15 Min Air Fryer Beef Chow Ho Fun Recipe (空气炸锅干炒牛河)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Mandy Fu
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Using an air fryer to make Cantonese Beef Chow Ho Fun is such a game-changer. Traditionally, stir-fry noodles rely on a blazing-hot wok to achieve that signature wok-hei effect. But if you don’t have a powerful stove or you’re cooking in a limited space, the air fryer makes it incredibly easy and approachable, and the results may surprise you. The noodles turn out savory and glossy, the beef stays tender, and the vegetables add a fresh crunch at the end. While it won’t fully replace the smoky magic of a restaurant wok, it’s a clever alternative that brings big flavor with minimal effort—perfect for everyday cooking.
Ingredients
To season the noodles
- 200g / 7 oz of dried pho noodles or 600g / 21 oz of fresh pho noodles
-
25g / 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
-
18g / 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
-
8.3g / 1.5 tsps dark soy sauce
- 13.6g / 1 Tbsp cooking oil to coat the noodles
To season the beef
- 227g / 8 oz beef
-
0.6g / ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 1.4g / ¼ tsp salt
-
16.6g / 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2.5g / 1 tsp cornstarch
-
14g / 1 Tbsp cooking wine
- 1.2 / ¼ tsp baking soda
-
2.8g / ½ tsp of dark soy sauce
- 4 cloves / about 12g of garlic, diced
- 6.8g / ½ Tbsp oil to coat the beef
Vegetables to complete the dish
- 43g / 1.5 oz of garlic chives, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
- 43g / 1.5 oz of onion, sliced thinly
- 43g / 1.5 oz of red chili, julienned
- 113g / 4 oz of bean sprouts
- 6.8g / ½ Tbsp oil to coat the vegetables
Directions
If using fresh pho noodles, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce directly, then mix well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil and toss to coat the noodles.
If using dried pho noodles, boil 1.5 liters of water and soak the noodles until al dente, about 5–8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain thoroughly, then season in the same way.
Slice the beef into 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Add white pepper, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, and diced garlic. Mix well. Drizzle in 1/2 tablespoon of oil and mix until the beef is evenly coated. Tip: Since the air fryer doesn’t allow stir-frying during cooking, everything must be seasoned properly in advance.
Thoroughly combine all the vegetables in a big mixing bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp of oil and mix to coat well. The oil helps to prevent the food from drying out under the constant hot airflow.
Divide the ingredients into two equal batches to cook in smaller portions. Tip: Avoid overcrowding the basket, as this prevents proper air circulation and can lead to uneven cooking and soggy texture. Cooking in smaller batches yields better flavor and a result closer to wok cooking.
Add one portion of noodles to the air fryer basket and spread half of the marinated beef evenly on top in a single layer. Set the temperature to the highest setting (182C / 360F to 232C / 450F) that your air fryer can go and cook for 3- minutes, or until the beef is just cooked through. Do not over cook the beef otherwise it becomes too dry.
Stir to bring the noodles to the top, then return to the air fryer and cook for 3–5 minutes. Stir again and continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes, until the noodles are heated through and lightly crisped at the edges.
Add the vegetables evenly over the top and cook for 2–4 minutes, until just tender-crisp or to your desired doneness.
Remove from the basket and toss well to combine. Repeat with the remaining batch.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Ho fun (河粉) is a type of flat rice noodle, also known as pho noodles. Fresh ho fun offers the best texture and can be used immediately without prepping. However, it is hard to find fresh ho fun outside of China. You can use dried pho noodles as a replacement but you need to soak them in hot water for 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness, or until al dente.
