Dry-fried green beans with hoisin sauce and garlic

These are the best green beans I’ve ever had! Just like the ones served in Chinese restaurants! These dry-fried green beans are tender, juicy and packed with umami, savory flavors. They are so addictive!

My mind goes straight to dry-fried green beans when I think about Szechuan food. Why? Because the Chinese restaurant I order from makes the best ones ever!

However, the downside to liking them so much is having to fork out $12 for a small delivery container every time I want them. Ordering good Chinese food in NYC is not cheap. At all. Therefore I tested, failed… then finally succeeded at making my own dry-fried green beans at home.

Now my wallet is much happier. $12 gets me enough fresh green beans to dry-fry this recipe three or four times a week!

There’s more than one way to dry fry green beans

When I first made this recipe, I thought it could only be properly prepared by deep frying the green beans. Not only is it the traditional Chinese way – deep frying gives the beans a beautifully tender texture that cannot be beaten.

But there’s just one problem with that:

Burning hot oil makes me nervous enough to walk around the kitchen armed with a large glass lid that I use as a shield.

So you can understand the joy I felt when I realized that there were other options to making this dry-fried green beans recipe. Two more options to be precise.

And today I’m excited to share with you three methods for making dry fried green beans – two of which don’t require a pot of boiling oil!

Ingredients for dry fried green beans

• Green Beans: You’ll want about 1/2 pound of fresh green beans with the ends trimmed.
• Soy Sauce: This is the main source of savory umami in this simple recipe.
• Broth: 1/4 cup of chicken broth will do the trick. Use vegetable broth instead if you’re making vegan dry fried green beans.
• Sesame Oil: This nutty, toast-y flavored oil adds an unreal depth of flavor to the completed dish.
• Garlic: Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. This contributes a sharp, vegetal flavor to the sauce.
• Corn Starch: This will thicken the sauce to glossy perfection.
• Vegetable Oil: Any neutral flavored cooking oil will work for this recipe. The amount you need will depend on which method you use for cooking the green beans.

How to dry-fry green beans

Option #1: broil them.

Easy, efficient and delicious.

• Throw your green beans on a cooking tray covered in aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Toss the beans in a little oil and place them in the oven on the highest rack, a few inches away from the flame. Broil for 3-6 minutes, until the green beans are slightly charred and looking wrinkled. Keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly.

Option #2: use an air fryer.

I’m so in love with this new kitchen toy because it makes cooking vegetables so clean, quick and easy. It’s also virtually mess-free since it comes with only a fry basket and basket holder.

• Set the air fryer at 360º and let it preheat for 3 minutes before using.
• Toss the green beans with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add them to the air fryer.
• Close and air fry for 15 minutes. Take the basket out a couple of times and shake the green beans so they cook as evenly as possible. The green beans should be slightly charred, wrinkled and tender. If they are still quite crunchy, put them back in the basket and air fry for an additional 5 minutes.

Option #3: deep fry them.

Now this is the original way – and with good reason. The texture of the cooked beans can’t be beat!

• Heat about 1/2 cup of oil to 350 degrees ºF.
• Slowly add beans, and watch out of oil splatters! Fry for 2-3 minutes, until the beans are wrinkled.
• Remove from oil, turn off the heat and drain the beans on paper towels.

How to Make Dry Fried green beans

Once your green beans are cooked, you’re almost there!

1. Make the sauce. Whisk your soy sauce, broth, sesame oil and minced garlic together – and set aside.
2. Cook the green beans. Use whichever of the above dry-frying methods you prefer.
3. Make it! Get a pan going over medium-high heat. Add the cooked green beans and sauce and bring to a boil. Then sprinkle in your cornstarch while stirring continuously. Turn the heat off as soon as the sauce thickens.
4. Serve. Season with a pinch of salt if needed. Serve these delicious, savory green beans as a snack, a side or a main.

What to serve with dry fried green beans

I love serving these savory dry fried green beans with a simple side of perfectly cooked white rice. The fluffy grains absorb all the umami deliciousness. Learn how to make perfect rice on the stove-top or in a rice cooker.

But they would also work well as a side dish to this savory Chinese moo goo gai pan – or this veggie studded Japanese fried rice.

And if you’re whipping up a Chinese feast in your home kitchen, check out these other delicious and easy Chinese recipes:

• Smacked Cucumber With Chili Oil
• Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
• Vegan Mapo Tofu
• Chicken Egg Foo Young
• Hot and Sour Soup
• Honey Sriracha Tofu

Did you like this Dry-Fried Green Beans Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comment section below!

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Top 15 dry-fried green beans with hoisin sauce and garlic edited by Family Cuisine

Spicy Szechuan-Style Green Beans – Inquiring Chef

• Author: inquiringchef.com
• Published: 03/07/2022
• Review: 3.77 (245 vote)
• Summary: 13.08.2021 Spicy Szechuan Green Beans are a quick and easy dry fried dish, … This recipe also strays from the traditional by using Hoisin sauce for 
• Matching search results: However, the downside to liking them so much is having to fork out $12 for a small delivery container every time I want them. Ordering good Chinese food in NYC is not cheap. At all. Therefore I tested, failed… then finally succeeded at making my own …