How to Make Fried Green Beans
Heat a wok or frying pan on the stove., Add oil to the pan, then the garlic and red pepper., Trim and chop the beans., Add the green beans and onions., Let cook, stirring only periodically., Optionally, give the beans a soy glaze., Add sesame oil...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Heat a wok or frying pan on the stove.
Before you do any frying, you'll want to get your pan nice and hot.
Traditionally, stir fry dishes are cooked in a wok, but you can use nearly any steep-sided frying pan.
Set the pan over a burner set to medium-high and allow it to heat up.
Don't add the oil yet.
A common expression in stir frying is "hot wok, cold oil." To get the best possible texture, add the ingredients one at a time in the correct order. -
Step 2: Add oil to the pan
When the pan is nearly smoking hot, add a splash of oil to the pan.
Follow this with the garlic and red pepper.
The garlic should start sizzling nearly as soon as it hits the pan.
Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Any cooking oil will work, but for best results, use an oil with a high smoke point like canola or peanut oil.
Other oils can smoke and gain a bitter taste at the high temperatures used for stir frying., This isn't strictly necessary, but if you remove the stems and tough tips of each bean, they'll be easier to eat.
After this, chop the beans into inch-sized segments so they cook quickly.
A quick way to trim green beans is to line them up on a cutting board, then simply run a sharp knife down the row to remove about a half inch from each tip.
Repeat for the other side., Use the spoon or spatula to stir the vegetables around in the oil and seasonings.
Ensure they get a good coating — this will keep them from sticking.
You can also use a tossing motion of the pan to combine the ingredients.
However, because hot oil can cause dangerous burns, stick to the spoon unless you've already practiced this skill.
See our article on this topic for more information. , Once the vegetables are combined, spread them out in the pan and let them cook without stirring.
This will give them a nice sear — the brown, crispy texture that's so delicious on stir fried vegetables.
After about 90 seconds, stir the vegetables and let them sear again for another 90 seconds or so.If you're not noticing your vegetables brown, turn the heat up. , If you like the flavor of soy sauce, use this step to give your green beans a sweet soy flavor.
Mix soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl as you're waiting for the beans to cook.
When the beans are browned, pour the mixture into the pan.
Stir to combine.
Stir actively for the first few seconds to prevent the sugar from burning.
Once the beans are well-coated with the sauce, you can slow down and let the sugar caramelize to bring out a smokier, more complex flavor. , Check the appearance and texture of the vegetables as they continue to cook.
When the beans have softened somewhat and the onions have gained a brown sear, they're ready.
Splash a little sesame oil into the pan along with salt and pepper (you may want to go easy on the salt if you added soy sauce).
Stir once more to combine.
Your beans are ready to eat! The sesame oil is just for flavor, so don't use much — a teaspoon should do.
Sesame oil also has a low smoke point, so you don't want it in the hot pan for long.The beans are ready to eat immediately, but if you let them sit in the pan (or together on a serving dish), they'll continue to cook and soften a little bit more. , You've just learned how to make a basic vegetable stir fry, but one of the nice things about this recipe is that it's easy to get creative with it.
If you add new ingredients, try to cook them in order of how long they take to cook — things that take longer to cook go first.
Just a few ideas are below.
Meats (beef, chicken, or seafood) — add before the vegetables.
Ginger (powdered or fresh) — add with the vegetables.
Other vegetables (bell peppers, cooked carrots, peas, water chestnuts, etc.) Dry seasonings (parsley, garlic/onion powder, etc.) — add with the garlic and red pepper. -
Step 3: then the garlic and red pepper.
-
Step 4: Trim and chop the beans.
-
Step 5: Add the green beans and onions.
-
Step 6: Let cook
-
Step 7: stirring only periodically.
-
Step 8: Optionally
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Step 9: give the beans a soy glaze.
-
Step 10: Add sesame oil
-
Step 11: season
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Step 12: and serve.
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Step 13: Add other ingredients to customize your recipe.
Detailed Guide
Before you do any frying, you'll want to get your pan nice and hot.
Traditionally, stir fry dishes are cooked in a wok, but you can use nearly any steep-sided frying pan.
Set the pan over a burner set to medium-high and allow it to heat up.
Don't add the oil yet.
A common expression in stir frying is "hot wok, cold oil." To get the best possible texture, add the ingredients one at a time in the correct order.
When the pan is nearly smoking hot, add a splash of oil to the pan.
Follow this with the garlic and red pepper.
The garlic should start sizzling nearly as soon as it hits the pan.
Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Any cooking oil will work, but for best results, use an oil with a high smoke point like canola or peanut oil.
Other oils can smoke and gain a bitter taste at the high temperatures used for stir frying., This isn't strictly necessary, but if you remove the stems and tough tips of each bean, they'll be easier to eat.
After this, chop the beans into inch-sized segments so they cook quickly.
A quick way to trim green beans is to line them up on a cutting board, then simply run a sharp knife down the row to remove about a half inch from each tip.
Repeat for the other side., Use the spoon or spatula to stir the vegetables around in the oil and seasonings.
Ensure they get a good coating — this will keep them from sticking.
You can also use a tossing motion of the pan to combine the ingredients.
However, because hot oil can cause dangerous burns, stick to the spoon unless you've already practiced this skill.
See our article on this topic for more information. , Once the vegetables are combined, spread them out in the pan and let them cook without stirring.
This will give them a nice sear — the brown, crispy texture that's so delicious on stir fried vegetables.
After about 90 seconds, stir the vegetables and let them sear again for another 90 seconds or so.If you're not noticing your vegetables brown, turn the heat up. , If you like the flavor of soy sauce, use this step to give your green beans a sweet soy flavor.
Mix soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl as you're waiting for the beans to cook.
When the beans are browned, pour the mixture into the pan.
Stir to combine.
Stir actively for the first few seconds to prevent the sugar from burning.
Once the beans are well-coated with the sauce, you can slow down and let the sugar caramelize to bring out a smokier, more complex flavor. , Check the appearance and texture of the vegetables as they continue to cook.
When the beans have softened somewhat and the onions have gained a brown sear, they're ready.
Splash a little sesame oil into the pan along with salt and pepper (you may want to go easy on the salt if you added soy sauce).
Stir once more to combine.
Your beans are ready to eat! The sesame oil is just for flavor, so don't use much — a teaspoon should do.
Sesame oil also has a low smoke point, so you don't want it in the hot pan for long.The beans are ready to eat immediately, but if you let them sit in the pan (or together on a serving dish), they'll continue to cook and soften a little bit more. , You've just learned how to make a basic vegetable stir fry, but one of the nice things about this recipe is that it's easy to get creative with it.
If you add new ingredients, try to cook them in order of how long they take to cook — things that take longer to cook go first.
Just a few ideas are below.
Meats (beef, chicken, or seafood) — add before the vegetables.
Ginger (powdered or fresh) — add with the vegetables.
Other vegetables (bell peppers, cooked carrots, peas, water chestnuts, etc.) Dry seasonings (parsley, garlic/onion powder, etc.) — add with the garlic and red pepper.
About the Author
Jack Nguyen
Jack Nguyen specializes in educational content and has been creating helpful content for over 1 years. Jack is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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