A Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans that packs an amazing flavour punch for something with so few ingredients! You’ll love how it’s eaten with a spoon, and that it takes just over 10 minutes to make.
This is a simplified version of the popular Szechuan Stir Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork. Don’t skip the charring of the beans, it’s the defining feature of this stir fry!
If you’ve ever been to a Chinese Szechuan restaurant, you might be familiar with a green bean and pork stir fry which is a firm favourite among spicy Asian food lovers. Chopped green beans cooked over high heat until blistered, then stir fried with a spicy intense flavoured sauce and pork.
If the full blown Szechuan version is what you’re after, you’ll need a couple of speciality ingredients requiring a trip to the Asian grocery store – Szechuanpicked mustard greens (Sui Mi Ya Cai), Szechuan peppercorns, dried chillies. And here are a couple of recipes from my most trusted Chinese cooking blogs – Woks of Life and Omnivore’s Cookbook.
This Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans recipe is a slightly simplified version of the authentic Szechuan version. It packs a similar flavour punch, and it still has the signature charred green beans, but I pick up everything from the supermarket. In fact, if you have pork mince (that’s ground pork to those of you in Canada and the States!) and beans, there’s every possibility you have everything you need to make this right now.
MAGIC 4 INGREDIENT STIR FRY SAUCE
The sauce for this Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans only has 4 ingredients in it – Chinese cooking wine (see recipe notes for subs), dark soy sauce (for colour), Chilli Garlic Sauce (for spice / vinegar / general Asian tasty flavour – see notes for subs) and sugar.
The reason this recipe gets away with such a simple sauce is because of this – the charred green beans. Char any vegetable, and you take it from bland to amazing. Steamed beans vs charred green beans is simply no contest!
BEST CHARRED IN A HOT SKILLET!
Unlike most of my stir fries, I like to cook this in a cast iron skillet so you can spread the beans out to char them. It takes a mere 2 ½ – 3 minutes, faster than using a wok.
Because of this extreme high heat cooking – that skillet gets stinking hot – the one tip I have for this stir fry is to chop rather than grate / mince the ginger and garlic. It will stop it from sticking to the skillet and burning in 2 seconds.
Actually, that’s a general stir frying tip. 🙂 Chop instead of grate the ginger and garlic. Never again suffer burnt garlic in your stir fry!
Oh PS That’s the Chilli Garlic Sauce I use. ↑↑↑ Available at supermarket – Woolies, Coles etc. BUT if you can’t find that exact brand or similar, sriracha or even non Asian hot sauces will make a terrific sub. Anything that is spicy but also a bit vinegary – which most hot sauces are. Even Franks Hot Sauce!
YOU WON’T MISS SAUCINESS
When it comes to stir fries, I’m usually all about the sauce, the sauce, the sauce. And if you’re in the sauce camp with me, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how you don’t miss sauce with this Pork Stir Fry.
The pork mince sucks up all that sauce and is actually quite intense flavoured – you’d find it rather salty without rice.
So mix it up with the rice, then enjoy the leisure of a stir fry you can eat with a spoon. It’s perfect Couch Food – which I define as food you can eat with a spoon without taking your eyes off the TV. 😂 – Nagi x
PS And because my mother will never forgive me if I don’t mention this – this Beans and Pork Mince Stir Fry is the Japanese version of this stir fry on her website. Similar flavour, but made using Japanese sauces.
MORE QUICK GROUND PORK / PORK MINCE RECIPES
- Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls
- San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Cups)
- Chinese Pork Mince with Noodles
- Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette with Pork)
- See 15 Minute Recipes recipe collection
Also, try this popular Quick Asian Beef Ramen Noodles or Asian Beef Bowls using ground pork / mince instead of beef!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans
Ingredients
- 10 oz / 300 g green beans (Note 1a)
- 7 oz / 220 g pork mince (Note 1b)
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic (2 cloves) (Note 2)
- 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable or canola)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 4 for subs)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp + Chilli Garlic Sauce (Note 5)
Instructions
- Mix Sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Trim the tough end of the beans, then chop into 2 - 2.5cm / 4/5 - 1" pieces.
- Charred Beans: Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a heavy based skillet over high heat (I use cast iron) until smoking. Add beans, spread out to cover base. Leave for 1 minute. Quick stir, spread out, cook for 30 seconds. Stir, then leave for 30 seconds, then repeat once more (so 2 1/2 minutes in total cook time) until beans are charred but tender crisp (not withered and floppy). Remove into bowl.
- Turn heat down to medium high, add 1 tbsp oil. Add onion, then garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute until edges of onion are golden.
- Turn heat back up to high. Add pork and cook, breaking it up as you go. Cook for 2 minutes until the pork is cooked through, then add Sauce. Cook for 30 seconds, then add beans and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Serve over rice. Garnish with slices of large red chilli (it's mild), entirely optional. To eat, mix the pork into the rice then eat it with a spoon - forget chopsticks for this one!
Recipe Notes:
.
