These Chinese garlic green beans are inspired by Din Tai Fung. They are really easy and quick to make, only 15 minutes, and the green beans are wonderfully garlicky and still crisp on the inside! They are perfect sides to go with any meals, like our shrimp lo mein and beef and broccoli.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Yield: 3servings
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Ingredients
1poundgreen beans
2tablespoonsgarlicminced (about 4 to 5 cloves)
½teaspoonKosher salt(if using fine salt, use a little less)
Oilas needed (any high smoke point oil like vegetable, peanut, avocado, etc)
Instructions
Remove the ends of the green beans by snapping the tips with your fingers or trimming with a knife. Rinse the beans and dry them thoroughly with kitchen towels or paper towels.
In a medium pot or wok, add about ½ inch of oil. Heat the oil on medium high heat until about 350°F. While the oil is heating, prepare a plate lined with paper towels.*You can also check to see if the oil is hot enough by placing the tip of a wooden chopstick in the oil. The oil should sizzle instantly with lots of bubbles.*
In batches, add the dried green beans into the oil and flash fry them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how cooked you like your green beans. Remove the green beans from the oil and let them drain the prepared plate with paper towels.
Drain the oil into a bowl or container, leaving about 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan.*If you're uncomfortable with pouring out hot oil, let it cool before handling it, and use a new pan.*
Heat the pan over medium heat until hot and add the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and slightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the flash fried green beans. Season with the salt and toss until everything is evenly mixed.
Transfer the garlic green beans onto a plate and enjoy! You can also drizzle a bit of homemade chili oil for extra fragrance and a little spice.
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photos, tips, and FAQs!
Make sure to thoroughly dry the green beans! This is especially important the oil will pop if water is introduced to the hot oil. So after rinsing the green beans, pat it dry with clean kitchen towels or paper towels.
Handling hot oil - If you feel uncomfortable handling the oil while it's hot, set it aside and let it cool before pouring the oil into a bowl or container. Safety always come first! You can just use a new pan and add a couple teaspoon of the frying oil to sauté the garlic.
Adding spice - If you like your Chinese garlic green beans a little spicy, sauté some chili flakes with the minced garlic before adding the green beans. You can also toss the garlic green beans with some homemade Chinese chili oilfor some spice and extra fragrance.