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.
Made with ground pork, this recipe 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!
Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans
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.
This Pork Stir Fry is a quick and easy ground pork recipe with big flavours!
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)
-
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
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San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Cups)
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Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette with Pork)
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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! (For a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice)
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 Information:
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…
Susan says
Hi Nagi,
Did this for dinner this evening…..even the fussy, very English in his food tastes husband, left off his DIY to scoff the lot.
I mixed it in with the rice as you did in the video and was wondering if it could be freezed that way.
Thank you for all your lovely recipes Nagi and all your hard work.
Lots Of Love.
Susan in the UK
Nagi says
Whoot! Approval from the hubby! 😂 Absolutely it can be frozen after mixing with the rice, as long as the rice hasn’t already been frozen 🙂 N xx
Susan says
Thank you Nagi.
Susan. xx
Imee says
Hi Nagi! I just cooked this for dinner and turned it into a bibimbap as I had leftover stirfried lettuce and mushrooms. It’s delicious, perfect amount of soy sauce, cooking wine and sugar. I added a dash of sesame oil and used siracha sauce as I could not find any chilli garlic sauce. Topped with fried egg! Delicious! This is a keeper. Simple recipe and easy to cook!
Nagi says
I love hearing the Imee! And fried egg – what a terrific addition! (Very Asian actually! 🙂 ) N xx
Vera G says
Love the way the green Color of beans pops up. Sauce is easy. Our food also has lots of sauce which we mop up with bread. Thank you. It’s good that you talk about your Mum. No Mr Dozer Face this time. Have good w/ end. Will be cooking like mad, soup, soups, change of weather. Menu will be: watercress and pears soup, cauliflower, making my own stock, beef ribs, potato and leek soup got butternut pumpkin. I just want something warm in my tummy. Was at the beach yesterday. Be HAPPY, smiles all around!
Danielle says
I’m all about couch food. If I can sit on the couch and eat it with a spoon, I’m in. Plus, I LOVE Szechuan green beans, and am loving this super simple recipe. I even feel like I could bring this for lunch at work. I have such a hard time finding Chinese cooking wine. I do typically use mirin or sake, but am determined to hunt it down someday. Awesome recipe.
Nagi says
Couch Food for the WIN!!!!
Bev says
Can I use frozen green beans or only fresh?
Nagi says
Hi Bev! Frozen is fine but you’ll need to thaw first then pat dry 🙂 Thanks for the question, I’ll update the recipe! N xx
Cheryl says
Made this last night with ground turkey, and we loved it! I had some Trader’s Joe’s brown rice medley already made in the fridge, and I stirred about a cup of it into the mix and warmed it all through. I found Kikkoman double fermented Japanese soy sauce at my local HEB here in Texas, and used a good sherry wine with the other sauce ingredients and it worked very nicely. Thanks for making this recipe available.
Nagi says
I’m so pleased to hear that Cheryl! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x ❤️
Lynn D. says
This looks oh-so-good and I REALLY appreciate your videos, but….Dozer takes the cake! Love that pooch and your pics that give us Dozer at his “most-Dozer” moments. What a character.
Thank you!
Lynn D. says
This looks oh-so-good and I REALLY appreciate your videos, but….Dozer takes the cake! Love that pooch and your pics that give us Dozer at his “most-Dozer”. What a character!
Thank you!
Tracie says
Hi Nagi,
Think you forgot to add the onion amount to ingredient list? I’m a “wing it” kinda gal so I’m good, just thought you like to know. Thanks for the great dinner suggestion by the way, headed to store right now 🙂
Nagi says
Ga! Thanks so much for picking that up Tracie, fixed 🙂 It’s 1/2 a small onion, chopped. N xx PS Hope you love it!
Tracie says
Dinner done here in Las Vegas, NV and it was awesome! Will definitely, definitely, definitely be making this again! Well done, Nagi. Love your recipes. Keep up the great work ⭐️
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Tracie! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Wynn says
Will definitely be making this recipe A Lot!
Last night had made a Tomato, Egg, and Pork Stir-Fry gleaned from an Oprah Magazine newsletter concerning the March 2012 issue of “O” Magazine, which had featured people’s favorite meals that were “so deceptively simple” they were easy to memorize and quick to prepare. The only other ingredients involved in the original “non-recipe” recipe were salt, sugar, ginger, and scallions. I’ve also used soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic and quick-wilting greens at times in it as well, depending on what had been hanging around in the kitchen, and sub a can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes when native tomatoes are not in season, but it’s tasty without any additions or alterations too.
