This Chinese Green Beans with Pork Stir Fry is my favorite dish to get at Chinese restaurants. The secret to getting that restaurant flavor is to fry the green beans in oil until they have wrinkled! After frying the green beans, you will find that the flavor with the pork sauce is unmatched! You have to try these easy and delicious Chinese Green Beans for your next dinner.
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Why You Will Love This Chinese Green Beans Recipe
- Side Dish or Main Dish: The Chinese garlic green beans with pork double as a great side dish to go with Japchae Potstickers but hard enough as a main dish protein with a side dish of more vegetables.
- Versatile: You can easily change up this dish to your needs by using a different meat choice if pork is not your favorite or leaving it out for a meatless (vegetarian!) Chinese green beans dish.
- Simple Ingredients: Green beans + minced pork and a handful of seasonings and spices are all that’s needed to make this dish!
- Less Than 30 Minutes: This pork and green bean stir fry requires minimal prep and cooks up quickly! It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or quick lunch.
If you’re on the hunt for more ground pork recipes you’ve got to try this One Pot Rice with Minced Pork, Tan Tan Udon Noodles, and Braised Minced Pork next!
Ingredients
These Chinese style green beans relies on a handful of Chinese pantry staples to prepare! Here’s a look at the main ingredients:
- Green beans: You want to choose fresh whole green beans for this recipe. You will not get the same results using frozen green beans.
- Oil: This is used to fry the green beans. Use a neutral oil such as avocado, vegetable or canola for the best outcome.
- Dried red chili peppers: This dish uses whole dried chilies. This is totally optional if you don’t like spicy you can leave them out or even use less for a less spicy flavor. (optional if you don’t like spicy) – in pieces
- Aromatics: The mild onion flavor of shallots and garlics add subtle depth of flavor to this dish. No shallots? You can use the white part of green onions or regular onion but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Ground Pork: The classic version of Chinese green bean stir fry is made with minced pork but you can swap it for minced turkey or vegetarian meat crumbles if desired.
- Shaoxing cooking wine: This rice cooking wine is frequently used in Chinese cooking to add some acidity and a touch of sweetness to the dish. You can substitute with any cooking wine or omit if you prefer cooking without alcohol.
- Oyster sauce: This sauce made from oysters gives a more intense savory flavor to the green beans and pork.
- Hoisin sauce: This sweet and spicy sauce is frequently used to flavor Chinese dishes. It’s made from soy beans, chilies, garlic, and spices. You can find it many large well-stocked supermarkets or buy it an Asian market.
- Soy sauce: We use a combination of regular soy sauce to add more savory flavor and dark soy sauce for color. If you don’t have the dark soy sauce you can use more of the regular.
How to Make Chinese Green Beans Stir Fry
Are you ready to make Chinese fried green beans? Here’s an overview of the steps in this tasty recipe.
Step 1. Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Skip this step if you bought your green beans trimmed!
Pro Tip: Make sure to pat the green beans dry with a paper towel after washing. Water will make the oil splatter when frying. So for safety and less mess make sure they’re dry!
Step 2. Heat the sauce pan or wok over medium heat. Add the 4 tablespoons of oil to the pan to heat. Once it’s hot add your green beans. Fry the green beans for 2-3 minutes until the green beans have wrinkles. Be careful of any splatter.
Step 3: Remove them from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside to soak up any leftover oil. Use a paper towel to soak up the leftover oil. Then, add a pinch of salt to the green beans.
Step 4. Chop the shallots and garlic.
Step 5. Fry the dried red chili pepper until they turn dark red. Add your minced shallot and garlic and fry until golden. This step should take 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the shallots and garlic by continuously stirring!
Step 6: Add the minced pork and cook for one minute. Break apart the pieces.
Step 7. Add the cooking wine, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Mix everything together. Fry the minced pork until there is no liquid and the meat has browned.
Step 9. Add the green beans and stir fry for one more minute! Serve it up and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Storing and Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Return them to a heated skillet and cook until heated through. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- Heating the Oil: Be sure the oil is hot before adding the green beans to the oil. This way the green beans begin frying right away and soak up less oil.
- Substituting Ingredients: For the best flavor and results I highly recommend making this pork and green bean stir fry as written. I’ve given you a few suggestions for some swaps but other ingredient exchanges may make a difference in the flavor of the dish.
- Adjust the Heat: Green beans and pork stir fry is classically a spicy dish but don’t let that scare you away. If you are sensitive to spice you can easily use fewer chilies or eliminate them altogether.
- Cook Green Beans In Batches: This ensures the oil stays hot, the green beans are evenly dispersed in the oil, and prevents the beans from soaking up too much oil.
Recipe FAQs
The seasonings for this dish is on the savory side so make sure you cook extra white rice! Serve up this pork stir fry as a main dish following a bowl of Egg Drop Soup or with a side of Hijiki Seaweed Salad. As a side dish it goes great with Chinese Steamed Fish and HK Rice Noodles.
Yes! You can replace the ground pork with your favorite meatless crumbles or make it into just a green bean stir fry. Don’t forget you will also need to use a vegetarian oyster sauce and it may taste slightly different from the authentic recipe.
More Chinese Side Dish Recipes
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Chinese Green Beans with Pork
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- pinch salt
- 4 tablespoons oil canola or vegetable
- 10 pieces dried red chili pepper optional if you don't like spicy
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ pound ground pork can sub with turkey or vegetarian meat
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine can sub with any cooking wine or omit
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Skip this step if you bought your green beans trimmed!
- Heat the sauce pan or wok over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Once it's hot, add your green beans. Fry the green beans for 2-3 minutes until the green beans have wrinkles. Be careful of any splatter.
- Remove them from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside to soak up any leftover oil. Use a paper towel to soak up the leftover oil. Then, add a pinch of salt to the green beans.
- Chop shallots and garlic.
- Fry the dried red chili pepper until they turn dark red. Add your minced shallot and garlic and fry until golden. This step should take 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the shallots and garlic by continuously stir frying!
- Add the minced pork and cook for one minute. Break apart the pieces.
- Add the cooking wine, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Mix everything together. Fry the minced pork until there is no liquid and the meat has browned.
- Add the green beans and stir fry for one more minute! Serve it up and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Storing and Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Return them to a heated skillet and cook until heated through. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- Heating the Oil: Be sure the oil is hot before adding the green beans to the oil. This way the green beans begin frying right away and soak up less oil.
- Substituting Ingredients: For the best flavor and results I highly recommend making this pork and green bean stir fry as written. I’ve given you a few suggestions for some swaps but other ingredient exchanges may make a difference in the flavor of the dish.
- Adjust the Heat: Green beans and pork stir fry is classically a spicy dish but don’t let that scare you away. If you are sensitive to spice you can easily use fewer chilies or eliminate them altogether.
- Cook Green Beans In Batches: This ensures the oil stays hot, the green beans are evenly dispersed in the oil, and prevents the beans from soaking up too much oil.
Joyce says
One of my favorite recipes. So delicious.
Noor says
So good as a side dish or main!!