Stir fried bean sprouts in a pan

Have you ever made fried noodles with bean sprouts and ended up with a big bag of leftover bean sprouts? This bean sprout stir fry is the one of my favorite ways to use up a big batch of bean sprouts. 

Bean sprout stir fry is a traditional dish you’ll see in Chinese households on the Mainland. And while it might not look that exciting, it tastes better than it looks. If you’re trying out some of my other Chinese recipes, make this side dish to round out your meal with health benefits and big taste. 

Ingredient

To make the bean sprout stir fry, all you need is:

  • Bean sprouts: Fresh bean sprouts are a must, to create a crispy texture.
  • Scallion: It adds aroma and a mild sweetness to the dish.
  • Garlic: A main aromatic to add fragrance.
  • Soy sauce: It adds an earthy umami.
  • Dark soy sauce: It adds a appetizing golden brown color to the dish.
  • Salt: It’s the main seasoning to the dish.
  • Sugar: A small amount is used as a hidden flavor to bring out the taste of the ingredients.
  • White pepper: It adds a little heat.
  • Toasted sesame oil: An important ingredient to add a nutty fragrance.
Ingredient for making bean sprout stir fry

Dry the bean sprouts thoroughly

Bean sprouts contains a lot of water and it will release the moisture during cooking. It’s important to pat dry the bean sprouts dry with paper towels, to remove as much moisture as possible. This avoid the dish getting watery and soggy.

Cooking process

Did I mention it only takes a few minutes to make this bean sprout stir fry? That means you can have a healthy, flavorful Chinese side dish even on the busiest night of the week. All you need to do is:

  1. Brown some garlic. Cook until the garlic just turn golden crispy. Not only it infuses the oil with aroma, the crispy garlic also adds a great texture to the dish.
Cook garlic until golden brown
  1. Saute the green onion to release the fragrance. I also like to reserve a little green parts to garnish the dish at the end of the cooking.
Saute scallion
  1. Cook the bean sprouts over very high heat to avoid getting soggy bean sprouts. By using high heat, the bean sprouts will be quickly seared on the surface, but seal the moisture inside for a slightly tender and crispy texture. Any moisture released from the bean sprouts will evaporate.
Add the bean sprouts
  1. Finish them up with the sauce. Again, high heat is the key. So the ingredients coat the bean sprouts nicely, and the extra liquid evaporates immediately.
Add sauce into the pan

In my previous post I talked about how to set up a stir fry station in great detail. And if you’ve been following my recipes, you’d know that I prefer to cook many popular takeout-style Chinese food in a nonstick skillet. However, this dish should ideally be cooked in a wok or the heaviest pan you have.

Bean sprouts contain a lot of moisture. You’ll want to sear them with high heat for the shortest time, so they retain their crunch but don’t taste raw. Using a wok with high heat also imparts a smoky flavor to the dish, making the veggies extra delicious. 

If you do not own a wok or heavy pan, the best way is to cook the bean sprouts in small batches. Drag the slider in the recipe card to halve the recipe in this case.

Bean sprout stir fry close up

How to serve

I love to serve my bean sprout stir fry on the side of just about any main dish. Scooping up the sprouts with a bite of rice together makes it all the more tasty!

Frequently asked questions

Should I remove the stringy tails from bean sprouts?

It’s optional. If the bean sprouts you have has a lot of long stringy tails, pinching off the tails gets a cleaner look and better texture. But it’s not required.

Why my dish get soggy?

It’s likely that your pan is not hot enough, or the pan is too small and it caused ingredients overcrowding, or the bean sprouts are overcooked. At the end of the cooking, if you notice a lot of liquid leaking out of the bean sprouts, here is a quick way to fix it. Stop the heat. Immediately mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until dissolving. Turn the heat back on and slowly pour in the slurry, half of it first, and stir the bean sprouts until the sauce thickens. Add the rest if not enough. The bean sprouts are probably overcooked at this point, but the slurry helps the sauce to coat the bean sprouts better.

Can I make bean sprout stir fry ahead of time?

Bean sprouts lose their crunch quickly, and the salt from the sauce draw out their moisture and the dish gets soggy. So it’s best served right after cooking.

Afterthoughts

Bean sprouts are great for your health too. They have lots of vitamin C, which you need to boost your immunity, plus plenty of vitamins A, B, D, E, and K, along with minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also have plenty of fiber, so if you’re looking for something that’s nutritious and delicious that will keep you on track for your health goals, add this bean sprout stir fry to your menu tonight.

Chinese Cooking Made Easy

Are you new to this website? This free email series is a great place to start. I’ll walk you through a few of my most popular recipes and show you how and why they work. You’ll quickly start to cook better Chinese food in your own kitchen.

Watch video

Try some homestyle Chinese with this easy, healthy, and delicious bean sprout stir fry that takes just minutes to put on your dinner table! {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Bean Sprout Stir Fry

By Maggie Zhu
4.78 from 18 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Print
Try some homestyle Chinese with this easy, healthy, and delicious bean sprout stir fry that takes just minutes to put on your dinner table! {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable} To adapt this dish to gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari.

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb bean sprouts
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 4 cloves garlic , finely chopped
  • 2 green onions , sliced

Sauce

Instructions

  • Clean the bean sprouts of their stringy roots and any residual beans. Rinse with cold water thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water, then set them aside to let them dry. If the bean sprouts are still very wet at the time you’re about to cook, gently pat them dry with paper towels.
  • Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set it aside.
  • Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic. Fry until the garlic begins to brown.
  • Add the green onions. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  • Add the bean sprouts and bring the heat up to high. Cook, tossing occasionally, for 1 minute.
  • Add the sauce and continue to cook until the bean sprouts are cooked through but still crunchy, another 2-3 minutes. Taste the bean sprouts and adjust taste by sprinkle more salt, if needed.
  • Transfer everything to a big plate. Serve hot as a side dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 7.2g, Protein: 5.3g, Fat: 8.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.4g, Sodium: 740mg, Potassium: 253mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.

And if you snapped a photo, don’t forget to tag @omnivorescookbook on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your creations!