Spicy Chinese Sichuan Green Beans are the perfect side dish to your favorite Chinese meal. They are easy to make with just a few ingredients.
These Chinese green beans are a side dish you’ll normally find at your favorite Chinese restaurant but you can make your own at home now, by following my easy recipe. A more mild pairing is my Sauteed Green Beans and still the perfect side for your Chinese feast.
Sabrina’s Spicy Chinese Sichuan Green Beans
Make these amazing Spicy Chinese Sichuan Green Beans, pick out a delicious main course and you’re on your way to a restaurant-worthy meal. You can try one of my Panda Express Recipes or P.F. Chang’s recipe like Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Garlic Noodles, or Orange Peel Chicken. There is also a huge number of other Chinese Food recipes on the blog that aren’t copycats for you to enjoy.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans , trimmed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
- 2 green onions , thinly sliced, white parts only
- 1 tablespoon garlic , thinly sliced (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- To a wok, add the oil and heat on medium-high heat.
- Add the green beans and stir fry them for 3-5 minutes or until they start to shrivel up a bit.
- Add in the garlic, green onions, chili-garlic paste and stir to combine.
- Cook the garlic mixture for 30 seconds to a minute, then add in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water, and chili flakes.
- Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquids are completely cooked off.
- Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About This Recipe
The texture of these green beans are different than most steamed green beans you’ll find because they’re sautéed before the rest of the ingredients are added. That leads to the tender sort of shrunken texture you love but don’t normally get to have when you steam veggies or boil them for a couple of minutes to get them crisp-tender. The method used for cooking these green beans is called dry-frying but in reality it is just about cooking them in a hot wok until they have the texture of being deep fried. Much less oil is used and wasted and the outcome is absolutely delicious.
Chef’s Note
These are a similar style of green bean to the ever popular P.F. Chang’s Spicy Green Beans. The flavors here are not fermented, as they are at P.F. Chang’s, which lets the sauce ingredients rest overnight before being added to the pan.
Can This be Made Ahead of Time?
Since the rest of the ingredients are added in at the end, these green bean are perfect for being made ahead of time. within 10 minutes these green beans are completely done and ready to eat.
Variations
- Chili Garlic Paste: This is basically a non-blended version of Sriracha. Sriracha may be used as a replacement for chili garlic paste. Just realize the photos/food will look different.
- Rice Vinegar: There is a unique flavor to rice vinegar so I wouldn’t suggest trying to use a substitute. It is a tiny hint of a sweet flavor but also very mellow. You can find it locally in most grocery stores in the Asian food aisle and most Asian grocers will have 50+ varieties of it. Keep a bottle on hand, it has a wonderful flavor.
Related Recipes
Chinese Main Dishes to Pair with Green Beans
Images used in previous versions of this post:
Easy and tastes great a definite repeat recipe
Happy to know that this will be on repeat in your kitchen. Thank you for the 5 stars!
This is my go to recipe for Sichuan green beans. They’re spicy and I love that.
Since I found this recipe, it’s been my go-to for a tasty green bean recipe, especially when company comes … there are never any leftovers!
Right?! A favorite at our house too. Thanks Paul for the 5 star vote of confidence.
I have a question. Can I make these ahead of time, refrigerate and reheat a day or 2 later?
I haven’t because they are ready in 15 minutes!
I just made this tonight with purple Chinese noodle beans out of my garden. Never grown them before and wasn’t sure what to do with them. This recipe was great with them!! Will definitely be making it again!
I used a large cast iron skillet because I prefer it to the wok I have. Next time I’ll par boil the green beans because I find that only frying them has them cooking unevenly. Some are done while others felt too raw. In the end, some were overcooked and verging on black. The sauce is good so, I think boiling the beans first and then just stir frying a little would work better for me.
Thank you for your feedback. I love my cast iron skillet as well.
I took the plunge!!! Have wanted to make these ever since I had them at a restaurant years ago! Don’t have a wok, but didn’t have any problems. I made the recipe as is but added a few extra DROPS of sesame oil as it’s one of my favorite flavors. DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for this! ?
Delicious!My 14yo son say this has supplanted charred broccoli as his favorite vegetable. Easy and quick to get on the table.
I just made this with zucchini because that’s what I had on hand, followed the recipe and OH BOY!! Yum with a great spicy punch! I can’t wait to make it with green beans! I also like the idea of adding Hoisin sauce too. I didn’t use a wok just a deep sided pan and it worked perfect!
Loved these even though I didn’t have a wok. I followed recipe with the exception of subbing out sugar for honey and added a 1/2 tablespoon of Hoisin sauce. We loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Missy – thanks for the honey suggestion. I barely ever use sugar and didn’t think to substitute honey. I just made this recipe again today and thinking of adding Manderin orange. Next time I’m going for the honey.
my favorite neighborhood restaurant was my go-to place for these string beans and they recently closed after 17 years. I had to have them and found your recipe. just delicious!! I will double or triple it next time around. I made it with brown rice that I crisped up a bit for a crunchy texture. also I used a trader joes product to substitute the Chile-garlic paste. I’ve already sent the recipe to two friends. Thank you!!