Forget take-out! Green Bean Chicken is easy to make at home using a velveting technique that makes meat moist and super tender. Delicious with steamed rice!
Green bean chicken is one of my favorite Chinese food. I can never get enough of the tender-crisp green beans and moist chicken bites! And that sweet, sticky, salty sauce spooned over heaps of steamed rice? Nom nom heaven.
Luckily, this string bean chicken stir-fry is so simple to make, I can enjoy it at home without calling for take out. The dish requires basic pantry ingredients I don’t have to run around town for and and is ready in minutes without me breaking a sweat.
Three components
- Veggies– green beans, also called string beans or locally as Bagiuo beans.
- Protein– choice of chicken breast or thigh; slice into bite size pieces across the grain for a tender chew
- Sauce– sweet and savory dark sauce made with chicken broth, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Double the amount if you prefer a saucy dish.
The secret technique
I am a big fan of the Chinese technique called velveting. The meat is marinaded in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch and then blanched in hot water or oil, creating a protective seal that keeps it super moist and tender.
If you love stir-fries such as Black pepper chicken and beef broccoli, this mode of cooking is a must in your food prep arsenal. Learn the simple trick and you’ll be saying goodbye to dry, stringy meat in no time!
Cooking tips
- For a more tender green beans, sear on medium high heat until wrinkled and then add 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam until tender-crisp before adding sauce ingredients.
- To add heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes to sauce.
How to serve and store
- Enjoy this tasty stir-fry dish with steamed rice or chow mein noodles for an Asian-inspired lunch or dinner at home.
- Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until heated through, stirring well between each interval. Or reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring well until completely warmed through.
Ingredients
For Velveting
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Stir-fry Sauce
- 1/3 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For Stir-frying
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ingredients for velveting: egg white, Chinese cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of the oil. cornstarch and salt. Whisk together until well-blended and frothy. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Drain chicken well.
- In a pot over high heat, combine about 2-inches deep of water and 1 tablespoon of oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and immediately add chicken, stirring to disperse. Bring water back to a gentle simmer and once it’s barely bubbling, continue to cook chicken for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pot and drain well. Keep warm and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine stir-fry sauce: oyster sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and pepper. Whisk until well-blended and cornstarch is dispersed. Set aside.
- In a wok or wide pan over high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Add green beans and cook, stirring regularly, until wrinkled.
- Add stir-fry sauce mixture and cook, stirring quickly, for about 1 minute or until thickened.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a more tender green beans, sear on medium high heat until wrinkled and then add 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam until tender-crisp before adding sauce ingredients.
- To add heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes to sauce.
Video
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Marisa says
I will keep this recipe but will have to reduce the saltiness. Less oyster sauce. Even the low sodium soy sauce needs to be less.
Chet says
Too much oyster sauce, a third cup is way too much and makes it too salty. Id say 2 or 3 tablespoons would suffice
kimmiller59 says
This is excellent, and a good way to use an abundance of homegrown green beans. I did add large chunks of onion and quartered mushrooms. The velveting technique made the chicken soooo tender, just like at a Chinese restaurant. Thanks for sharing that technique. I’ll be making this again, but will prep the sauce and cook the chicken in advance to save time at cooking time.
Janet Paeldon says
Can I use tofu instead of chicken?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can 🙂
Lindsay says
This was delicious, slightly salty for me honestly but my 2 year old ate it all so… No complaints there.
Ashley Peake says
Can you do the same recipe with shrimp? If so, how long would the marinade be with the velvet ins technique?
Thanks!
Ellen says
This is THE BEST stir fry sauce I have ever made. It tasted like it came from a five-star Chinese restaurant. Thank you so much!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Ellen! That’s music to my ears 🙂
Dawn says
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious! I couldn’t find the Chinese rice wine so I used Sherry cooking wine because I’ve seen it used in similar recipes. My boyfriend loved the chicken too. I’ll definitely make it again!
Lalaine Manalo says
That’s great to hear, Dawn!
Jael Generoso says
My most successful dish so far. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. Will do some of your dessert recipes too.
Lalaine says
Thanks for the feedback, Jael. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
James says
Turned out really good – I left out the wine for religious reasons (I know it won’t get you drunk, thank you) and it turned out really great. I should say that once you add the sauce the Green Beans will soften up a lot, so don’t worry about them being under-cooked up to that point.
Lalaine says
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it!
Catherine says
Hi I love your site, it is very helpful to OFW’s like me. I just want to ask about velveting chicken? Since Chinese wine is not available here in the middle east, what alternative should you recommend? Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Keep up the good work and more power to you! More recipes to come! God bless.
Cathy
Holly says
Apple cider vinegar!
Beth says
This dish looks delicious. I will definitely try this very soon. Question: can you show a picture of the Chinese rice wine that u use? I don’t think I’ve tried one before. Thanks so much.
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
What a lovely classic stir fry. Sharing! 🙂