Sizzling Chinese Green Beans

5 from 5 votes

Sizzling Chinese Green Beans

Craving Chinese take-out? Once you make these sizzling Chinese green beans, you’ll be wanting it every night of the week. Spicy, satisfying, and oh-so-addictive! This string beans recipe is one of our favorite side dishes on the blog.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine: asian

Diet: Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Michelle Cehn

Ingredients

Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil peanut oil would be even better!
2 teaspoons garlic minced
2 large scallions finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional, but recommended
2 tablespoons roasted cashews or peanuts optional, but recommended

Sizzling Sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
4 tablespoons water or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Add your green beans to a colander, rinse with water, pinch off any unwanted stems, and break in half.
Place your wok or large skillet over high heat.
While your wok is heating up, mix up the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well and put aside for later.
Once the wok is pre-heated, add your green beans and water. Cover immediately. Steam for 4 minutes or until just tender.
Add the oil and minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, constantly stirring.
Whisk your sauce once more and then pour over the steamed beans and garlic.
Stir the green bean and sauce mixture constantly while allowing the sauce to come to a light boil. This should take only 1-2 minutes. You’ll know the sauce is done when it is thick, glossy, and smells fragrant.
Serve over steamed white or brown rice and garnish with chopped scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and (optional) roasted nuts.

Video

Notes

Oil-Free: Sauté your green beans and minced garlic with water.
Adjust Spice Level: Add more or less crushed red pepper flakes to your liking. You can also add cayenne pepper or an Asian-flavored hot sauce.
Vary the Veggies: You can substitute any vegetable you wish if you don’t like green beans. Broccoli or snow peas would also work really well in this recipe. If you switch up the veggies, make sure you use the correct steaming time for that particular vegetable.
Lower-Sodium Version: Use low sodium soy sauce (or tamari) and vegetable broth. You can also substitute water for the vegetable broth, if desired.
Savor Extra Sauce: Double the ingredient amounts for the sauce if you like to have extra to pour over your rice. (Highly recommended!)
Swap the Sweetener: Instead of the maple syrup, feel free to use agave, granulated sugar, or any other sweetener that you like. You can also leave out the sweetener all together.

Nutrition