In an effort to lose a little bit of weight this year, I’m adapting some of my favorite Vietnamese recipes into easy meal preps! The whole idea of this series is not to restrict or remove any of the ingredients or dishes I love but rather to control portion sizes and eat at a caloric deficit to make losing and maintaining a healthy weight more sustainable. Next up in this series is Nui Xao Bo. When you think of Vietnamese cuisine, the first dishes that usually come up are pho, banh mi, or spring rolls; hidden among all these tried and true staples, this stir-fried beef and macaroni is a hearty, flavorful, and comforting Vietnamese meal. Today, we’re going to make some adjustments to make it a little bit more calorie-friendly and a delicious meal prep you can enjoy anytime!
Nui xao bo is a delightful fusion of Western ingredients and Vietnamese flavors. At its core, it’s a dish of macaroni (or other short pasta shapes) stir-fried with tender beef slices, aromatics, and a mix of vegetables like onions and tomatoes. The dish is often seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce which give it its signature umami depth. It’s simple to make yet incredibly satisfying! My recipe is pared down a bit, but you can add any veggies like bell peppers, bok choy, or carrots to make it even healthier and heartier.
Nui xao bo is a prime example of how Vietnamese cuisine embraces influences from around the world while staying true to its roots. Pasta made its way into Vietnam during the French colonial period (1858–1954), as French dishes and ingredients were introduced to the local palate. Over time, Vietnamese cooks adapted pasta to suit local tastes, combining it with familiar flavors like soy sauce and fish sauce. This hybrid dish became especially popular in the post-war period when international ingredients became more accessible. For many, it represented modernity and convenience while still feeling deeply Vietnamese.
One of the key distinctions in nui xao bo lies in the type of macaroni used. Vietnamese macaroni is made with rice flour, and its texture is pretty different compared to Western pasta noodles. They’re a little bit spongey or bouncy, and they do an incredible job of absorbing sauces and flavors efficiently without becoming overly heavy. This makes them perfect for stir-fry dishes where texture and flavor absorption are crucial.
For those looking to make nui xao bo a bit healthier or higher in protein, there are plenty of alternative pasta options available. Brands like Barilla Protein+ or Banza’s chickpea-based noodles are excellent substitutes. These kinds of pasta not only pack in extra protein but also add fiber, making the dish more nutritious without sacrificing flavor. When using these alternatives, follow the cooking instructions on the package carefully to avoid overcooking, as these pastas can have a slightly different texture compared to traditional or Vietnamese macaroni. Once cooked, they blend seamlessly into the dish, allowing you to enjoy all the comforting flavors of nui xao bo with added health benefits.
This post is part of a collaboration with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). All opinions…
We are officially in the thick of soup season y'all. The Seattle sky has turned…
It was my first trip to Hawaii, and Giovanni's was the place. Their Garlic Shrimp…
Over the last few months, this has become one of my go-to breakfast meals. Recently,…
This post is sponsored by Alaska Airlines, which hosted my Business Class flight to Seoul.…
Vietnamese rice plates rank among my favorite dishes in the world, and they come in…
View Comments
Hi Ken, I have everything but the beef. I noticed you use eye of round instead of top sirloin but then again with a little baking soda, the beef would be tender. Beef is quite expensive nowadays but I normally follow your recipe to a T. Thank you Ken!
Hi Ann! Good observation - for this specific recipe I opted for eye of round, because cooking it in bulk for a meal prep, it was the cheapest AND leanest cut of beef. By velveting the beef with baking soda and cornstarch, we're able to tenderize the beef. Make the recipe your own and use whatever cut of beef you'd like!
I’ve made other versions of this recipe but this was my least favorite :( beef had no flavor and adding the raw onions in at the very end seemed strange. I added them earlier to soften a bit and my family said they were the only thing with any flavor. Other than the onions, I didn’t change anything
Hey Ann,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, and I'm bummed it wasn't up to your standards. With any of my recipes, I always recommend adapting it to your own personal preferences and taste.
The onions at the end is because my family and I enjoy the crunch of it, rather than having it be softened with everything else, to give it some additional texture.
As for the flavor, I made some changes to my own family recipe, to make it more calorie friendly to make it fit into my meal prep series for weight loss. Either way though, taste is subjective, and even if I like something, doesn't mean theres any guarantee other people will feel the same or vice versa. Hope you give my other recipes a try!
I made this today and everything tasted good besides the beef. The beef for some reason tasted like baking soda and metallic? I marinated the beef just like how you did, and cooked everything the same. Am I supposed to wash off the baking soda before cooking?
Not related but I substituted tomatoes for bell peppers and it was delicious :)
Hey Khanh, You're not supposed to wash the baking soda off, but it that taste could be a result of coating for a little too long. Anything after 15 minutes, it could potentially raise the pH levels a bit too much. Alternatively, if afterwards it doesn't get coated in enough of the sauce itself, it could just be a result of tasting too plain. Hope this helps!