4. You can substitute Chinese cooking wine with dry sherry, cooking sake or Mirin. If you sub with Mirin, omit the sugar. Here are the cooking wines I use. The Pandaroo Chinese Cooking Wine is sold at Woolies, Coles, Harris Farms. I really urge you to use one of these options as cooking alcohol is key to achieve a truly restauranty quality for Asian food, especially Chinese recipes. If you can't consume alcohol, the next best option is to use low sodium chicken broth. Use 1/4 of cup. It will take an extra minute or so for the Sauce to reduce. 5. Chilli Garlic Sauce is readily available in large supermarkets. It's not "blow your head off" spicy, so feel free to increase it (stick your finger in the Sauce for a taste). It can be substituted with sriracha, sambal oelak or any hot sauce that has a bit of a vinegary taste (eg Frank's) but you'll need to adjust the quantity depending on the spiciness of what you use. 6. Frozen cooked white rice is a quick-meal life saver. A very Asian thing to do, all my relatives in Japan do it! Cook rice of choice as you usually do, including resting it for 10 minutes (never skip this!). While the rice is still warm, cling wrap into serving size portions, put it in plastic bags or containers, then freeze. To reheat, place in a bowl (frozen), sprinkle with water, cover with cling wrap then microwave until warm (1 serving = about 2 1/2 minutes from frozen). Let stand in microwave for 2 minutes - the extra steaming helps remoisten the rice. Serve! 7. The nutritional analysis assumes 3 servings, excluding rice i.e. stir fry only. 3/4 cup of cooked white rice is 130 calories which takes the total up to 498 calories per serving.
Originally published June 2014, long overdue for an update with fresh new photos and a recipe video!
Nutrition
LIFE OF DOZER
At the coffee shop, when he spies food on neighbouring tables. He’s been known to make grown men give up huge chunks of their breakfast with just a glance…
Thank you for your wonderful recipe(s). We have cooked many and never been disappointed
This was delicious- I added crushed red pepper for a bit of heat. Perfect
We look forward to trying many more of your recipes
Thanks so much Susan!
This dish was so yummy, easy and very quick to prepare. A big hit with the family, will definitely be a regular mid week dinner in our household. I cant believe the depth of flavour in this dish, thank you Nagi so much xx
I’m so glad you loved it Jane!!
My family loved this dish! I will say that from start to finish it took me 1 hour that was including cooking the rice and chopping onions, garlic and ginger. Also I think my cast iron skillet was maybe too small for doubling this recipe. It is delicious! I like things spicy so I added crushed thai chili. Perfect!
Sounds great Krista!
I made this when it was posted previously and want everyone to know that it is a real winner – one of my very favorite Nagi recipes. My husband and I both LOVE it. You must try ! ! !
That’s awesome Penny! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
This recipe has it all. Great taste, easy to find ingredients, not much prep, and it cooks really fast.Love it!
I made it today with beef and it was great 🙂 I love your recipes!
Btw. I bought exactly the same chilli-garlic sauce and I am looking for ideas/other recipes on how to use it etc. Please help! 🙂
Wahoo! That sauce is very versatile, I use it in this recipe too which is absolutely divine! https://www.recipetineats.com/poached-salmon-in-coconut-lime-sauce/
Thankyou for posting this wonderful recipe! I love eating this dish in restaurants and had wanted to try making a simplified version at home for a long time.
The substitution notes were so so helpful too!
You’re so welcome Sam!
Made this tonight and it was a absolutely delicious, my 5 year old loved it too. Thanks for the recipe!
This is fantastic! Hubby loved it and kids really liked it too. It’s nice to hear “Mom, this is really good. The beans taste good too”, as they gobble it all up. Thank you, Nagi!!!
Thanks Nagi!! This is the fifth yummy recipe of yours that has turned me from a ‘mediocre trainee cook’ to ‘experienced’!! Thanks so much. Keeps hubby happy!
Lisa
So glad you and hubs enjoyed this Lisa!!! N x
Add this to the already long list of delicious recipes that I’ve already tried. I thank you every night when I’m making dinner….it’s quick, easy and delicious!!
Great Recipe Nagi,
Do you know the secret to making steamed green beans?
We had a local Asian buffet that closed.. 🙁
I loved their green beans.. they had a smokey flavor that I cant figure out..
They called them steam green bean.. small bits of onion and a light liquid.
I saw no meat .. so where did the smoke come from?
Thanks 🙂
SO good! My green beans were not enough so I complimented with edamame beans 😀
Your recipes are very easy and delicious.
Thank you Katharina! N x
I’ve cooked this a few times from a different recipe with ketjap (or kecap manis) instead of soy sauce and sugar. Will try your sauce this time. It’s also great with a fried egg on top, and if you use lean beef mince instead of pork, some chopped bacon is a great addition too. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this tonight. Husband went back for seconds and he is always so picky and skeptical of new recipes! Thank you!
Love pork mince, love beans, love this recipe. Such a winner, everyone went back for seconds. I doubled the recipe. Thanks for another great recipe.
That’s great to hear Jenny! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
I made this dish and it was AMAZING! My mom doesn’t really particularly enjoy spicy food, so I left the chili garlic sauce out and it still tasted great! It tastes just like Chinese restaurant food. Thank you so much for the simple and easy to follow recipe.
Does this keep well in the fridge as leftovers for a few days? I’m excited to try it- it looks delicious!
Yes it does! Much better than most stir fries because the beans don’t go soggy 🙂
Another winner ! My husband said it was very tasty!! Thanks Nagi!!
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Wanda ! N x