I’m so thrilled to have another recipe that’s just as simple and fast, but with an entirely different and delicious flavor profile! It’s still been snowing here weekly, so I won’t be waiting for native green beans (or yellow/wax beans) to start making this regularly, but when warmer weather arrives we’ll have a great supply of fresh-picked beans from the several direct-sell farms around town for making this, so I’m already anticipating how great this will be with those! (Another favorite — country-style yellow/wax beans simmered with several strips of bacon.)
I must say, I’m a bit envious to not have a Woolies or a market as versatile as some in the UK have mentioned! Those all sound like great places! The US once had an entirely different Woolworth’s chain of stores that had operated for some hundred years or so, but of a type known here as a “5 & 10 cent store,” with all sorts of little household and personal bits and bobbles and “notions”, a great lunch & ice cream counter, and freshly popped corn and freshly roasted Spanish peanuts, but the last of those had disappeared during the early 70’s, along with the A&P (Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company) nationwide chain of grocery stores. The US has a Walmart chain aka “Wally’s” and many of those also function as both a department store and a supermarket, but your Woolies sounds to be just AH-Mazing in the selection of things it has available! It’s a 30-mile trek north on the interstate to a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods store to get a broader selection of ingredients like that. We need some Woolies here! 🙂
Nagi says
That stir fry sounds lovely Wynn! As for not having a Woolies – gosh, you have SO MANY other things that I wish we had! Can you believe, for example, we do not have: chipotle powder, canned green chillies, chipotles in adobo, meaty pork ribs, clam juice, American chilli powder, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spices??? I don’t miss Pilsbury and other pre prepared doughs / cookies, or Cool Whip, but I DO miss the former because I love them and use them!!! I have to hunt wide and far for said ingredients 😩 N xx PS Though to fellow Aussies reading this, tip for meaty American cut ribs – COSTCO!! I nearly wept with joy. The ribs are so big and juicy, just like you get in the states. It’s criminal that we pay $25/kg for ribs that are mostly bone! At Costco, I think it was $15/kg for a very big rack which is mostly meat – WOO HOO!!!!!!!
NancyC says
Nagi, I would happily bring you all those things from the US you are missing in exchange for a stay at your place 🙂
##AUSTRALIAISMYULTIMATEBUCKETLISTTRIP!!
Nagi says
😂 Maybe I should try and pull together a trip to Australia as a giveaway package! That would be pretty cool 🙂 N xx
Eva says
Nagi, I’ve found a few places online in Sydney that might be of help to your spice needs.
Monterey Mexican Foods is in Prestons and they sell the
chipotle powder – http://www.montereyfoods.com.au/product.php?productid=17685&page=1
canned chiles – http://www.montereyfoods.com.au/home.php?cat=251
Fireworks Foods in North Rocks sell Mexican-sourced food. They sell whole chilli as well as powders and pastes.
You *have* to check out the Tortilla page.
http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=11&Treeid=24&Itemid=53
They both ship although warehouse visits are by appointment M-F.
It’s a shame you can’t find the pumpkin spice at Costco. I haven’t been brave enough to visit because I’m a bulk shopper, by nature, and with only 2 of us in the house, it would be dangerous. And hot dogs are my Kryptonite. 🙂 USA Foods sells canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in a syrup. Shipping has been reasonable since I tend to buy cans and maraschino cherries in restaurant quantities.
http://www.usafoods.com.au/search?keywords=pumpkin&order=quantityavailable:desc&show=48
And this is the recipe I use for copycat American chili powder:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1⁄4 teaspoons cumin
1 1⁄4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1⁄4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
Nagi says
Thank you so much for that Eva!! I didn’t know of the Monterey Food one, YOU ROCK! N xx
Melanie says
Wow, thanks Eva. I live in the Macarthur, so not far from Prestons.
Shelley says
Hi, Nagi,
Thank you for the recipe! How much onion do you suggest? (I’m not really a stickler for measuring with this kind of dish, but I do try to follow a recipe the first time through to get the ‘gist’ of it.)
Thanks so much!
Nagi says
Hi Shelley! So sorry I forgot that in the ingredients 🙈 Updated! N xx
GINA says
Instead of the chili garlic sauce, what should I use if I don’t want any spiciness in mine? Will leaving it out without a substitute ruin the dish?
