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Two Kooks In The Kitchen

Easy to follow, adaptable recipes for the busy home cook.

January 12, 2020

Chinese Stir Fry Green Beans

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Stir Fry Green Beans on plate garnished with sesame seeds

Forget take-out. These vegetarian Chinese Stir Fry Green Beans are healthier, quick, easy and super tasty.  A wickedly good addition to any meal.

Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans. Quick, easy, spicy and super flavourful.

I made these 3 times in the last week because everyone loves them and they work so well with just about any protein. I found a recipe in a Food Network Magazine and made a couple of minor tweaks, the main one being to add some heat with chili flakes.

The stir fry method used in the recipe is called “dry-frying” as very little oil is used. In fact, I only used 2 teaspoons of oil for a pound of beans.  Apparently, in most Chinese restaurants, these beans are deep fried in oil in order to speed up the cooking process.  The healthier dry-fry method chars or puckers the beans.  I found that a total of 10 minutes is perfect to maintain some bite on the beans, but if you want them more charred, just increase the time they cook on the medium-high setting instead of medium.

The aromatic coating on the stir fry green beans is simple and flavorful.  Its made of garlic, ginger, soy, rice wine or Sherry and a dash of sesame oil and sugar.

I would normally make these stir-fry green beans as a side dish, but I think they would make a unique appetizer too. As long as you keep them al dente.

Tailor To Your Taste

  • Use as much chili flakes or sriracha you like to achieve the amount of spice you like.
  • Use rice wine, fortified wine or Sherry.
  • Add chopped green onions/scallions toward the end of cooking.
  • For a meat version, add some sauteed ground pork before you add the sauce/coating.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds or chopped nuts on the beans for garnish.

Shortcuts

  • Buy green beans in a package that are pre-washed with ends trimmed. Or use the slim Costco french beans which don’t need trimming (cook time will be less).
  • Use garlic and ginger frozen cubes (or from a jar) instead of fresh.

Make Ahead Stir Fry Green Beans

  • Slightly under-cook the beans and place the finished dish in the oven on a low heat to keep warm.
  • Or make the sauce and dry fry the beans ahead of time. Just before serving, heat the pan to medium high, add the sauce and saute with beans for 2 minutes to finish the dish. I do this all the time.
Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans
Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans

Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans
Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans

Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans. Quick, easy, spicy and super flavourful.

Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans on plate with sesame seed garnish
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Rate this recipe here

5 from 7 votes

Chinese Stir Fry Green Beans

Vegetarian Chinese Stir Fry Green Beans are a wickedly good addition to any meal. Healthy, quick, easy, tasty, spicy (or not) and much better than take-out.
Prep Time7 mins
Cook Time11 mins
Total Time18 mins
Course: make ahead, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4
Author: Cheryl
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb green beans, washed and tips removed
  • 2 tsp vegetable or peanut oil
  • GARNISH: toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Coating/Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Rice wine, Sherry or Fortified wine
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (or more to taste)
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes (or sriracha) or more to get the spice level you like

Instructions

  • PREPARE COATING/SAUCE: Combine all ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
  • DRY-FRY BEANS: Heat oil in a wok or skillet to medium. Add green beans and saute for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium high. Continue to saute, stirring for 4 minutes until beans are tender crisp and charred a bit. If you like them more charred, reverse time and cook 4 minutes on medium and 6 minutes on medium high heat.
  • FINISH BEANS: Pour sauce into skillet Stir to coat beans evenly. Saute one more minute. Transfer to serving platter. Top with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead: two options
  1. Slightly under-cook the beans and place the finished dish in the oven on a low heat to keep warm.
  2. Or make the sauce and dry-fry the beans ahead of time. Just before serving, heat the pan to medium high, add the sauce and saute with beans for 2 minutes to heat through and finish the dish. I do this all the time.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chinese Stir Fry Green Beans
Amount Per Serving
Calories 66 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 406mg18%
Potassium 249mg7%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 820IU16%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?We'd love you to rate it above under 'rate this recipe' or in the comment section below. Thanks!

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This recipe, first published in Jan 2018, has now been updated.

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Appetizer Recipes, Make Ahead Recipes, Side Dishes, Under 30 minutes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: easy chinese food recipes, easy side dishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mona says

    June 14, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      June 14, 2020 at 10:11 pm

      You’re welcome! And thanks for leaving a comment.

      Reply
  2. Joel Skapinker says

    February 1, 2020 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    Can I use the green beans that are wound up with no ends?

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      February 1, 2020 at 10:21 pm

      If you mean long beans, I don’t see why not. They should work fine. Let me know how they turn out if you get a chance. ?

      Reply
  3. Todd Nelson says

    January 8, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    Best green bean recipe ever. I love this!

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      January 8, 2020 at 9:57 pm

      Great! Glad it worked for you. I serve to friends a lot and they love it.

      Reply
  4. Gillian says

    January 17, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    Just made the Chinese green beans and they we’re DELISH!!! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      January 17, 2018 at 9:24 pm

      Glad you like them Gillian!

      Reply

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Two Kooks, Cheryl and Jenna

Cheryl and Jenna

Two Kooks, Cheryl and Jenna

We're Two Kooks (mom and daughter) sharing recipes and tips for the busy home cook that are researched and tested, adaptable to your taste, easy to follow and delish. Check us out! Read More…

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