Stir-Fried Green Beans Recipe

Cooking in a smoking hot wok makes for green beans which still taste fresh and crisp.

By
Chichi Wang
Chichi Wang: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Chichi Wang

Chichi Wang wrote a variety of columns for Serious Eats including The Butcher's Cuts, in addition to other stories. Born in Shanghai and raised in New Mexico, Chichi took her degree in philosophy but decided that writing about food would be more fun than writing about Plato.

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Updated Oct. 17, 2018
20090821-greenbeans

Green beans, when prepared correctly, are outrageously good. With their crispness still intact after being quickly stir-fried in a hot wok, they are a perfect vessel for your favorite sauces and dips.

Recipe Details

Stir-Fried Green Beans Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 to 3 servings

Cooking in a smoking hot wok makes for green beans which still taste fresh and crisp.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound green beans, washed and dried

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled

  • 5 tablespoons meat or vegetable stock

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or a combination thereof

Directions

  1. Stem and snap each green bean in half; set aside. Smash the garlic cloves with the blunt side of the cleaver until the cloves are flattened.

  2. In the meantime, place your wok over the highest flame and let heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the wok is smoking.

  3. Quickly swirl in the oil or cooking fat, and toss in the smashed garlic. Move the garlic around in the oil for about 5 seconds.

  4. Toss all the green beans into the wok and rapidly stir the vegetables with a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir-fry for 2 to 4 minutes, until the green beans are still crisp and barely raw in the center. To check the doneness, taste a green bean after 2 minutes into the cooking.

  5. Toss in the salt and the stock, and stir to coat the green beans with the liquid. Place a lid on the wok and turn off the heat. Let the stock gently finish cooking the green beans.

  6. The green beans will be done when they are still crisp and just cooked through in the center. Serve piping hot. This stir-frying method of high heat with a gentle finish may be employed with other vegetables, such as zucchini, squash, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Special Equipment

Wok

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
111 Calories
9g Fat
7g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 111
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 423mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 38mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 123mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)