Green Bean Chicken Recipe
This is a classic Chinese takeout-style stir-fry. The two key techniques that make a huge difference are velveting the chicken to keep it tender and blanching the green beans so they stay crisp and bright green. The whole dish comes together quickly once the prep is done.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin against the grain
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
For the Sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed), divided
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Velvet the Chicken and Blanch the Beans
In a medium bowl, combine the sliced chicken with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of neutral oil. Mix well until the chicken is fully coated. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for ~2 minutes, until they turn bright green but are still crisp. Immediately drain and run them under cold water or plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.
Stir-Fry in Stages
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
Carefully add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Let it sear for about a minute without moving, then stir-fry for another ~2-3 minutes until it’s lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot wok. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for ~2 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Combine and Finish
Return the cooked chicken to the wok along with the blanched green beans. Toss everything together for about a minute.
Give the sauce a final stir and pour it into the wok. Bring it to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the chicken and green beans, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately, preferably with steamed rice.
Green Bean Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin against the grain
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil
For the Sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil like canola or grapeseed, divided
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
Method
- Combine sliced chicken with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and oil. Marinate 15 minutes.
- Mix sauce ingredients in small bowl.
- Blanch green beans in boiling water 2 minutes. Shock in ice water, drain.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok over high heat until smoking.
- Sear marinated chicken 1 minute, then stir-fry 2-3 minutes until cooked. Remove to plate.
- Add 1 tbsp oil to wok. Stir-fry onion 2 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic, stir-fry 30 seconds.
- Return chicken to wok with green beans, toss 1 minute.
- Pour in sauce, simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with rice.
