A fast and easy beef chow mein dinner recipe that’s packed with veggies, noodles and lots of flavour – it’s a great recipe for all ages!
I have made beef chow mein for my family for years. The kids loved it as toddlers and I found it was a great way to add vegetables into their meals – plus the kids loved the addition of wiggly noodles!
When my children were little I would add in just a pinch of curry powder, but now that they’re older I add in more curry for a stronger flavour. It’s a great recipe for using up vegetables you have in your fridge. I like to make a double batch and give the kids leftovers for school the next day.
Beef Chow Mein
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
- 1 packet instant beef noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 red capsicum, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- Salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Cook noodles following packet directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Cook mince, onion and carrot for 5-10 minutes or until browned.
- Spoon garlic and curry powder over mince. Stir through and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Add capsicum, celery and zucchini into pan. Stir through for 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
- Add in stock, oyster sauce and cabbage. Stir until cabbage has just started to soften.
- Add noodles to mince mixture. Toss to stir through.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
© THE ORGANISED HOUSEWIFE. All images & content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe please link back to this post, do not rewrite the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 761mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 72mg
34 comments
I love chow mein! This looks quick, easy and yummy perfect for a midweek dinner and I love the idea of making a double batch and using leftovers for lunchboxes! Genius!
Awe thanks Sammie! It is so good for lunch the next day on toast LOL.:)
One of my husbands favourite recipes is chow mein, butI’m not that great at making it. I’m going to try your recipe next time – I know it will be a winner!
Ooh thanks Lucy! I find it’s a great go to dinner and great for those busy nights when the kids have after school sports. Hope your hubby likes it.:)
Hi Kat,
I’m trying this recipe right now but I’m confused why you need instant beef noodles when you drain them afterwards. So the beef flavouring and seasoning oil that comes with instant noodles aren’t necessary?
Thanks,
Jemma (need all the help I can get)
I just use instant noodles as they are ready so quickly, the flavouring isn’t needed. You could use any noodles you like, a friend prefers to use singapore noodles. Kat x
Yum. I made a similar thing with chicken recently and the kids loved it. I’ll give this beef recipe a go next. How do your kids go with eating it cold the next day? My boys will only have things such as pesto pasta with chicken cold for school lunch but I’d love to try some more leftovers like this.
Ooh i like the sound of chicken too! I might give that i go.:) It is really yummy cold, the kids like it cold too.:)
This looks really delicious! and the pictures are amazing very tasty beef chow mein with noodles .
Ooh thank you! It is a very tasty meal and so good the next day for leftovers too.:)
Great idea to help get more vegetables in the kids’ meals Kat! 😀
Thanks Lorraine.:) I try to throw as many vegetables in as i can x
Yum yum yum I cooked this tonight and it was a huge hit with the whole family! Even my 2 little fussy eaters.
Ooh that is wonderful, Amber! And even better your little one enjoyed it too.:) x
Yum, my kids would love this…why have I never made it for them? Super easy too….great idea to use for lunch and I suppose you could mix things up by using chicken mince sometimes…thank you xx
It does make a yummy leftover, Monique. And yes Chicken mince would also be very nice.:)
Thanks Kat…this one was a winner! I probably make chow mien about once a year from an old CWA cookbook. This one was so much more tasty and loved the addition of all the veggies.
Ooh that is fantastic, Tracey! Happy to hear it was a winner.:)
Mum used to make something similar to this and handed down the recipe to me – We use chicken noodle soup instead of chicken stock and rice as well. Ours is more a Stew in the end
ooh Adele, I like the sound of that, I might actually give it a go in the next few weeks!!
Hi thanks for sharing your recipe, sounds delicious !! Have you tried freezing this before ? Just wondering how it is if after been frozen ?
No i haven’t as we eat it all in one go, but I wouldn’t hesitate in freezing it. If you do please let me know how it freezes 🙂
I really loved this recipe. It was quick, easy and made a good quantity.
That’s super fabulous to hear lovely! Thank you x
Thank you for the reminder of this recipe Kat. Like Adele in a previous comment we also use Chicken Noodle Soup instead of the chicken stock and noodles. As my stomach has a bit of intolerance to garlic, onions and cabbage I use shallots in the place of the onions, garlic infused olive oil and chopped bok choy chopped in place of the cabbage. It does freeze really well and is fantastic for leftovers 🙂
You are so very welcome Catherine, and I think this recipe would be delicious with the chicken noodle soup! Kat x
Just made this for dinner. The family loved it – even my 2 year old who normally turns her nose up at new things! So many veggies included.
That’s fabulous to hear Meg! Glad the whole family enjoyed the meal 🙂 Kat x
I’m going to make this tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Julia! Hope you love this Beef Chow Mein as much as my family does 🙂 Kat x
It was delicious Kat! Our family loved it, except for our fussy eater. I might try it with chicken. She might like it. This was a regular dish my Mum made when were younger. I think she served it with rice and not noodles. Thanks again! I loved it
Ooo it would be yummy with rice too! Might have to give that a go 🙂
Really enjoyed this chow mein, my daughter loved it so much that she has requested I make it again next week. The most time consuming part is chopping up the vegetables, once that is done the actual cooking is very quick. A perfect midweek dish.
So glad to hear that your daughter loved it! Kat x