I’m sharing my Garlic Green Beans Recipe that takes blistered, slightly charred beans and dresses them in a garlicky sauce packed with umami and savory flavors, all ready in 15 minutes.

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I’m obsessed with this quick Chinese Green Beans With Garlic Sauce because it comes together in about 15 minutes and still tastes like you spent ages on it. The blistered green beans char just enough to get smoky edges, and the garlic sauce clings to every ridge.

Between my late night searches for How To Make Chinese Green Beans and bookmarking every Garlic Green Beans Recipe I find, I finally landed on a version that’s bold without being fussy. It’s perfect as a Szechuan inspired side, packs a punch, and somehow disappears from the plate faster than I expect.

Ingredients

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Green beans: crisp, fibrous, high in fiber and vitamin K, light.
Garlic: pungent, immune boosting, adds savory depth and gentle sweetness when cooked.
Light soy sauce: salty, umami, low sugar, brings savory saltiness to the sauce.
Oyster sauce: thick, sweet savory, concentrates seafood umami, makes glaze glossy.
Scallions: fresh oniony bite, low calorie, adds brightness and crunch at end
Dried chilies: bring heat and aroma, adds complexity, use less if sensitive.
Toasted sesame oil: tiny amount gives nutty fragrance not for high heat cooking.
Cornstarch slurry: thickens sauce, smooth glossy finish, keeps sauce clingy to beans.

Ingredient Quantities

1 lb (450 g) green beans, trimmed

2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola or peanut)

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

4 dried red chilies or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Trim ends off 1 lb green beans, pat them very dry with paper towels so the oil wont spit, and slice the scallions separating whites from greens.

2. In a small bowl whisk together 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth; set aside. Keep the 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil for finishing.

3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot, then add 2 tbsp neutral oil. When the oil shimmers add 4 dried red chilies (or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes) and, if using, 1/4 tsp lightly crushed Sichuan peppercorns to toast for 15 to 20 seconds until fragrant but not burned.

4. Add the green beans in a single layer and stir-fry, tossing every minute, until blistered and tender-crisp about 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/4 tsp salt during cooking, adjust later if needed.

5. Push the beans to the side, add 4 minced garlic cloves and the scallion whites to the hot spot and stir 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

6. Give the sauce a quick stir then pour it into the pan, tossing everything to coat; the cornstarch will thicken the sauce in 30 to 60 seconds so keep the beans moving.

7. Turn off the heat, drizzle the 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil over the beans, taste and add more salt if you want. Toss in the scallion greens and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like it hotter.

8. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with rice or your Szechuan mains. Quick tip: if your skillet is crowded the beans will steam not blister, so cook in batches or use a very large pan.

Equipment Needed

1. Cutting board and chef knife for trimming the beans and slicing scallions
2. Paper towels to pat the beans very dry
3. Small mixing bowl and a whisk or fork to blend the sauce
4. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon for the soy, vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch
5. Large skillet or wok for stir frying the beans
6. Spatula or tongs to toss the beans and keep them moving while the sauce thickens
7. Garlic press or a small paring knife for mincing garlic
8. Serving plate and a heatproof spoon to transfer and serve
9. Dont forget a timer or your phone to keep an eye on cooking time

FAQ

Q: Can I make this dish vegetarian or vegan? A: Yes. Swap the oyster sauce for a vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce or use extra light soy sauce plus a splash of mushroom broth or a teaspoon of miso. It wont taste exactly the same but it will be tasty and savory.

Q: How do I keep the green beans crisp and not mushy? A: Work fast on high heat. Trim and dry the beans, then either blanch them 1 to 2 minutes and shock in ice water before stir frying, or skip blanching and stir fry straight away over very hot oil until blistered. Don't overcrowd the pan or they'll steam and go soft.

Q: What if I dont have Sichuan peppercorns or dried red chilies? A: No problem. Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or a little chili oil for heat. If you want the numbing note from Sichuan peppercorns, try toasting them briefly and crushing them if you can find them, but it's optional.

