Try some homestyle Chinese with this easy, healthy, and delicious bean sprout stir fry that takes just minutes to put on your dinner table! {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Have you ever made fried noodles with bean sprouts and ended up with a big bag of leftover bean sprouts? This bean sprout stir fry is the perfect recipe to help you use a big batch of bean sprouts.
Bean sprout stir fry is a traditional dish you’ll see in Chinese households on the Mainland. And while it might not look that exciting, it tastes better than it looks. If you’re trying out some of my other Chinese recipes, make this side dish to round out your meal with health benefits and big taste.
Ingredient
To make the bean sprout stir fry, all you need is bean sprouts, sauce, and chopped aromatics.
Cooking process
Did I mention it only takes a few minutes to make this bean sprout stir fry? That means you can have a healthy, flavorful Chinese side dish even on the busiest night of the week. All you need to do is:
- Brown some garlic
- Saute the green onion to release the fragrance
- Cook the bean sprouts over very high heat
- Finish them up with the sauce.
Recommended pans
In my previous post I talked about how to set up a stir fry station in great detail. And if you’ve been following my recipes, you’d know that I prefer to cook many popular takeout-style Chinese food in a nonstick skillet. However, this dish should ideally be cooked in a wok or the heaviest pan you have.
Bean sprouts contain a lot of moisture. You’ll want to sear them with high heat for the shortest time, so they retain their crunch but don’t taste raw. Using a wok with high heat also imparts a smoky flavor to the dish, making the veggies extra delicious.
If you do not own a wok or heavy pan, the best way is to cook the bean sprouts in small batches. Drag the slider in the recipe card to halve the recipe in this case.
How to serve
I love to serve my bean sprout stir fry on the side of just about any main dish. Scooping up the sprouts with a bite of rice together makes it all the more tasty!
- Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
- Sichuan Roasted Whole Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Instant Pot Braised Beef (Chinese-Style)
- Chinese Lion’s Head Pork Meatballs
Afterthoughts
Bean sprouts are great for your health too. They have lots of vitamin C, which you need to boost your immunity, plus plenty of vitamins A, B, D, E, and K, along with minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also have plenty of fiber, so if you’re looking for something that’s nutritious and delicious that will keep you on track for your health goals, add this bean sprout stir fry to your menu tonight.
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If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Other easy Chinese side dishes
- Napa Cabbage Stir Fry with Vinegar Sauce
- Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce
- 4-Ingredient Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Chinese Sausage Rice
- Steamed Eggplant in Nutty Sauce
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
