A gray plate on a white and gray marbled backdrop. There are pieces of uncooked macaroni scattered in the background and some cilantro leaves in the foreground. The plate contains stir fried macaroni with beef, sliced carrot, thinly sliced bell pepper, onion, wedges of tomato, and pieces of asian greens.

Mai

Nui xào bò is another dish that’s intrinsically connected to my childhood. This is a dish that my family didn’t really make at home, but street vendors on my way home from school would sell and it became one of my favorite afterschool meals, alongside bột chiên.

The ingredients and flavors of this dish are quite similar to that of phở xào or our phở áp chảo recipe!

While the word “nui” in Vietnamese came from the French “nouille”- which means noodles, we actually use it to refer to small/non-string-like pasta shapes like macaroni, stars, rigatoni, fusilli, etc., where as long western-style noodles would be called “mì”. “Xào” means stir-fry and “bò” means beef. As the name suggests, the non-negotiable stars of the show are beef and macaroni noodles. Since we’re thinly slicing the beef, you can really use any cut, we don’t necessarily need tenderloin.

As for the macaroni, the type commonly used in Vietnam for this dish is not elbow macaroni but a longer straight macaroni, which is about 3-4 cm long when dry. These noodles are made from a combination of wheat flour and rice flour, which gives them a bouncier texture than pure wheat Italian-style pasta. The most well-known brand is Safoco. If you can find it at your Asian store, that would be the best choice. If you can’t, Italian maccheroni work well too. I prefer them over penne for this recipe since they’re thinner. Obviously, macaroni and pasta in general are not traditional to Vietnamese cuisine, and there are very few Vietnamese dishes which uses “nui”. They were all created in more recent history, either due to French influence or globalization. The other beloved Vietnamese nui dish is súp nui sườn – ribs macaroni soup.

The common veggies used in this dish are onion, carrot, bell pepper, tomato, and a type of greens from the brassica family like cải ngồng (choi sum), cải ngọt (leaf mustard), or cải thìa (bok choy).

A close up shot of stir fried macaroni with beef, sliced carrot, thinly sliced bell pepper, onion, wedges of tomato, and pieces of asian greens.

INGREDIENTS FOR NUI XÀO BÒ

Beef – Thịt bò: since we’re thinly slicing the beef, you can really use any cut, we don’t necessarily need tenderloin.
Macaroni – Nui: the type commonly used in Vietnam for this dish is not elbow macaroni but a longer straight macaroni, which is about 3-4 cm long when dry. These noodles are made from a combination of wheat flour and rice flour, which gives them a bouncier texture than pure wheat Italian-style pasta. The most well-known brand is Safoco. If you can find it at your Asian store, that would be the best choice. If you can’t, Italian maccheroni work well too. In a pinch, you can use penne or another type of short tube pasta.
Carrot – Cà rốt
White onion – Hành tây trắng
Bell pepper – Ớt chuông
Choi sum, leaf mustard, bok choy – Cải ngồng, cải ngọt, hoặc cải thìa
Tomato – Cà chua
Garlic – Tỏi
Oyster sauce – Dầu hào
Soy sauce – Nước tương/Xì dầu
Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật
Ketchup – Tương cà chua
Chili sauce – Tương ớt: any kind, such as sriracha

DIRECTIONS FOR NUI XÀO BÒ

Thinly slice beef, then add to a small along with all the Beef Marinade ingredients and mix to coat, then set aside.
In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce and stir well to combine.
Peel, then thinly slice carrot diagonally.
Peel onion, cut in half north to south (root to stem), then slice into thin wedges- about 3-5mm.
Cut off the stem top from the bell pepper, remove the insides/seeds, cut into halves or quarters north to south, then cut into 3-5mm thick slices in the same direction.
Cut tomato into 8 wedges north to south.
For the greens, separate the individual leaves and cut into 3-4cm lengths. If using cải ngồng (choi sum), the stem can also be eaten: cut to remove the tougher end, then cut the rest into 3-4cm lengths, cutting larger pieces into halves or quarters like logs if needed.
Mince garlic.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add in the macaroni and cook according to package instructions, stirring often to prevent sticking. Do not overcook the macaroni or it will become mushy when stir fried.
Strain the macaroni when done, then pour back into the pot or a bowl, drizzle with some vegetable oil and mix to coat to prevent them from sticking together.
Heat a large pan (preferably one with all walls) on medium.
Add in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil along with half of the minced garlic and sweat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in the beef and stir fry until no longer pink. Remove beef from the pan and set aside.
Add another tbsp of vegetable oil in the pan along with the rest of the garlic and sweat until fragrant.
Add in the sliced carrot and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until it starts to soften.
Add in the onion and bell pepper. Stir fry until the onion begins to turn translucent.
Add in the greens and tomato wedges and stir fry until the greens have wilted and turned dark green.
Pour the beef & any liquid back into the pan, along with the macaroni and the bowl of sauce.
Stir all the ingredients in the pan to coat everything in the sauce and mix everything thoroughly. Break up any big chunks of macaroni pieces stuck together.
Let cook for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and serve immediately!

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