Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (2024)

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posted by Michelle Gothon Dec 15, 2021 (updated Oct 31, 2023)

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Make take out at home with this award-winning Chinese Pan-Fried Noodle Recipe! This easy recipe is made in just one pan!

‘Tis the season… to not know what the heck to make for dinner! We have been ordering carryout a lot lately because we are so busy and keep forgetting to meal plan. While I love to support our local Chinese restaurants, it gets expensive to order it for takeout all of the time! And honestly, it’s a bummer to spend so much on carryout from a Chinese restaurant when you can make these delicious Beef Pan Fried Noodles for 1/3rd of the cost!

This yummy Asian beef noodles recipe is made using one large skillet. It definitely qualifies as an easy weeknight recipe! In this recipe, I combine tender juicy beef, noodles, white or yellow onion, cabbage and a delicious sweet and savory sauce with loads of garlic!

Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (1)

For those of you that hail from my native town of Jefferson City, Missouri, this dish is based on the house beef recipe from Hunan restaurant, my all-time favorite Chinese restaurant. Their version of the dish is a simple beef and cabbage served over rice. The sauce is sweet and garlicky. It’s amazing!

In this recipe, I add a few extra things to their base recipe and serve with fresh noodles to make it a complete meal.

Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (2)

Oh, and did I mention that this recipe is award winning? It was given second place in a nationwide recipe contest for Asian noodle recipes! I was thrilled when I found out!

And honestly, it’s a bummer to spend so much on carryout from a Chinese restaurant when you can make a delicious carryout-style meal at home for 1/3rd of the cost!

Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (3)

Substitutions and Additions:

I tried to make the ingredients in this recipe accessible, so that you won’t have to visit Asian markets to grab the ingredients! You should be able to make this recipe using just ingredients from your local grocery store.

Regardless, here are a few ideas for ingredient substitutions, so you can use what you have on hand at home!

  • You can substitute vegetable oil for the sesame oil.
  • The sky is the limit for the type of noodle you use! I do recommend using thin noodles if you can. Thin egg noodles, chow mein noodles, spaghetti, fettucine or lo mein noodles will all work fine. Just make sure to follow the package instructions to cook them first!
  • Use dark soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce in place of the light soy sauce.
  • You can use packaged minced garlic instead of fresh garlic.
  • If you don’t like cabbage, substitute your favorite vegetable!

​As always, consider this recipe a starting point! There are several fresh vegetables you can add. Add any of these along with the onions.

  • bean sprouts
  • snow peas
  • bell peppers
  • baby bok choy
  • Chinese broccoli
  • shredded carrots
  • baby corn
Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (4)

Serving Suggestions:

If you prefer to serve the beef and cabbage over rice, do that! To make this dish extra fish, serve with a pair of chopsticks.

Saving Leftover Beef Pan Fried Noodles:

Honestly, these are the best noodles the day after, when the flavors have had time to mellow! Save any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I prefer to reheat this in the skillet, but of course, the microwave works too!

Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (5)

If you love these Beef Pan Fried Noodles, I think you will also enjoy this Asian Chicken Rice bowl!

Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (6)

Beef Pan Fried Noodles

Yield: Serves 3

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These award winning pan fried noodles with beef are easy to make with a sweet garlic sauce!

Ingredients

  • 2.5 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • ½ white onion, diced fine
  • ¼ head green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 pound lean beef, cut into thin slices (flank steak, skirt steak, or sirloin steak)
  • 12 ounces Fortune Yaki-Soba Stir Fry Noodles, cooked spaghetti noodles, lo mein noodles or rice noodles

Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup green onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup light soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings (optional):

  • additional diced green onions, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. To a large non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Heat oil over medium high heat until hot and sizzling.
  2. Saute the veggies: Add onions to the hot oil. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  3. Add cabbage and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until the cabbage is slightly wilted.
  4. Remove onions and cabbage from pan and allow to rest on a large plate.
  5. Return skillet to burner and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot and sizzling.
  6. Sauté the beef: Pat the beef strips dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Then, add beef to skillet and sear for 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
  7. Remove steak strips from skillet and allow to rest on a separate plate.
  8. Return skillet to burner and add remaining ½ tablespoons of oil. Heat over low-medium heat.
  9. Make the sauce: Add green onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently.
  10. Reduce burner to low heat. Add soy sauce, sugar and black pepper and stir vigorously to combine. The sauce will thicken quickly, stir for about one minute.
  11. Combine: Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to package directions to soften, then add to the sauce. Toss the noodles into the soy sauce mixture to combine. Add sauteed onions, cabbage and beef.
  12. Toss again to combine.
  13. Serve warm with diced green onions, sesame seeds or crushed red pepper flakes on top of the noodles.
Nutrition Information

