These Chinese garlic green beans are easy, tasty and can be made in less than 15 minutes! Tossed with garlic and sesame seeds – this restaurant-style Chinese garlic green beans recipe makes the perfect side dish!
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I have always found it a real treat to have a tasty side dish with any main meal you serve! These garlicky green beans are an incredible side dish and my go-to recipe when I want a dish with a lovely garlic flavor!
And isn’t it great when you have a delicious side dish incorporating vegetables too? Green beans are very nutritious and a source of antioxidants including vitamin C, fibre and vitamin K.
Spicy green beans tend to be a popular dish in Chinese restaurants. When I fancy Chinese food, I enjoy making this Chinese green beans recipe with stir-fried Hakka noodles as the main dish. I sometimes like to add paneer manchurian to make an incredible Asian feast!
Plus, this green bean recipe is made with simple ingredients and quick to whip up.
Bonus – you do not need to deep fry these green beans!
You can either shallow fry in a pan or use an air fryer to prepare these green beans. This adds an incredible texture which is irresistible (similar to blistered green beans). I prefer to not be deep frying as it means using less oil and avoiding vegetable oil.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Green beans: look for fresh green beans which are firm. The best green beans have a bright green color
- Garlic: finely chop the garlic (use a food processor to finely chop the garlic, or use a sharp knife). This easy recipe uses lots of garlic to give this dish the best flavor.
- Olive oil: you can use extra virgin olive oil (or regular). Alternatively you can substitute with butter or ghee if you prefer a buttery taste. You can also use alternative oils such has sesame oil, avocado oil, peanut oil or coconut oil.
- Sesame seeds: these are optional but added for the extra crunch
- Salt: to season these garlic green beans
How to make Chinese-style garlic green beans
Start by air frying (or shallow frying) the green beans
- Prepare the green beans. Rinse and dry the green beans. Trim the pointy ends of the green beans (you can either do this with your hands by snapping the tips or line the beans in the same direction and use a knife to cut the tips).
- Coat in a little oil. Add the green beans to a bowl and add one spoon of olive oil, rub together to evenly coat the beans with oil.
- Air fry the green beans. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C/374°F, line the tray of the air fryer with parchment/baking paper and place the green beans in a row. Cook on “air fry” setting for 8 minutes, turn them half way to evenly cook them.
If you wish to shallow fry the green beans skip the second step, instead heat the oil into a frying pan, then add the green beans and toss to evenly coat them and shallow fry for 3-5 minutes, until crispy and slightly golden.
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Stir-fry the green beans
- Sauté garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet, pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for 30 seconds, until garlic is slightly golden.
- Add the green beans. Add the green beans and toss with the garlic for another minute.
- Add the sesame seeds and salt. Add the sesame seeds and toss for another 30 seconds, to let the sesame seeds become slightly toasted and crispy. Season with salt and remove from heat, serve and enjoy!
Equipment
- I recommend using a non-stick medium/large wok for best results.
- I also recommend using two wooden spatulas to help you toss the green beans.
Top tips and Variations
- Use the best equipment for optimum results – use a large non-stick wok for best results – woks can get hotter than typical frying pans (so you can cook food faster) and the high walls of the wok allow you to easily toss and mix the green beans quickly. Use two wooden spatulas to help you toss the vegetables and noodles. If you do not have a wok you can use a large frying pan or skillet which has slanted or rounded sides.
- Prepare ingredients in advance – air fry (or shallow fry) the green beans, chop your garlic (using a food processor for convenience) and keep the sesame seeds and salt ready before heating the wok. This is because the stir fry will happen in minutes – so it is best if everything is ready for ease.
- Variations – for some spice, add ½ red jalapeño chilli pepper (sliced) or a pinch of red pepper flakes whilst sautéing the garlic. You can also add roasted cashew nuts or peanuts for extra crunch. For a saucier version, you can add a bit of dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce or white rice vinegar.
How to Serve
You can serve these Asian green beans with hakka noodles and/or paneer manchurian! Add our spicy peanuts side dish for extra crunch and flavor!
Enjoy with fresh drinks including berry juice, pear juice or orange and passion fruit juice!
Storage Tips
- These green beans can be served immediately or made in advance.
- If you wish to make in advance, transfer the green beans into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- To reheat, add to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for at 1-2 minutes (depending on quantity) or until are steaming.
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Chinese Garlic Green Beans (Asian Style Recipe)
Ingredients
- 200 g Green beans
- 1 ½ tablespoon Garlic finely chopped/minced
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil (1 tablespoon to coat green beans, 1 tablespoon for cooking)
- Handful Sesame seeds (optional)
- Pinch Salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Air fry the green beans
- Rinse, dry and trim the green beans (see above for details).
- Evenly coat green beans with olive oil.
- Preheat the air fryer to 190°C/374°F, line the tray of the air fryer with parchment/baking paper and place the green beans in a row. Cook on “air fry” setting for 8 minutes, turn them half way to evenly cook them. Set aside. (Alternatively shallow fry - see above).
Stir-fry the green beans
- Heat oil in a large pan or wok over high/medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until garlic is slightly golden.
- Add the air-fried (or shallow-fried) green beans and toss with the garlic for another minute.
- Add sesame seeds and toss for another 30 seconds, to let the sesame seeds become slightly toasted and crispy. Season with salt and remove from heat, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use the best equipment for optimum results – use a large non-stick wok for best results. Woks can get hotter than typical frying pans (so you can cook food faster) and the high walls of the wok allow you to easily toss and mix the green beans quickly. Use two wooden spatulas to help you toss the vegetables and noodles. If you do not have a wok you can use a large frying pan or skillet which has slanted or rounded sides.
- Prepare ingredients in advance – air fry (or shallow fry) the green beans, chop your garlic (using a food processor for convenience) and keep the sesame seeds and salt ready before heating the wok. This is because the stir fry will happen in minutes – so it is best if everything is ready for ease.
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