Garlic Green Beans
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Published
These easy Garlic Green Beans are inspired by the popular recipe at Din Tai Fung. Although they’re not flash-fried, they’re still every bit as irresistible! Fresh green beans are cooked quickly in a hot skillet until lightly blistered and crisp-tender, and tossed with lots of fresh garlic, ginger, white pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. I love how garlicky and bright this easy side dish is – green beans have seriously never tasted so good!
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Whenever I order a restaurant side dish and keep going back for “just one more,” I know it’s worth trying at home. That’s how I feel about the garlic green beans from Din Tai Fung (the Taiwanese restaurant chain). They’re simple in theory, but the blistered edges, punchy garlic, and savory seasonings make them taste so much more exciting than regular steamed green beans.
To recreate those crisp, juicy, garlicky green beans at home, I skip the flash-frying and use a very hot skillet. This gives me lightly charred green beans with a crisp-tender texture (but without the mess of frying with lots of oil!) I also add the minced garlic near the end of cooking, which keeps it fragrant and golden instead of bitter or burned. The beans are bright green with a few charred spots, and still have some snap when you bite into them. They’re the perfect side for any Asian-style dinner, make ahead lunch, or takeout fakeout meal at home!
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Use fresh green beans for the best texture. Fresh green beans are ideal for this skillet method because they blister quickly while staying fairly crisp. Frozen green beans can work in a pinch, but they hold more moisture, so they’ll soften more and won’t get quite as charred or snappy.
- Dry the beans really well. Any extra moisture on the beans will turn to steam in the hot skillet, which makes it harder to get those lightly charred, blistered spots. I like to pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel after washing and trimming.
- Use a hot skillet. A large cast-iron skillet, wok, or large sauté pan works best for these sautéed green beans with garlic. The direct heat helps the beans char quickly. For a more hands-off green bean side with a less garlicky flavor, try my roasted green beans.
- Use avocado and sesame oil. The sesame oil starts the green beans with a nutty, savory flavor. Then the avocado oil helps bloom the ginger, pepper flakes, and garlic without making the sesame flavor too strong. You can swap the avocado oil for vegetable oil or another neutral flavored, high-heat oil if preferred.
- Add the garlic near the end. There’s a lot of garlic in this garlic green beans recipe (thus the name!) – I use 8 whole cloves to really get that flavor in there. Fresh minced garlic cooks fast in a hot skillet, and adding it too early can make it bitter, so stir it in near the end and cook just until fragrant and lightly golden. Avoid prepared jarred garlic, it just won’t deliver the flavor we’re after.
Garlic Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh green beans
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes, (depending on your spice tolerance)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and dry your green beans, then trim off the ends.
- Warm a large cast-iron skillet, wok, or sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes until hot but not smoking. Add in the sesame oil and once it’s shimmering, add the green beans. Spread them to a single layer as best you can, reduce heat to medium-high and cook 2-3 minutes until lightly charred. Transfer to a plate.
- To the same skillet warm the avocado oil, then stir in the ginger, salt, white pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
- Add the partially cooked green beans back in. Toss and cook for another 1-2 minutes until they're starting to soften but still have a little snap.
- Add in the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 more minutes – keep an eye on it. You don't want the garlic to burn or it will taste bitter.
- Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Garlic Green Beans Step by Step
Gather all of your ingredients. Rinse 1 pound fresh green beans well, then dry them thoroughly and trim off the stem ends. The beans need to be very dry before cooking, so they sear instead of steaming in the skillet. You can leave them whole or cut them in half.
Sauté the green beans: Heat a large cast-iron skillet, wok, or sauté pan over high heat for about 2 minutes, until the pan is hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Once the oil looks glossy and shimmering, add the green beans in a single layer as best as you can. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the beans are bright green with a few lightly blistered, charred spots. Transfer them to a plate.
Add some flavor: Add 2 tablespoons avocado oil to the same skillet. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, and ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want these green beans. Use more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy, less if you want the green beans to be mild. Cook for about 15 seconds, until the ginger smells warm and fragrant.
Make it garlicky: Add the green beans back to the skillet and toss to coat them in the seasoned oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until they’re glossy and starting to soften but still have a little snap. Now stir in 8 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, tossing constantly until the garlic smells fragrant and turns lightly golden. Don’t let it get too dark, or it can taste bitter.
Add the lemon juice: Remove the skillet from the heat and squeeze in the juice from 1 small lemon. Toss everything together so the lemon juice picks up the garlicky oil from the pan and coats the green beans.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve right away while the green beans are hot, glossy, and still a little crisp. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
If I’m leaning all the way into recreating my go-to restaurant order at home, I’ll take the time to make some Chinese dumplings. These Asian garlic green beans are so quick and easy that I don’t mind spending a little more time on the main course. But that said, I’m still all about fast, low-effort meals for busy weeknights. Beef fried rice makes a simple dinner feel extra satisfying, and my lo mein recipe is just begging for a crisp-tender, garlicky green bean side. Thai dumpling casserole is another easy option, especially because the red curry sauce is SO good spooned over these blistered beans. And for meal prep, saucy teriyaki chicken, jasmine rice, and garlic green beans sound like a real plan!
How to Store Leftovers
- Fridge. Let any leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The green beans will soften a bit once stored, but the garlic flavor gets even more intense, which I love!
- Reheat. Warm the garlic green beans in the microwave until heated through, or reheat them in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Just keep an eye on the garlic since it can darken and turn bitter if the pan gets too hot.
More Asian-Inspired Vegetable Side Dishes
- I like making this Asian Cucumber Salad the night before so the cucumbers have time to soak up all the sweet, tangy, garlicky marinade (perfect for a BBQ or potluck make-ahead dish!)
- The homemade teriyaki glaze for these Teriyaki Roasted Snap Peas uses just soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and water, so it comes together fast.
- This Ramen Noodle Salad is a crunchy cabbage salad with snap peas, scallions, cashews, sunflower seeds, and a sweet-tangy Asian-style dressing.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
