My quick and easy Chinese garlic green beans recipe utilizes a few simple ingredients to achieve restaurant-quality flavor and perfect texture. Serve it as a side dish or over steamed rice for a light meal.
Chinese garlic green beans is a simplified version of Sichuan dry fried green beans. The green beans are pan fried until blistered and tender, then stir fried with garlic and ginger to lend a great aroma. This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients to create a mouthwatering and satisfying side.
Perfect green beans, no wok and deep-frying required
If you’ve ever ordered this dish in Chinese restaurants like Din Tai Fung, you must have wondered how to get those nicely charred green beans with the perfectly blistered skin.
Chinese-style garlic green beans use a cooking technique called Gan Bian (干煸), meaning “dry fried”. It’s similar to shallow frying, as it uses little oil, but achieves a result similar to deep fried food.
The green beans are pan fried with peanut oil until they are perfectly charred and blistered. They’re then stir fried with aromatics and a touch of soy sauce to create a bold flavor.
How to make garlic green beans
Cooking garlic green beans is super easy.
- Cook the green beans in the large pan and stir to coat well with oil. Flip the green beans occasionally, taking out the ones that are charred.
- Once the green beans are cooked, fry the garlic and ginger.
- Return the cooked green beans to the pan, drizzle in the seasonings and stir it together.
That’s it!
For extra spice, sprinkle some chili flakes or use a splash of chili oil. I used a high quality peanut oil to add a nutty flavor to the dish. If you use a neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil, add a splash of toasted sesame seeds or sesame oil at the end of cooking.
How to create the best green bean texture
Thoroughly pat the green beans dry before cooking, so the green beans browns efficiently without getting steamed. Dried green beans also prevents oil splatter, since you will be using a very hot pan to cook this dish.
Different variations
You can add meat or other ingredients to your garlic green beans to make it even more satisfying. Here are some common ingredients I like to use:
- Ground pork, or other ground meat like ground beef or ground chicken.
- Minced dried shrimp – Adding dried shrimp along with aromatics infuses a salty umami to the oil, making the dish richer in taste.
- Pickled mustard greens – Or Sui Mi Ya Cai (碎米芽菜), is another great option to add a rich fermented umami and a hint of sweetness. You can use a spoonful to replace the soy sauce.
- For vegetarian versions, you can add mushrooms or tofu crumbles.
How to serve garlic green beans
These garlic green beans are so flavorful that you can serve them by themselves or over steamed rice. It makes a perfect side dish or a part of a multi-dish meal. I also love to top it on the rice and add a marinated egg to make a quick lunch. They freeze and reheat well, so you can use them for meal prep too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make the green beans blister like in restaurants?
Restaurants often deep fry the green beans briefly to get that signature wrinkled, blistered texture. At home, you can mimic this by:
- Pan-frying over medium-high heat with minimal oil, turning frequently.
- Air frying or roasting at high heat as an alternative. You can refer to my air fryer green beans and oven roasted green beans recipes.
Do I need to blanch the green beans first?
Blanching is optional. It speeds up the pan frying process while keeping the inside of the green beans tender. My recipe skips it. If you prefer softer green beans, you can blanch them for 1 to 2 minutes, then dry them before stir-frying.
Why are my green beans soggy?
Common reasons:
- Overcrowding the pan causes the beans to steam instead of fry. Use a large skillet or cook in batches.
- Not using high enough heat.
- Not drying the green beans properly after washing.
Here are some dishes to serve with garlic green beans
- Soy Sauce Fried Rice (酱油炒饭)
- Chinese Corn Soup (鸡蛋玉米羹)
- Sichuan Shrimp Stir Fry
- Beef Lo Mein
- Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
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.
Chinese Garlic Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans , tough ends removed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable)
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 thumb minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry, or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Chinese chili flakes (for garnish) (Optional)
Instructions
- Thoroughly pat the green beans dry with paper towels to prevent oil splatter.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Turn to medium heat and add the green beans. Toss to coat well with the oil. Spread out the green beans as much as possible with minimal overlap and sprinkle with the salt. Let cook without touching for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom starts to blister and turn golden. Remove any green beans that have blistered and charred on one side and transfer them to a big plate. Keep cooking the rest of the green beans, flipping occasionally and taking out the ones that are blistered. The whole process should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
- If your pan looks dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Otherwise, directly add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir and cook for a few minutes to release fragrance. Add back all the cooked green beans and stir to mix a few times.
- Pour in the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and sprinkle with salt. Stir immediately to mix everything well. Taste the green beans. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt or soy sauce, if needed.
- Transfer everything to a big plate. Sprinkle with chili flakes, if using. Serve hot as a side dish.
Video
Nutrition
Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment
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Teri
These are SO good!
Mz
Amazing!! Simple enough for a super novice like me and my chef husband was amazed!! Also my young kids loved eating their veggies thanks to this recipe
Hank
Beans done like this are our favourite way of eating green beans. Even with regular meals, and for lunch at work.
J-Mom
Seemingly really simple recipe but a great way to eat green beans!! Thank you!
Elaine
I have made this several times now and it’s wonderful. So easy, and goes really well with the sesame chicken recipe.
Nora K
I used to get a similar dish way back when I was in highschool at a hole in the wall restaurant. I’ve never had it anywhere else but this recipe looked so similar, I tried it and it was perfect! Very fast and easy with a great result. I added a little chili powder (just 1/8th tsp) for some extra flavor.