Yield 3Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 1112Total Fat 45gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 28gCholesterol 164mgSodium 3523mgCarbohydrates 106gFiber 8gSugar 21gProtein 74g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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originally published on Dec 15, 2021 (last updated Oct 31, 2023)

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Beef Pan Fried Noodles with Garlic and Cabbage {easy recipe} (2024)

FAQs

Do you boil noodles before frying? ›

Instructions
  1. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked but still firm. ...
  2. Now, panfry the noodles: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. ...
  3. While the second side of the noodle pancake fries, make the stir-fry!
Jun 15, 2020

What's the difference between pan-fried noodles and lo mein? ›

What is the Difference Between Lo Mein and Pan-Fried Noodles (Chow Mein)? In Chinese, Lo Mein means “tossed noodles”, while chow mein means “pan-fried noodles”. Lo mein is sauce-heavy and contains softer noodles, while chow mein is made up of a crunchier noodles and veggies.

What are the crunchy Chinese noodles called? ›

At my local Chinese, they call this Crispy Chow Mein Noodles. It's a Hong Kong / Cantonese style dish, and there are a lot of variations but the core of it is a bed of deep fried crunchy noodles topped with a saucy stir fry.

What is Hong Kong Chow fun? ›

Beef chow fun is a Cantonese dish made from stir-frying beef, wide rice noodles (he fen or huo fun), scallions, ginger, bean sprouts and dark soy sauce. Known as gon chow ngau huo in Cantonese, you can find it in dim sum restaurants or sometimes Cantonese roast meat places.

Can you cook noodles in a frying pan? ›

In a heavy frying pan or a wok, heat the 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium-high to high heat. Add the noodles. Quickly spread them out to the edges of the pan and let them cook without stirring until they are browned on the bottom. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes.

How do you keep lo mein noodles from sticking to the pan? ›

Cook the lo mein noodles about 2 minutes less than package directions, drain, then rinse with cold water and drain dry. Coat with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

What is a good substitute for lo mein noodles? ›

If you are unable to find noodles that are specifically labeled as chow mein noodles or lo mein noodles, you can use linguine noodles, regular Italian spaghetti noodles, or another type of Asian noodle as a similar substitute.

Can I use spaghetti noodles for lo mein? ›

15 Minute Lo Mein! Made with just soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, ramen noodles or spaghetti noodles, and any veggies or protein you like. SO YUMMY!

What is the skinny white thing in Chinese food? ›

Rice Vermicelli Noodles 米粉

Vermicelli is a thin, long, white noodle that is often found in soups, stir-fries and salads in Chinese cuisine.

What is the white stuff in Chinese food? ›

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor-enhancing food additive used in Asian cooking, fast foods, and commercially packaged food products. It is a white powder derived from a natural glutamic acid found in seaweed, sugar beets, and certain vegetables.

What are the really skinny Chinese noodles called? ›

The term vermicelli encompasses a broad category of thin Asian noodles. The noodle must have a diameter of less than 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) to be classified as vermicelli. The most popular type of Asian vermicelli noodle is rice vermicelli.

What is beef Hofen? ›

Beef Chow Fun, also known as Beef Ho Fun, is a simple Chinese noodle dish made from stir-frying tender beef with fresh rice noodles (Ho Fun)! It's an extremely popular stir fry noodle dish that you can find in just about any Chinese restaurant.

What is chow mein sauce made of? ›

All you need is soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. The flavor that is often missing in homemade chow mein is the tanginess. Black Vinegar is less harsh than regular vinegar, which gives the chow mein a subtle hint of tanginess that brings the dish together.

Is mei fun better than lo mein? ›

Lo Mein offers a heartier and more substantial dining experience compared to Mei Fun. The chewy wheat noodles and the combination of ingredients create a bolder flavor makes it a satisfying and comforting dish.

Do you boil rice noodles before frying? ›

Rice noodles are very easy for home cooks to make — simply soak them in warm water (not cold water, not hot water) for 10-15 minutes, or until they are soft. Unlike wheat pasta, you don't need to boil rice noodles; the warm water is enough to cook them through.

Should you fry pasta after boiling? ›

  1. Boiled and then fried pasta is not the healthiest food choice, but it can be part of a balanced diet in moderation. ...
  2. Additionally, boiling and then frying pasta can also result in the loss of some of the nutrients that are naturally present in pasta, such as B vitamins and fiber.
Feb 13, 2023

Do you boil the noodles first? ›

There are times when you do want to start with a large pot of already-boiling water. The first is when cooking fresh pasta. Because fresh pasta is made with eggs, if you don't start it in boiling water, it won't set properly, causing it to turn mushy or worse, disintegrate as it cooks.

Are noodles fried or boiled? ›

Instant noodles are cooked in boiled water; therefore, enhancing water retention is the main method of shortening cooking time. Starch gelatinization is the most important feature in instant noodles that can enhance water retention during cooking.

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