Chow Fun from Hawaii: The Best Easy and Delicious Recipe
This Chow Fun recipe is a beloved local comfort food in Hawaii. This stir-fried dish features chewy wide noodles tossed in a savory sauce along with tender slices of meat and veggies.
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What is Chow Fun?
I remember growing up eating chow fun as part of our meals at home and local restaurants. Why was this dish always made at home? Although I didn’t recognize it, it is a simple and yummy meal for your family. Eventually, I would always make chow fun during my college days.
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This popular dish originated from China and was eventually adopted as one of Hawaii’s local favorites. This chow fun recipe from Hawaii features wide, flat rice noodles that are stir-fried with various ingredients, such as spam, ham, beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu along with veggies like bean sprouts, carrots, and onions. It’s then tossed in a savory sauce typically made with shoyu, oyster sauce, and other seasonings.
Where can you find Chow Fun?
Chow Fun is commonly found in most places in Hawaii. Lots of restaurants offer it as a plate lunch special, Chinese Chop Suey, 7-11, or even at the local grocery store.
I have often seen it at potlucks, catered grad parties, or at beach picnics. But if you are on the mainland, you will most likely find it in Chinese restaurants.
What are the ingredients for Chow Fun?
Chow Fun is a versatile dish that replaces or adds ingredients according to your tastes. For the most simplistic recipe, these are the ingredients:
Aromatics
Meat (these can be swapped, replaced, etc.)
Veggies (other suggested additions)
Sauce
Suggested ingredients
If you aren’t close to an Asian market, you can always order some ingredients online. Here are some ingredients you can order:
How do you make Chow Fun?
To make Hawaiian-style chow fun is pretty simple. It’s like most stir-fry recipes:
- Heat up the oil over high heat
- Add ginger, garlic, and your choice of meat. Stir fry for a few minutes until the meat is fully cooked or has turned crispy.
- Then add in your veggies. From firmest to softest, all cooked in 1-2 minute intervals. Carrots, onions, and bean sprouts.
- Mix in the oyster sauce. Toss everything together and stir-fry for about a minute or two.
- Take out the cooked veggies and meat from the frying pan and set aside.
- Drizzle in more oil to the frying pan or wok and let it heat up until the oil begins to smoke.
- Add in your cooked chow fun noodles and stir fry it for a few minutes until the noodles have begun to crisp a little bit.
- Add half of your cooked veggies and meat back to the frying pan. Toss and drizzle some of the shoyu into the pan. Cook for a minute and add the rest of the cooked veggies and meat and green onions back to the pan or wok. Stir fry for another minute and drizzle in more shoyu according to taste.
- Remove from heat, serve and enjoy!
Are there similar recipes?
If you are looking for more stir-fried noodles like Chow Fun, try out these recipes:
Tips & FAQs
How is Chow Fun different from Chow Mein?
The main difference is the noodles: Chow fun uses wide, flat rice noodles, while Chow Mein uses thin, wheat-based egg noodles. Also, chow mein is often fried until crispy, while chow fun is stir-fried with a softer texture.
Can I make Chow Fun vegetarian or vegan?
Yes! Simply swap out the meat for tofu or mushrooms. Or because Chow Fun is loaded with veggies, you can just omit the meat.
How is this Chow Fun Hawaiian-Style?
Hawaii has welcomed many cultures for years since the plantation era. Chow fun was one of those recipes that was introduced and modified to Hawaii’s taste. Instead of using beef, locals opted to use SPAM or char siu. Most chow fun recipes just use oyster sauce, but locals added shoyu for more sauce.
How long does leftover Chow fun last?
Store leftover chow fun in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in a pan or microwave. Add in a little water or oil to prevent drying out.
How do I prevent Chow Fun noodles from breaking?
Handle the noodles gently while cooking. If using fresh noodles, separate them carefully before stir-frying. If using dried noodles, don’t overcook them during boiling. A light toss rather than vigorous stirring will help keep them intact.
Hawaiian-Style Chow Fun
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil divided
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb meat of your choice spam, beef, ground pork, char siu, kamaboko, shrimp, or tofu, thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots julienned
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 lb cooked chow fun noodles
- 3-4 tbsp shoyu soy sauce, or to taste
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
Prepare the Meat and Veggies:
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.
- Add minced ginger and garlic, followed by your choice of meat. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the meat is fully cooked or crispy.
Cook the Vegetables:
- Add the carrots, stir-frying for 1-2 minutes, followed by the onions for another 1-2 minutes. (Stir fry toughest veggie to most tender veggie.)
- Mix in the oyster sauce and half of the shoyu, tossing everything together. Stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the cooked veggies and meat from the pan and set aside.
Cook the Noodles:
- Drizzle another 1-2 tbsp of oil into the pan and heat until the oil begins to smoke.
- Add the cooked chow fun noodles and minimally stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the noodles begin to crisp slightly.
Combine Everything:
- Add the cooked veggies and meat back to the pan. Toss and drizzle in the rest of the shoyu.
- Finally mix in the green onions and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for another minute, drizzling in more shoyu to taste.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. Enjoy your onolicious Hawaiian-style Chow Fun!