Spicy Szechuan Green Beans (Print Version)
Crisp green beans stir-fried with bold Szechuan chili sauce, garlic, and ginger.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
02 - 2 spring onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
→ Szechuan Sauce
05 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon Chinkiang (Chinese black) vinegar
07 - 2 teaspoons Szechuan chili bean paste (Doubanjiang)
08 - 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
→ Aromatics & Seasoning
11 - 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
12 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable)
13 - 1–2 dried red chilies, broken into pieces (optional)
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 - Combine soy sauce, vinegar, chili bean paste, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry green beans for 4 to 5 minutes until blistered and tender-crisp. Remove and set aside.
03 - Add remaining oil to the pan. Toss in Szechuan peppercorns and dried chilies if using; fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Stir-fry minced garlic, ginger, and white parts of spring onions for 30 seconds, ensuring no burning occurs.
05 - Return green beans to the pan. Pour in the prepared sauce and toss evenly, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
06 - Sprinkle with green parts of the spring onions and serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The beans stay crisp and blistered while the Szechuan peppercorns deliver that tingling numbing sensation that makes you crave another bite.
- Ready in 20 minutes, but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
- Genuinely vegan and dairy-free without any compromise on flavor or texture.
02 -
- Don't skip the high heat or the blistering step—soft, steamed green beans are the exact opposite of what you're going for here.
- Szechuan peppercorns are fragile and lose their numbing tingle quickly once cooked, so add them fresh to hot oil rather than pre-toasting them.
- The sesame oil goes in with the sauce, not as a post-cooking drizzle, so it melds into the coating rather than sitting on top.
03 -
- Don't wash your Szechuan peppercorns before using them—the fine coating is where much of the flavor lives.
- If your chili bean paste has been sitting for a while, it might separate into oil and solids, which is completely normal and doesn't affect the recipe.