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Ginger Garlic Chinese Green Beans

Steamed green beans flash-sautéed with ginger and garlic, then glazed in a quick soy-brown sugar sauce with a hit of chili. Restaurant-style beans that work as a side or a light rice bowl.

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Ginger Garlic Chinese Green Beans plated Chinese dinner

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Ginger Garlic Chinese Green Beans

Yield4
Prep10 min
Cook10 min
Total20 min

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Ingredients

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Step by step

Method

5 steps

  1. 1

    Steam 1 lb trimmed fresh green beans over boiling water until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking, then drain very well and pat dry — wet beans won't blister.

  2. 2

    Whisk 2 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and optional ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil.

  3. 3

    Heat 1–2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high until shimmering. Stir-fry 1 tablespoon minced ginger and 1–2 minced garlic cloves 30 seconds until fragrant.

  4. 4

    Add the drained beans and stir-fry about 5 minutes until lightly blistered in spots and a little wrinkled — you want char flecks, not soft khaki beans.

  5. 5

    Pour in the sauce and toss 30–60 seconds until glossy and heated through. Serve hot as a side or over rice. You want blistered, savory beans with sharp ginger-garlic — not boiled-soft beans in a watery soy wash.

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