Szechuan Green Beans are crisp, spicy and full of tangy flavor and definitely my favorite vegetable on a take out menu! Green beans are pan-fried crisp with garlic and a simple sauce.
These deliciously crunchy, spicy green beans are easy to make in about 15 minutes!
Spicy Szechuan Green Beans
We love these Szechuan Green Beans because they’re the perfect complement almost any meal.
Eat them hot or cold, over a plate of rice or in a stir fry cooked with tofu, chicken, or ground pork or beef.
Ingredients and Variations
GREEN BEANS Fresh from the garden or the local market is my first choice. Frozen will work in this recipe too.
SEASONINGS Here, we briefly sauté the green beans in oil, garlic, and ginger. Toss in a little soy sauce, garlic chili paste, and a splash of sesame oil before serving.
VARIATIONS Too spicy? Simply decrease the amount of Sambal. Sweeten it up if you’d like, add two teaspoons of brown sugar!
Ingredient Info: Sambal Oelek
Sambal is a bright and spicy red chili paste that can be found in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.
It gives a distinctively hot, garlicky flavor to recipes and a little bit goes a long way! Look for it in small, clear containers that have a bright green screw-on lid. Sambal will last about 6 months in the fridge.
Don’t be shy to experiment with it! Sambal is great on eggs or in fried rice. It can be baked into cornbread and even stirred into a soup!
How to Make Spicy Green Beans
Szechuan Green Beans are super easy to make right in your own kitchen! Cook the beans at a high temperature to give them nice color without overcooking them.
- Clean and trim green beans. Pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean dishcloth.
- Sauté green beans in oil according to recipe instructions below.
- Add garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, then add the remaining ingredients. The beans should be tender-crisp and the sauce a little thickened.
PRO TIP: For a thicker sauce, remove the green beans and let the sauce cook down until desired thickness is achieved. This is called a sauce “reduction.”
Aside from serving Szechuan green beans as an appetizer, we like to pair them with Teriyaki Chicken Thighs, next to a Pork Stir Fry, or a Shrimp Stir Fry. The possibilities are endless!
Homemade Faves
- Soy Ginger Steak Bites – tender & juicy
- Sticky Honey Chicken – ready in 25 minutes
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Easy Homemade Chow Mein – with homemade sauce
- Sesame Chicken – a family favorite
Did your family love these Spicy Green Beans? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Szechuan Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste or Sambal Oelek or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Rinse and trim green beans. Pat dry.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and stir-fry 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook 3 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp and sauce is slightly thickened
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Asian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
Excellent dish. Used semi dried ginger (didn’t have fresh) and it didn’t seem to make any difference. Served with shrimp tempura.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Janet!
Outstanding recipe.Used assortment of veggies and last time fried some tofu and added that to the pot!!!Will make over and over again!
That sounds like a great idea to turn this side dish into a full meal, thank you for sharing Don!
A inexpensive meal that tastes expensively delicious! Thank you!
We couldn’t agree more!
Hi Holly, I made these Szechuan string beans last night and they were fabulous! What a simple and easy recipe, thank you!
So happy you enjoyed it, Tracey!
Excellent recipe! Very quick and easy. My husband and I both agreed that this needs to be added to our favorite recipe rotation. I found that the 1 tbsp. Of chili garlic sauce added just the right balance of spiciness. My taste buds are tingling!
Excellent easy recipe! I added kochujang, oyster sauce, chicken, and a dash of stevia. Yum!
These green beans are easy and delicious. A delightful side or an entree with a protein stir fried in. Highly recommended!
I worked in a high-end Chinese restaurant many years ago and I loved to eat the food that the cooks made for themselves, rather than the food they made for the customers. It was even better than the famous dishes!
This was one of my favorites. Now I know how to make it myself!
Would gochujang paste work for the garlic chili paste?
I haven’t tried it but I can’t see why not! Let us know how it goes!
Excellent!!!! I have been searching for a recipe like this since I fell in love with these beans at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada. They add serano peppers so I will do that next time but, even without, this recipe is fantastic and so simple.
So glad you loved them as much as we do!
I just saw you are from Vancouver!!! They remind me of the beans that the Cactus Club used to serve that I was addicted to!!! So, thanks for teaching me how to feed my addiction!
Using fresh green beans makes this dish absolutely fantastic! My husband declares this recipe is his most favorite vegetable. Serve it with oven baked COD and a spinach salad with Rasbery Walnuts Dressing with feta cheese. Mmm good! Thanks for this recipe.
That sounds like a wonderful meal, glad you and your husband loved it!