My Chinese green beans recipe makes the perfect side dish when I’m serving a Szechuan inspired dinner. The blistered green beans are tender, slightly charred, and tossed in a garlic sauce packed with umami and savory flavors. Ready in 15 minutes from start to finish.
My mind goes straight to these Chinese green beans with garlic sauce whenever I crave Szechuan food. There’s something so satisfying about biting into these juicy and blistered green beans – they are so full of flavor and very tender!
I kept this recipe simple so everyone can enjoy making it at home. And I break the two main cooking steps down in depth.
Chinese Long Beans or Green Beans?
Chinese long beans (AKA: long podded cowpea, asparagus beans, or snake beans) have a stronger bean flavor and are less sweet than the regular green bean (which also happens to be a fruit). Though they are slightly different from each other, long beans and green beans are often interchangeable in recipes. Feel free to use either. I use green beans.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Green Beans: I use about 1/2 pound of fresh green beans with the ends trimmed. Haricot vert and Chinese long beans can also be used.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is the main source of savory umami in this simple recipe. For gluten-free, use tamari.
- Broth: I prefer using chicken broth for this recipe because it adds a savory, homey flavor. But feel free to use beef broth. Vegetable broth for vegan.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil delivers toasty and nutty properties.
- Garlic: I use plenty of finely chopped garlic to add a sharp, vegetal flavor to the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the magic ingredient that give Chinese sauces their thick, gooey and glossy texture.
- Oil: Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil. The amount needed will vary on how the beans are cooked.
Spicy Variations
These are a few of the ways I add some heat to my dry fried green beans.
Chili Oil. This smoky Sichuan chili oil sticks with the original flavor profile of this recipe – and can be added after serving so everyone can doctor the heat to their personal preferences.
Chili Flakes. Japanese ichimi togarashi and Korean gochugaru add a little tingle without sending the entire flavor profile in to volcanic territory.
Dried Chilis. Chinese dried chilis are the probably the most traditional addition to dry fried green beans. These can be stir fried whole or chopped. Keep in mind the seeds are SPICY.
Fresh Ginger. For a more shimmering warmth, add 1 tablespoon of minced ginger to the stir fry sauce.
Different Ways To Cook Chinese Green Beans
For this recipe, there are two main cooking steps. Cooking the green beans themselves. And then assembling the stir fry. I’ve grown accustomed to the traditional pan frying method to blister and brown the green beans. But here are all three methods.
Pan Frying in Oil
This is essentially shallow frying the green beans in a pan or wok with plenty of oil. Not only is it the traditional Chinese way, I also love that it gives gives the beans a beautifully tender texture. It can’t be beat.
Broiling
Broiling is easy, efficient and just as delicious. The beans are browned under the oven’s highest heat setting.
- Throw the green beans on a cooking tray covered in aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Toss the beans in a little oil and place them in the oven on the highest rack, a few inches away from the flame. Broil for 3-6 minutes, until the green beans are slightly charred and looking wrinkled. Keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly.
Air Fryer
Air frying is virtually mess-free since the cooking is done in a basket.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
- Place the green beans in a bowl and drizzle the oil and salt on top. Toss the beans using your fingers or tongs to coat them evenly.
- Brush the air fryer basket with a little oil and add the green beans. Air fry for 6 minutes and take out the basket to toss the green beans. Air fry for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, until the green beans are blistered and tender.
How to Make Chinese Green Beans
Since this is a quick recipe, I’ve found that making dry fried green beans at home is easiest when I’ve got all my mise en place set and ready to go.
- Make the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, broth, sesame oil and minced garlic together in a bowl – and set aside.
- Prep the green beans. Trim the ends, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Take the time to properly dry the green beans before frying them to avoid any oil splatters.
- Cook the green beans in a wok with some oil, over medium-high heat, and stir fry until the green beans are slightly charred and wrinkled. Or use the other two cooking methods I have mentioned above.
