Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans
Quick answer
- Total time
- 24 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Dry-frying, gan bian in Chinese, means cooking the beans over high heat with very little stirring until the skins wrinkle and pick up brown spots.
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This home-style version seasons them with doubanjiang, garlic and ginger and leaves out ya cai, dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, so the result is salty and gently hot rather than numbing. Crumbly fried pork settles in between the beans.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim both ends from 300g green beans, and halve any especially long pods so they cook evenly.
Pat them completely dry with paper towels, since surface moisture causes splattering and prevents proper blistering.
- 2
Heat the wok over high heat for about 2 minutes, until it gives off a light smoke.
Add 1 tablespoon oil, then spread the beans out widely so moisture escapes instead of steaming them.
- 3
Cook the beans over high heat for 4-5 minutes, tossing only occasionally so the skins can wrinkle and spot.
When they show brown blisters and look slightly collapsed, transfer them to a plate.
- 4
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook 100g ground pork over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Break it up with a spatula until the moisture cooks off and the meat looks loose and crumbly.
- 5
Lower the heat to medium-high, then add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, and 1 teaspoon doubanjiang.
Stir-fry for 30-40 seconds, just until red oil appears and the aromatics smell cooked.
- 6
Return the beans to the wok and drizzle 1 tablespoon soy sauce around the hot edge.
Toss hard over high heat for 20-30 seconds, stopping once the sauce clings to the bean skins.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Szechuan Dry Fried Green Beans (Simplified version)
China Sichuan Food / Elaine · Checked: 2026-09-12
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