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Green bean and chicken stir fry is an easy dish to serve up with a side of white rice on a busy day. Green beans and lean chicken are tossed in a flavorful savory sauce to make for a protein-packed, veggie-forward meal for any weeknight!
Classic Chinese Combo: Green Bean Chicken Stir Fry
Garlic, green beans, and a thick savory sauce is such a classic Taiwanese/Chinese combo. My mom would make green bean stir fry often when we were growing up because it is a very easy side dish to serve with rice. On top of that, she would make these cold green beans and garlic in the warmer months. It’s honestly so refreshing and very similar to the soy garlic cucumbers she’d make as well.
This lovely green bean chicken stir fry is packed with flavor and lean ingredients that is super easy to put together for dinner or for meal prep. It reminds me of the green bean chicken stir fry you can order at Chinese restaurants and takeout places. Above all, this low effort meal is really tasty and the slightly sweet and garlicky savory sauce that coats the green beans and chicken is SO good!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Make sure you allot enough prep time as the chicken needs to be in a quick marinade for 20 minutes.
- Protein swaps could consist of using ground chicken instead of thinly sliced chicken breasts, boneless and skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts, or even using ground turkey. You can use a flank steak too and it would be a green bean and beef stir fry!
- To make this fully vegetarian and vegan, use tofu in place of the chicken.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool before putting in them in an airtight container. This will keep in the refrigerator for up 4 days. To reheat, reheat in the microwave until warmed through or on the stovetop in a skillet.
Green Bean Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound (454 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon water
For the sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup (118 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- Splash of sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound (454 g) green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, if you don’t have this, Chinese cooking wine works too and if you don’t have that, just omit
- 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add sliced chicken to a bowl then add in cornstarch, soy sauce, baking soda, and water. Using your hands, mix and make sure all the chicken is coated. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce by mixing together in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- Once the chicken has finished marinating, put a skillet or wok over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Once heated, add the chicken to the skillet/wok and cook until browned on the exterior. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet/wok, add the remaining oil and green beans and cook until they’re blistered on the outside. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet/wok then cover and let green beans cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken back in and continue cooking.
- Turn heat down to medium then deglaze the pan with Shaoxing wine (if using) then add the sauce. Allow it to thicken and then remove from heat. Stir to coat everything in the sauce.
- Serve with white rice.
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
