This Chinese Green Beans and Ground Beef recipe is a quick and easy weeknight meal! It has a salty and rich flavor, with tons of garlic and ginger.
Say hello to one of my favorite Chinese stir-fries! It's full of amazing flavors, tastes just like Chinese takeout, and is quick and easy to make at home.
This stir fry has three layers that make it so special: (1) tender ground beef, (2) crisp and charred green beans, and (3) an umami-rich sauce that makes each bite a little salty, savory, and sweet.
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🫛 How to Prepare Green Beans For Stir-frying
Fresh and frozen green beans will both work for this recipe. Fresh ones need a bit of simple prep:
- Start by lining up the tips of the beans against your knife's edge.
- Cut off the ends, then do the same for the other side.
- Then, chop the beans in half and rinse under cold water.
🥡 Tips for getting that restaurant flavor.
Many people think it's impossible to replicate Chinese restaurant flavor at home or that it's some mysterious process, but really, it's not that difficult. Here's how:
- Use High Heat. Wok Hei, also known as "Breath of the Wok," gives restaurant stir-fries their characteristic smoky, charred flavor. To achieve this at home, stir-fry on the highest heat possible.
- Sugar. Many recipes omit sugar, but any Chinese restaurant owner will tell you it's the secret in almost every stir-fry. Just a little bit brings out the green bean's natural sweetness.
- A dash of MSG (optional): It's basically concentrated umami. It used to have a bad rap, but it's largely debunked now. Find it at Asian grocery stores to take your food to the next level.
🧂 Ingredients
- Ground Beef: This recipe can use regular or lean ground beef; I've tested both, and they taste equally delicious. Ground pork and chicken work great as well.
- Green Beans: Fresh or frozen both work.
- Garlic And Ginger: They form the aromatic base for the stir-fry. Feel free to double the amount for extra flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Homemade chicken stock is the best; otherwise, I recommend Totole chicken soup mix.
- Condiments: Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce. These condiments are filled with umami and add a rich, salty, and slightly sweet depth of flavor.
- Sugar: Brings out the natural sweetness of the green beans.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce so that each green bean is lightly coated in the delicious sauce.
Variations
- For a Sichuanese flair, you can replace oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of spicy bean sauce or chili garlic sauce.
🔪 Instructions
STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: chicken stock, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and optional MSG.
STEP 2: Heat the wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the ground beef until browned (about 2 minutes). Remove the beef to a bowl, and leave behind any oil in the wok.
STEP 3: Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok along with the green beans. Sear the beans on all sides until lightly charred and wrinkly, about 4-5 minutes.
STEP 4: Remove the wok from the heat to let it cool down slightly. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Turn the heat back to high, pour in the sauce mixture, and bring it to a simmer.
STEP 5: Stir the cornstarch mixture and mix it into the wok until the sauce thickens. Add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry to combine. Serve over rice!
🍚 Storage & Leftovers
Storing: Store leftover green beans and ground beef in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a nonstick pan at medium heat. Add a tablespoon of water if the sauce is too thick.
🍽 Looking for more recipes?
📋 Recipe
Green Beans And Ground Beef Stir-fry
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup chicken stock (or water)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Stir-fry
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil (divided)
- 200 g ground beef (or ground pork or chicken)
- 1 pound green beans (ends removed and cut in half)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon of water)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: chicken stock, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and optional MSG.
- Heat the wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the ground beef until browned (about 2 minutes). Remove the beef to a bowl, and leave behind any oil in the wok.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok along with the green beans. Sear the beans on all sides until lightly charred and wrinkly, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the wok from the heat to let it cool down slightly. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Turn the heat back to high, pour in the sauce mixture, and bring it to a simmer.
- Give the cornstarch mixture a stir, and mix it into the wok until the sauce thickens. Add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry to combine.
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