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 close up

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.
Pan frying green beans
  • Once the green beans are cooked, fry the garlic and ginger.
Cook aromatics
  • Return the cooked green beans to the pan, drizzle in the seasonings and stir it together.
finish up the dish by adding seasonings

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.   

Charred and blistered green beans cooked with minced garlic

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.

Chinese garlic green beans served on a platter

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:

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

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This quick and easy Chinese garlic green beans recipe uses a few ingredients to achieve maximum flavor and a perfect texture! The green beans are pan fried until blistered and tender, then stir fried with garlic and ginger to lend a great aroma. Serve this as a side dish to complete your dinner or over steamed rice as a light lunch. {Vegan, Gluten-Free adaptable}

Chinese Garlic Green Beans

By Maggie Zhu
5 from 21 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Print
This quick and easy Chinese garlic green beans recipe uses a few ingredients to achieve maximum flavor and a perfect texture! The green beans are pan fried until blistered and tender, then stir fried with garlic and ginger to lend a great aroma. Serve this as a side dish to complete your dinner or over steamed rice as a light lunch. {Vegan, Gluten-Free adaptable}
To make the dish gluten-free, use tamari to replace soy sauce, and use dry sherry or chicken broth to replace Shaoxing wine.

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

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 11.6g, Protein: 2.5g, Fat: 13.7g, Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2.7g, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

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