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!
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste or Sambal Oelek, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon toasted 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.
These green beans are so flavourful. I used less sambal oelek so it’s not too spicy. The sauce doesn’t need to be thickened, it’s perfect.
Can these be made ahead and then reheated an hour later?
That should be just fine Lois. They might be slightly more tender with a second heating, so you could make sure they are a little more crisp when cooking the first time.
The sauce never “thickened”…if I make again I’ll consider adding a cornstarch/broth slurry at the very end.
how much sugar it talks about sugar but its not listed , plz fix it want to make this
This recipe doesn’t use sugar. But if you would like to add sugar you can find this information in the post: Sweeten it up if you’d like, add two teaspoons of brown sugar!
I am not easy to please when it comes to flavour. This is AMAZING. Its quite spicy so if you don’t like that you want to cut the sambal oelek (this is what I used) I also added mushrooms a few minutes before I put the green beans in which was a great addition.
I’m leaving a review on a recipe for the first time. That is how much I loved this.
Hi Savannah, thank you for taking the time to comment. Those sound like delicious additions. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
It’s a must to use sesame seed oil in this dish ‼️‼️‼️
Love these!
Rhonda, we are glad to hear it!