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Top down photo of Hawaiian-style pork chow fun in a grenadine colored Staub cast iron wok. The wok sits on a light blue surface with a light blue linen napkin tucked underneath. The chow fun is garnished with sesame seeds and there is a Chinese spoon resting in the dish.

Mom’s Hawaiian-Style Pork Chow Fun

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
  • Method: Stovetop, Stir Fry
  • Cuisine: Hawaiian, Asian (Chinese)

Description

My Mom’s Chow Fun is a Hawaiian-Style pork chow fun recipe, a quick & easy stir fry made with loads of aromatic veggies, ground pork, Spam (đŸŒșđŸ€™đŸŒ), & wide-cut rice noodles. It’s all stir fried in a simple, umami-packed sauce, resulting in deeply caramelized, flavorful, craveable noodles. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces wide rice noodles (fresh or dried, see Recipe Notes)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or another neutral high smoke point oil), divided
  • 6 ounces char siu pork or Spam, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 cups bean sprouts
  • kosher salt & white pepper, to season

for the stir fry sauce:

Instructions

Prep note: Once you begin cooking, chow fun comes together very quickly! I suggest starting by getting all of the chopping, measuring & other prep odds & ends out of the way so cooking is a smooth process: mix the sauce, dice up the pork, slice the onions, chop/grate the garlic & ginger, measure the bean sprouts, etc. Place everything within an arm’s reach from the stovetop.

  1. Mix the stir fry sauce: Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, & water to a bowl or jar. Whisk or shake to combine. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.A top down shot of stir fry sauce including: oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water is mixed up and in a clear glass jar. A gold spoon rests inside of the jar & the jar sits on a light blue surface.
  2. Prep the rice noodles: If using fresh rice noodles, slice into 1×3-inch pieces. If your fresh rice noodles are refrigerated (as they often are here in MN), let the noodles come up to room temperature before using or cover with a damp paper towel & microwave for 1 minute to soften. Set aside. Note: See Recipe Notes (below) for guidance on dried rice noodle prep.Wide rice noodles cut into 1 inch strips are plated on a white speckled dish. More strips of fresh rice noodles sit on a light pink cutting board with a Zwilling pairing knife next to them. A package of dried rice noodles rests in the foreground. All items are placed on a light blue surface.
  3. Cook the pork: Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil to a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot & shimmering, add the Spam or char siu pork. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, stirring occasionally, until golden & browned. Add the ground pork to the skillet. Brown 3-4 minutes or until cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break up the ground pork into bite-sized crumbles as it cooks. Transfer the pork to a plate & set aside. Top down photo of ground pork and diced ham included in pork chow. These ingredients have been cooked inside inside of a grenadine colored Staub cast iron wok. The wok sits on a light blue surface.
  4. Cook the vegetables: As needed, add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil to the same large wok or skillet used to cook the pork. Once hot & shimmering, add the yellow onion. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened & browned. Add the garlic & ginger & cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the green onions & bean sprouts & cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes more. Top down photo of veggies included in pork chow fun including: green onions, yellow onions, and bean sprouts inside of a grenadine colored Staub cast iron wok. The wok sits on a light blue surface.
  5. Stir fry the chow fun: Working quickly, add the cooked pork, rice noodles, & stir fry sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine, coating all of the components in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes more, until the noodles are slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat. Taste & season with kosher salt (or soy sauce) & white pepper as desired. Top down photo of Hawaiian-style pork chow fun in a grenadine colored Staub cast iron wok. The wok sits on a light blue surface.
  6. Serve immediately, garnished with sliced green onions & sesame seeds as desired. Enjoy!Top down photo of Hawaiian-style pork chow fun in a grenadine colored Staub cast iron wok. The wok sits on a light blue surface with a light blue linen napkin tucked underneath. The chow fun is garnished with sesame seeds and there is a Chinese spoon resting in the dish.

Equipment

Notes

  • Rice noodles: 
    • Fresh rice noodles: In my opinion, chow fun is best made with fresh rice noodles, which you can easily find at any well-stocked Asian grocery store. I buy fresh rice noodle sheets & slice into 1×3-inch pieces. Here in MN, fresh rice noodles are often refrigerated which makes them a little fragile to handle. For best results, let the noodles come up to room temperature before using or cover with a damp paper towel & microwave for 1 minute to soften. 
    • Dried rice noodles: If fresh rice noodles are not easily accessible for you, you can absolutely use dried rice noodles in this chow fun recipe. I suggest Wide Rice Stick Noodles (sometimes labeled XL, like these). Cook 1 minute less than directed by the package, straining & rinsing immediately with cold water.  
  • Storage & Reheating: Leftover chow fun will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. 
  • 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this Hawaiian-style chow fun comes from chopping the veggies & prepping the sauce. Get it all done in advance to get a head start on your chow fun dinner – it’ll take 10 minutes, tops:
    • Mix the stir fry sauce according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 
    • Slice onions – Thinly slice 1 medium yellow onion & chop 8 green onions into 1-inch pieces. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/pork-chow-fun/