Q: Why is there cornstarch and water in the ingredients? A: That's a slurry to thicken and gloss the sauce so it clings to the beans. Stir it in at the end and cook a minute until the sauce looks shiny. If you want a thinner sauce, use less slurry.

Q: Can I use frozen green beans? A: You can, but thaw and pat them dry well first. Frozen beans release more water, so dry them or they might steam and get limp. Cook a bit longer to get some browning if possible.

Q: How do I store and reheat leftovers so they still taste good? A: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat to revive some crispness. Microwaving makes them soggy, so avoid it if you can.

Chinese Green Beans With Garlic Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Green beans: snap peas, asparagus, or broccolini. (They stir-fry similarly; cut to same length so they cook even.)
Light soy sauce: tamari for gluten-free, or low-sodium soy; coconut aminos if you want less salt and a slightly sweeter taste.
Oyster sauce: hoisin for a sweeter, thicker swap, or vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce for a similar umami if you don’t eat seafood.
Cornstarch: arrowroot or tapioca starch 1:1, or use 2 tsp all-purpose flour mixed with the water if you have nothing else.

Pro Tips

– Dry the beans really well, like pat them with paper towels or give them a quick spin in a salad spinner, or the oil will spit everywhere and make a mess. Wet beans steam instead of blistering so this step actually changes the whole texture.

– Get the pan screaming hot and keep the beans in a single layer, dont crowd it. If you pile them up they steam not char, so either use a huge pan or cook in two quick batches.

– Toast the dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns only a few seconds until fragrant, dont let them go dark or they turn bitter. Also add the garlic later and keep it moving so it gets fragrant but not burned; burned garlic tastes awful.

– Make the cornstarch slurry smooth and add it to the pan only when everything’s hot and moving, keep tossing so it thickens evenly. If it gets too gluey, loosen with a tablespoon or two of hot water, dont keep simmering it.

– Finish off off the heat with the sesame oil and scallion greens so their aroma and color stay bright, and always taste at the end for salt and heat and adjust. If you like softer beans, blanch then shock them before stir-frying, but if you want smoky char skip blanching.

Chinese Green Beans With Garlic Sauce Recipe

Recipe by Toni Baldesera

0.0 from 0 votes

I'm sharing my Garlic Green Beans Recipe that takes blistered, slightly charred beans and dresses them in a garlicky sauce packed with umami and savory flavors, all ready in 15 minutes.

Servings

servings

Calories

105

kcal

Equipment: 1. Cutting board and chef knife for trimming the beans and slicing scallions
2. Paper towels to pat the beans very dry
3. Small mixing bowl and a whisk or fork to blend the sauce
4. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon for the soy, vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch
5. Large skillet or wok for stir frying the beans
6. Spatula or tongs to toss the beans and keep them moving while the sauce thickens
7. Garlic press or a small paring knife for mincing garlic
8. Serving plate and a heatproof spoon to transfer and serve
9. Dont forget a timer or your phone to keep an eye on cooking time

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) green beans, trimmed
2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola or peanut)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 dried red chilies or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed (optional)

Directions

Trim ends off 1 lb green beans, pat them very dry with paper towels so the oil wont spit, and slice the scallions separating whites from greens.
In a small bowl whisk together 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth; set aside. Keep the 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil for finishing.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot, then add 2 tbsp neutral oil. When the oil shimmers add 4 dried red chilies (or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes) and, if using, 1/4 tsp lightly crushed Sichuan peppercorns to toast for 15 to 20 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
Add the green beans in a single layer and stir-fry, tossing every minute, until blistered and tender-crisp about 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/4 tsp salt during cooking, adjust later if needed.
Push the beans to the side, add 4 minced garlic cloves and the scallion whites to the hot spot and stir 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Give the sauce a quick stir then pour it into the pan, tossing everything to coat; the cornstarch will thicken the sauce in 30 to 60 seconds so keep the beans moving.
Turn off the heat, drizzle the 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil over the beans, taste and add more salt if you want. Toss in the scallion greens and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like it hotter.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with rice or your Szechuan mains. Quick tip: if your skillet is crowded the beans will steam not blister, so cook in batches or use a very large pan.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.