- Stir fry and serve. Use a wok or a deep pan. Add the sauce and stir until it starts to bubble. Add the green beans and toss everything together. Season with a pinch of salt if needed and serve immediately with rice.
Expert Tips
Stir fry using high heat. Since the green beans are already cooked, this dish comes together in the time it takes to get the sauce bubbling in the pan. Stir frying over high heat means it will come to temperature quickly without overcooking the green beans. The high heat also imparts a little smoky wok hei (or wok breath) to the flavor profile.
Don’t use cooking oil when assembling the stir fry. Again, since the green beans are already cooked in oil, the stir frying step is just to incorporate the sauce with the blistered beans. Using additional cooking oil in the stir fry can result in a greasy sauce. Watch the video in the recipe card below to see how quickly it comes together!
How I Serve It
My favorite way to serve these savory Chinese green beans is with a simple side of cooked white rice. Jasmine rice is the traditional move here – but I’ve served this with fluffy Japanese rice as well. Either way, the grains absorb the sauce so every bite of green beans and rice is just perfect.
But they would also work well as a side dish to this savory Chinese moo goo gai pan – or this restaurant style egg fried rice. When I’m making a Chinese feast at home, here are a few of my favorites:
- Smacked Cucumber With Chili Oil
- Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
- Vegan Mapo Tofu
- Chicken Egg Foo Young
- Hot and Sour Soup
And check out these other delicious Chinese recipes: basic congee recipe, honey sriracha tofu, garlic shrimp with chili crisp, stir fried napa cabbage, shrimp chow mein, wood ear mushroom salad, egg drop soup, Szechuan chicken
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to store the green beans separate from leftover rice.
Reheat in the microwave – or in a hot pan on the stovetop – until heated through. Splash with a little soy sauce if the flavors have mellowed in the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing leftover green beans, as the texture gets mushy when thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though the green beans are cooked in oil in the first step, there’s no additional oil used in the stir fry.
Yes. Many versions use ground pork. If you decide to add pork, be sure to pre-cook it. It can be added to the pan at the same time the blistered green beans and sauce go in.
If the garlic burned, it was probably in the pan for too long. Again, the stir frying step is just long enough to incorporate the green beans with the sauce.
Both are doable! To make it vegan, just be sure to use vegetable broth (or mushroom stock) instead of chicken stock. For a gluten free version, just swap out the soy sauce and use tamari instead.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comment section below!
Print
Chinese Green Beans With Garlic Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Frying, broiling, air fryer
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Blistered green beans – tender, slightly charred – tossed in a garlic sauce packed with umami and savory flavors. Ready in 15 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed
- 1/4 cup peanut oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil, for frying
Instructions
Traditional Method:
- Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, chicken broth, cornstarch, sesame oil and garlic together and set aside.
- Trim and wash the green beans. Next, dry them well with a paper towel and set them aside.
- Fry the green beans in oil. Add 1/4 cup of oil to a wok or a deep skillet and turn the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot (about 350°F), slowly add the green beans. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, turning the green beans a couple of times, until they are wrinkled. Turn the heat off and transfer the green beans to a couple of paper towels to remove excess oil. Remove the oil from the skillet.
- Make the stir fry. Add the sauce to the same wok or deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the sauce is bubbling, add the cooked green beans and quickly toss to coat them evenly.
- Season and serve. Turn the heat off, season with salt and serve immediately.
Broiling Method:
- Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a large cooking tray. Add green beans and 1 tbsp peanut oil and toss to coat evenly. Lay the green beans flat on the tray (they should not be piled up) and season with salt. Broil in the oven for 3-6 minutes, until the beans are lightly charred. Transfer beans to a paper towel. Then follow the stir fry steps from above.
Air Fryer Method:
- Preheat. Set the air fryer to 380° F and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes before using.
- Toss the green beans with 1 tablespoon peanut oil and add them to the air fryer.
