Easy Chinese Green Beans Recipe

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Published: 04/03/2019 | Updated: 03/28/2024

This recipe for Chinese-style green string beans is so easy but is packed with wonderful flavor! Cooked in a cast-iron skillet with soy sauce, onions and garlic then topped with sesame seeds, it’s the perfect addition to a homemade Chinese meal!

One of my favorite parts of this stir-fried green beans dish is just how versatile it is! It is a very adaptable dish; from how you cook it to the spices you use, you can really customize it specifically for your family.

I’ll be the first to admit that green beans aren’t top of my list when it comes to favorite veggies. In fact, they aren’t even in the top 5. But when they’re made with caramelized onions and covered in a soy-based Asian sauce, I changed my tune quickly!

How to Make Easy Chinese Green Beans

Start by trimming your fresh, long green beans. I just snap the end off with the string. It takes me a couple of minutes to trim a pound of green beans.

Then, add about a tablespoon of canola oil to your pan over medium-high heat.

While that’s heating up, dice a small onion. Now here’s where you can start tweaking my recipe a little. I like my onions caramelized! Like really, really caramelized almost to the point of being burnt.

This means that I pretty much always will put my onions in the preheated pan first. That way, they get a couple of minutes head start in the cooking process. If you don’t like your onions quite so well done, just wait and add them for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking.

Add your trimmed green beans to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally. I cooked mine for about 10 minutes or so. That gave me a crunchy texture. If you liked yours more on the tender, the soft side just cooks a bit longer.

Add about 3 cloves of fresh garlic for the last minute of cooking. Stir well to get it all combined in there with the onions and green beans.

Then add your soy sauce and pepper flakes and toss to coat. I transferred mine to a serving dish and then sprinkled the sesame seeds on for the very last step.

Variations to Chinese Style Green Beans

• You could also add fresh ginger to the final step when you add the soy sauce. I’m not a personal fan of ginger, so I left it out.
• You can sub the canola oil for sesame oil for a deeper, more authentic Asian flavor. You can also use vegetable oil or olive oil if you like.
• If you only have canned green beans on hand, I would use 2 cans of drained green beans in place of the fresh green beans. It won’t be quite the same end result, but it will still be very good and is an easy way to dress up canned green beans!
• Feel free to use reduced-sodium soy sauce in place of the regular soy sauce as well.

Looking for more quick & easy recipes

Looking for more quick & easy recipes? Check out these recipes! All of these recipes are simple and can be prepared in just a few minutes.

• Parmesan Roasted Carrots
• Shrimp Cocktail Dip
• Teriyaki Glaze and Marinade
• Fried Bananas
• Powdered Sugar Glaze
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning
• Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Print Recipe

Chinese Style Green Beans

An easy side dish that's packed with flavor, Chinese style green beans are cooked with onions and garlic and then tossed in a soy sauce. Ready in under 15 minutes, it goes well with ham, pork or a homemade Chinese dinner!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Chinese style green beans

Servings: 4

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Natalie Dixon

Ingredients

• 1 lb Fresh Green Beans trimmed
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic minced
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Instructions

• In a cast iron skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and green beans and stir occasionally to prevent them from burning. Cook for about 10-15 minutes depending on how well done you like your green beans.
• Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two. Be sure to stir garlic into green beans and onion. 
• Add soy sauce and pepper and stir well. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

In conclusion, this easy Chinese green beans recipe is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy green beans. This simple canned green bean recipes with soy sauce is easy to make and can be served as a side dish or main course. Give them a try the next time you’re looking for a new and exciting way to enjoy green beans.