every noodle strand like it was always meant to be there, creating this glossy, savory coating that makes you forget about takeout forever.
- Crisp bell peppers and tender beef create a texture contrast that keeps every bite interesting from start to finish.
- It comes together in about thirty five minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table faster than delivery could ever arrive at your door.
02 -
- If you add too many ingredients to the wok at once, the temperature drops and you end up steaming instead of stir frying, which is how you get soggy vegetables and grey beef instead of that gorgeous char.
- Taking an extra ten minutes to marinate the beef in one tablespoon of soy sauce and one teaspoon of cornstarch transforms the texture from chewy to silky, and I ignored this step for years before finally trying it.
03 -
- Slice every vegetable and have the sauce mixed before you turn on the stove, because once the wok is hot you will not have ten seconds to spare on prep work.
- The single best upgrade you can make is buying a bottle of dark soy sauce and using half dark and half regular, which gives the noodles that deep amber restaurant color without any extra effort.