Perfectly blistered, snappy, and garlicky Chinese garlic green beans flash-fried and tossed with fresh garlic make the most addictive vegetable dish. This Chinese green beans recipe is our go-to, as it is the easiest and most flavorful way to add vegetables to our diet.

The best part about this side dish recipe is that only needs 5 ingredients and less than 15 minutes to make! Serve it with your favorite fried rice, noodles, or dumplings with a drizzle of Chinese chili oil for the most delicious weeknight meal.

Ingredients

You can find all the ingredients for this Chinese garlic green beans recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.

• Green Beans: Opt for fresh green beans or string beans that are long and thick for the best results.
• Vegetable oil: any other neutral, non-flavored oil with a high frying temperature point. You want an oil that can withstand high heat but also be neutral flavored so that it will not change the flavor of the green beans.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic will create the strongest garlicky flavor!
• Salt: seasons and enhances the green bean flavor.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: adds savory, salty flavor to the Chinese string beans.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Neutral Oil: canola, peanut, avocado oil, or any other neutral oil with a high smoke point.
• MSG: Instead of chicken bouillon powder, use MSG. This secret ingredient will make these green beans taste better than the Din Tai Fung string beans with garlic.

Additions

• Heat: for added spicy flavor, add chili oil, sambal oelek, or freshly cut chili peppers.
• Vegetables: you can add other vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, snow peas, baby corn, etc.
• Sesame Oil: adds a hint of nutty umami flavor to finish.
• Soy sauce or dark soy sauce: A splash of soy sauce adds an extra salty, savory flavor.

How to Make Chinese Garlic Green Beans

Here are the step-by-step instructions for this Chinese garlic green beans recipe.

1. Heat the neutral oil in a wok over high heat until it reaches 350°F-375°F. The oil should cover about 1/2 inch of the bottom of the wok.
2. Working in batches, add the washed, dried and trimmed green beans and fry for about 30-45 seconds, or until the green beans start to wrinkle on the outside. Remove the green beans with a spider strainer and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all the green beans are fried.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Then add, minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the green beans, salt and chicken bouillon powder and toss to combine for 1 minute.

4. Transfer the Chinese string beans to a serving plate. Enjoy!

Storage Instructions

These Chinese garlic green beans are best when served immediately; however, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Reheat: Heat your wok or pan on medium-high heat and toss the string beans until warm. Alternatively, you can microwave covered until warm.

FAQ

What kind of green beans do I use?

Fresh, green string beans or Chinese long beans are ideal. Do not use canned or frozen beans. You can also use French green beans (haricots verts), but they are thinner and may only need a 30- 45-second fry time.

How can I tell the oil is ready without a thermometer?

You can tell if the oil is ready by dipping a chopstick into the oil, and if you see a lot of bubbles sizzling around it, then it is ready. You can also test with one green bean.

Do I need to fry the green beans?

No! If you’d prefer healthier garlic green beans, you can simply saute them in 2 tablespoons of oil until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. This will not yield the same wrinkled, crisp texture as the Din Tai Fun green beans, but it will still taste just as delicious!

Can I air fry the Chinese string beans?

Yes, you can air fry the Chinese string beans tossed in oil at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, tossing halfway until done. Then, saute them in the garlic. The texture will be different, but it will be equally delicious.

How do you throw away leftover oil?

My favorite way to dispose of leftover frying oil is using an oil solidifier called Fry Away. Once you’re done cooking, sprinkle the fry away in, and it will solidify the oil, making it easy to throw away once it cools.

You can also pour the oil once it is cooled into a jar or container that you do not mind throwing away. Do not pour the oil down your drain; it will damage your pipes!

Chinese Garlic Green Beans Recipe