Chinese Charred Garlic Green Beans
There’s nothing like Chinese Charred Garlic Green Beans for a simple side dish that is so flavorful! I love the char that the beans get when cooked without stirring for a few minutes. Combined with a delicious sauce of garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, it is hard to beat this easy side!
The green beans are added to a very hot skillet that’s been coated with peanut oil. Make sure you toss the green beans to coat them and sprinkle with a little salt. Spread them out so they are in one layer and let them cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes until they are blistered and starting to turn golden. Once blistered, remove from the pan (it’s okay to remove a few at a time as soon as they blister).
Add a little more oil, if necessary, and add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add the green beans back in and stir to mix.
Add the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and stir to combine. Transfer everything to a platter and sprinkle with chili flakes, if desired.
In case you haven’t heard of Shaoxing wine, it’s a traditional rice wine that is used in Chinese cooking and should be in your pantry! If you don’t have an Asian grocery near by, you can buy it here. It makes a big difference in the final taste of the dish if you use it. You can also substitute in sherry cooking wine or chicken broth if you don’t want to use wine, but there will be a flavor difference.
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Chinese Charred Garlic Green Beans
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, tough ends removed
- 3 to 4 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 -inch piece of ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry, or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Szechuan chili flakes (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
Thoroughly pat the green beans dry with paper towels to prevent oil splatter.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Turn to medium heat and add the green beans. Toss to coat well with the oil. Spread out the green beans as much as possible with minimal overlap and sprinkle with the salt. Let cook without touching for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom starts to blister and turn golden.
Remove any green beans that have blistered and charred on one side and transfer them to a big plate. Keep cooking the rest of the green beans, flipping occasionally and taking out the ones that are blistered. The whole process should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
If your pan looks dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Otherwise, directly add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir and cook for a few minutes to release fragrance. Add back all the cooked green beans and stir to mix a few times.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and sprinkle with salt. Stir immediately to mix everything well. Taste the green beans. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt or soy sauce, if needed.
Transfer everything to a big plate. Sprinkle with chili flakes, if using. Serve hot as a side dish.
Recipe by Omnivore’s Cookbook
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