Chinese Green Beans recipe sauteed in garlic sauce made light, healthy, and easy! Perfectly charred, and blistered garlicky green beans that are not greasy yet packed with an amazing flavor punch. I’ll show you how to achieve that smoky delicious flavor and perfectly crisp green beans without deep-frying so you can enjoy it daily!

For an air fryer version, you’ll also love my copycat Din tai fung green beans!

Sauteed garlicky green beans with sesame recipe
Extra garlicky blistered green beans!
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Chinese Style Garlic Green Beans Recipe (not fried)

The reason this recipe gets away with so few ingredients is because of this – perfectly charred and blistered green beans! When it’s done right, and I’m going to show you how, these beans are the perfect side dish that go well with so many things!

But no matter what you do…don’t skip the charring of the beans! And you don’t need to take the extra step of frying them. Less oil, less mess, and a whole lot of flavor punch. Let’s do this!

Ingredients with green beans, garlic, and sesame
Simple ingredients!

Ingredients for Sauteed Chinese Garlic Green Beans

This Chinese style garlic green beans recipe is not only paleo, whole30, low carb but also vegan and vegetarian friendly! You’ll need –

  • Green beans
  • Avocado oil
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Garlic cloves
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Coconut aminos
  • White sesame seeds

How to make blistered green beans without deep frying

We borrow a Chinese cooking technique, called dry fry. Compared to flash fry or deep frying, dry frying uses much less oil. My Sichuan dry-fried green beans with pork mince use this technique. For today’s green bean garlic recipe, I use no oil at the charring and blistering stage.

  1. Use a stainless steel or cast iron pan and preheat it well until it feels quite hot when placing your palm near the surface about 2-3 inches away.
  2. Pat dry the green beans spread them into a single layer and cook with no oil until the skin is wrinkled and with some charred spots.
  3. Add the avocado oil and seasonings. The beans will crisp up even further and with a hint of smoky flavor!
Perfectly blistered green beans recipe Chinese style served in a blue plate

How to make Sauteed green beans

  1. Trim the green beans. Wash and pat dry.
  2. Preheat a large skillet without oil until it feels hot.
  3. Cook the green beans without the oil and toss every 3 minutes until the skin is wrinkled with some charred spots.
  4. Add the cooking oil, minced garlic, and seasonings.
  5. Toss and serve.

Tips to make the best Stir-Fried Green Beans

  • Pat dry the green beans: You can use regular green beans or Petite green beans.
  • Use avocado oil: avocado oil has a neutral flavor and high smoke point. It makes it perfect to cook the green beans.
  • Get the pan hot: You can use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Preheat your skillet well until it feels quite warm to the touch when you place your palm near the surface about 2-3 inches away.
  • Mince the garlic (don’t grate it or use store-bought). Mice the whole garlic cloves. If you grate or use a minced store-bought version, they will easily get burnt under high-heat cooking.

What goes well with garlicky Chinese green beans?

This dish goes well with so many things! You can keep the whole meal vegetarian-friendly or go all out with an at-home takeout experience! Here are some of my favorites –

Enjoy the dish with chopsticks

If you love Chinese green beans, also check out my, Air fryer frozen green beans, Panda Express string bean chicken, and Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles!

Sauteed garlicky green beans with sesame recipe
5 from 13 votes

Chinese Garlic Green Beans Recipe (Perfectly Crisp, Not Deep-Fried)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: ChihYu Smith
Chinese Green Beans recipe sauteed in garlic sauce with blistered green beans and loads of garlicky flavor, made easy and not oily!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 lb green beans
  • ½ tbsp white sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 0.6 oz garlic cloves, minced about 3 large cloves
  • ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos

Instructions 

  • Trim the green beans. Rinse and pat dry with a clean towel.
  • In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, toast the sesame seeds with no oil over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Toss the skillet often so as not to burn the seeds. See them aside.
  • Use the same skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. The pan should feel pretty warm when you place your palm near the surface, about 2-3 inches away. Spread the beans in a single layer without oil. Do not disturb for 3 minutes then toss every 3 minutes or so to char and blister the beans. You should see the skin turn wrinkly and with some charred spots, about 6 minutes total.
  • Add the avocado oil, stir-fry for 2 minutes with salt.
  • Add the garlic and sesame oil. Sauteing and tossing for 1 minute.
  • Add the coconut aminos. Keep tossing for 1 more minute.
  • Turn off the heat. Transfer the beans to a serving plate. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 87kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 366mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 783IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword: Chinese garlic green beans, Chinese green beans, Chinese green beans recipe, garlic green beans, garlic green beans recipe, Sauteed green beans, sauteed green beans recipe, stir-fried green beans
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A close shot of the image shows the dish