The MOST DELICIOUS Chinese Green Beans Recipe (Made in 15 Minutes)

These Chinese green beans are just so, so flavorful. The recipe combines, of course, fresh green beans with the perfect balance of savory-and-sweet flavors that are too good to resist. In addition to tasting great though, these Chinese green beans also happen to be super easy to make too! Seriously,  just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes are all you need to whip up this tasty veggie.

The Best Chinese Green Beans

If you've never had traditional Chinese green beans before, then get ready to be impressed. After all, these sweet and savory green beans are quite different than any other green bean recipe out there.

The fresh green beans are sauteed until they're perfectly tender yet still crunchy. Then they're cooked in a rich stir fry sauce flavored with a mixture of garlic powder and soy sauce - for a little salty, savory goodness - and a little bit of honey for a dash of sweetness. Seriously, every bite is filled with umami deliciousness.

Also, another thing to love about these Chinese green beans is the fact that they're made in just one pan. So, not only is making 'em a breeze but clean up is too.

Now, of course, every great side dish needs a great main dish to go with it. So, if you're looking for some all star recipes to pair with these green beans a few of my favorites are this sushi bake recipe, this Beijing beef recipe, or this general tso shrimp recipe. Honestly though, they're really so versatile you can pair them with practically anything.

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, you only need a few simple ingredients to make these Chinese garlic green beans. In fact, you probably have most - if not all - of them in your kitchen already.

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make these Chinese green beans:

• ¼ cup Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 1 tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Avocado Oil
• 3 cups Green Beans, trimmed
• Sea Salt Flakes

Simple stuff, right?

By the way, my all-time favorite thing to eat with these Chinese style green beans is this orange chicken, and you can use some of these same ingredients to make it. So I highly suggest making that Chinese chicken with these beans!

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend using the ingredients listed above to make these Chinese green beans, there are definitely a few substitutions you can make if you find yourself in a pinch.

For example, I used avocado oil to saute the green beans, but you can also use peanut oil, vegetable oil, or toasted sesame oil.

As for the soy sauce, I always use regular soy sauce but feel free to use low sodium soy sauce or even coconut aminos if you have a sensitivity to soy based products.

As for the green beans, you can use fresh or frozen green beans. If using frozen green beans, I recommend allowing them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can microwave them until they're thawed right before cooking.

Oh, and when it comes to add-ons, I like to add a little dash of red pepper flakes or toasted sesame seeds to 'em from time to time, but these are totally optional!

How To Make Chinese Green Beans

So, now it's time to get into the good stuff and go over the steps you'll want to follow to make these Chinese green beans! And, again, as I mentioned above, it could not be easier to make 'em.

You basically just cook the green beans, combine all of the sauce ingredients, and then add the sauce to 'em.

Yup, that's it!

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!

Step 1: Prepare Sauce

First, you'll want to prepare the sauce so you have it ready for later.

So, to do this, take out a medium bowl and add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, cornstarch, and garlic powder to it. Then, you can mix everything together with a whisk or fork until it is well combined.

By the way, don't worry too much if the sauce isn't thickening after adding the cornstarch - this will happen once you add the sauce to the green beans over the heat.

Step 2: Cook The Green Beans

Now it's time to cook the green beans.

First, heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil to it. Also, when you add the oil make sure you move the pan around a little bit so it coats the entire surface.

Anyway, once the pan is ready well oiled and hot, you can add the trimmed green beans to it, and cook them for about 15 minutes - or until they begin to brown.

Step 3: Add The Sauce

Once your green beans are fully cooked, you can reduce the heat to low and add the sauce ingredients to 'em.

Then, after you've added the sauce, you'll want to continuously stir everything together until it thickens. Finally, when the sauce thickens, you can serve these Chinese garlic green beans with a sprinkle of sea salt on top, and enjoy 'em.

How To Store Chinese Green Beans

This recipe for Chinese green beans makes 4 side-dish-sized servings.

That being said, it's safe to assume everyone is going to love this recipe, so if you need to you can easily just double - or triple - it to make sure you have enough. And don't worry if all of the green beans don't get eaten, they taste fantastic leftover.

Speaking of leftovers, you can store leftover green beans in an airtight container and they'll stay good in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.

Alternatively, if you want your leftovers to last even longer, then you can transfer these Chinese green beans to a freezer-safe bag, and they'll last in the freezer for 10-12 months.

How To Reheat Chinese Green Beans

Now, these green beans are actually pretty tasty cold, but you can definitely reheat them if you'd like.

To reheat 'em, I recommend using the stovetop. Just transfer your leftovers to a skillet over medium heat and warm the green beans for a few minutes, stirring constantly until they reach your desired temperature. 

Alternatively, to warm your Chinese green beans up even quicker, you can microwave them. To do this, I recommend simply placing your green beans in a microwave-safe dish and heating them in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until they are fully warm.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make Chinese green beans!

Out of all the green bean recipes I've tried, there's just something special about this one. From the sweet and savory flavor and tender-crisp crunch to the quick and easy cooking process, what's not to love about this recipe?

Anyway, I hope you like this Chinese green beans recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give it a try, leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Side Dish Recipes

This Chinese green bean recipe really is the perfect flavor-packed side dish and we have plenty more recipe just like it on the blog already.

Check these out:

• Honey glazed candied carrots
• Din Tai Fung cucumber salad
• Kani salad
• Sugar snap peas
• Pineapple casserole

Oh, and for more delicious recipes, don't forget to follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. We post new ones on there daily!

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