- Air fry. Close and air fry for 15 minutes. Take the basket out a couple of times and shake the green beans so they cook as evenly as possible. The green beans should be slightly charred, wrinkled and tender. If they are still quite crunchy, put them back in the basket and air fry for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and follow the stir fry steps from above.
Notes
Keep leftover Chinese green beans in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 562.8mg
- Fat: 15.3g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9.4g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
I used the air fryer method and it was great! On a whim, I chopped some fresh ginger and added that in too. While the sauce was cooking, I added a bit more cornstarch because it didn’t seem to thicken enough yet. Green beens can get kind of boring but this recipe is the cure for that. It definitely livens things up.
These green beans are just perfection. They’re exactly like the ones I used to get from a Chinese restaurant years ago. The restaurant is now long closed and I’ve missed them greatly. Thank you so much for giving them back to me, they’re absofreakinglutely delicious.
ps – I made them exactly as directed. I didn’t change a thing!
The broiler method is excellent! So nice to get the char without all the oil!
Delicious! I didn’t have any chicken broth so I just used water instead and it came out really tasty. However, I had to use 3x as much liquid as the recipe called for to cook the green beans to my liking. If you like your green beans just barely cooked but still on the crunchy side, then do the recipe as is. If you like your green beans well done, add 1/4-1/2 a cup of water to the sauce mixture.
I just stir fried these in some oil with the wok and added the sauce for a minute or two at the end. soooo addicting! thank you!
Thank you much Jenni! 🙂
Very tasty recipe! We used our air deep fryer and these green beans were awesome. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you Robert! 🙂
I’m so excited to try this recipe. I love Chinese green beans. Sounds like I’m going to have a new go to while saving money. Thanks for sharing.
Received an air fryer for Christmas. This looks like a great recipe to air fry!
This plus your spaghetti squash yakisoba were HUGE hits with my three girls and hubby. Got a “this is better than good!” And couldn’t even broil them because they were picking them out of the bowl and eating them. Will definitely make both again!
That’s so great Robin!! 🙂
I’m going to try these in my new air fryer. If it can do crisp chicken fingers, it can do these!
Just tried this recipe. I oven roasted the green beans (400 degrees for 25 minutes) & they were perfect: texture a little chewier & I like it! Next time, I think I’ll sauté the garlic first to mellow it out a bit before adding the liquid. Also, mixing the cornstarch with the liquid seemed easier: just toss in the beans to reheat at the end.
Made these yesterday hoping they would be similar to a favorite dish I order out. They were very, very good and similar! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Just a comment on parchment paper, it can ignite at high temps.
This happened to me too! I will either try foil or a lower rack next time. Exciting!
Thank you for letting me know Trudy, I’ll mention it in the steps!
Thank you for this recipe. It is a family favorite. I just wanted to share that I didn’t have any chicken broth when it came time to make it. I was momentarily stumped. I found a package of chicken gravy that worked perfectly, being that it has chicken flavors and cornstarch including. I just omitted the called for cornstarch and added water. Try it. Thanks again!
That’s great Karen, thank you for sharing!
could these be fixed in a air-fryer?
Hi Ruby, I’ve never used an air-fryer so I don’t know how the beans would come out. You could finish them in the oven on broil for a couple of minutes if you don’t get the wrinkled look on the beans.
These were delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I added a pinch of brown sugar and sesame seeds. Very similar to an appetizer served in an Asian-fusion restaurant here.
Yum!
Thank you Karen!
So great! I love the option. Still tastes authentic.
Is the calorie count for the deep fried or the oven broil/fried method?
Hi Kelly! The calorie count is for the deep fried version – since the beans are only briefly fried and drained, they still remain quite low in fat.
How many calories per serving?
Hi Amanda, I no longer post nutritional servings after noticing that the programs available online were unreliable. I’m hoping a good one will come up soon!
Just wanted to let you know I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious! This was always my go-to order from my Chinese place, but it’s so much better at home with less grease. Thank u!
That’s so great Lisa, I also love these green beans to bits! And you are right, they are less greasy than takeout which is always a good thing 😉