Nagi says
Hi Gina! It will still taste absolutely terrific 🙂 Though I would add 1 tsp of something sour – even ordinary white vinegar (which is actually used quite frequently in Asian cooking! or any other vinegar you have on hand. Just to balance out the sweet / salty / sour in this recipe! N xx
Heather Stockall says
Gee, I wish they let dogs into our Canadian coffee shops! They have to be ‘official’ therapy dogs to be there. 🙁
Nagi says
He’s outdoors!!! Definitely not allowed dogs INSIDE coffee shops! N xx
Wynn says
I agree, it is regrettable that dogs aren’t allowed in eating/drinking establishments in the US, too. It is banned for health and hygiene purposes, supposedly, but probably has more to do with a very high percentage of untrained dogs here in the US and how difficult it would be for establishment owners to refuse admittance to patrons having misbehaving or unsocialized dogs, while still permitting entry to friendly, and decently-behaved dogs with other patrons–litigators might derive fortunes from such opportunities as that, in fact. In the US it might also largely be due to the sharply declining common sense of an enormous population, since we’ve had things here like idiots attempting to board planes with uncontained peacocks and very large snakes as therapy pets, and one nanny-state-on-steroids banning all sorts of largely harmless things, while also slapping ridiculous warnings on many other basically beneficial things too, like coffee. 🙂
Anne Ward says
Oh my this looks delicious….you make it look so easy to make and I will !!!! May try it with chicken or beef…..thanks so much for all your great suggestions!!! Dozier has perfected that “look” for sure….what a sweetie!!!!
Nagi says
You know what he does? He just sits there, silently, staring at his target until they cave. Oh – there’s plenty of drool too – it’s disgusting!
Sandi says
Hi Nagi,
Is the nutrition info correct? Carbs seem high while the protein seems low.
Nagi says
Oops! Forgot to update it 🙂 Excludes the rice! PS Protein is low in this one, it’s low on meat relative to the beans, pretty standard meat to veg ratio for Chinese stir fries. N xx
Sandi says
Thanks for the update, MUCH BETTER
Liz Hand says
Saw this and sent hubby out immediately for some pork mince to change previous supper plans. Luckily living near Chinatown in London have most everything else in the cupboard but all our supermarkets getting so good at stocking all these fab ingredients for yours and Mums recipes. Need something wholesome to keep energy levels up for late night/early morning viewing of Commonwealth Games so living on your timezone!!!!
Nagi says
For ONCE a major sporting event is in our time zone!!! 🙌🏻
Norma says
Hi Nagi. In reading your tips on the frozen rice, I’m assuming you meant to type the word bowl and not bow. I keep rereading it and wondering what a bow was. I know crazy me. Also, did you add red Thai chilis to this recipe, because they’re not included in the list of ingredients? The chilis are visible in the photos, but not in your video.
Nagi says
You mean – you don’t have a bow in YOUR kitchen?? 🏹 😂 Thanks for picking that up! I did garnish with a few slices of large red chilli, just for a pop of extra mild heat. I will add it in the recipe, it’s entirely optional! N xx
Norma says
LOL, you guessed it, I don’t have bow in my kitchen. I actually thought I was losing my mind rereading this early too early this morning. Turned out to be a good laugh!
Ron says
“Sticks and ants”, that’s what my Chinese colleague used to call them. Without a doubt, one my my favorite Szechuan dishes.
Now I’m hungry or “Sticks and ants”. Soon the warmth will come and after that the fresh green beans. Then, I cook!
Does Dozer like fresh green beans? Our Chloe dog loves them.
Eha says
Roaring with laughter! Have made this forever like you, but . . . am also laughing at us being old-fashioned (no, never !!!) – most of the world spells it ‘Sichuan”; by now . . . my fave Chinese cuisine and I still go for that spelling . . . and you are ever-so diplomatically half-way!!
Nagi says
Whaat??? 😂 I didn’t know that!!!!
Nagi says
Sticks and Ants! I’ve never heard that but now it’s stuck in my mind!! 😂
Gerlinde says
I love your website but rarely prepare Asian food. I have to change that and try this delicious looking recipe. Thank you !
Nagi says
I hope you do Gerlinde!! This one is SO GOOD and QUICK! N xx
Marisa Franca @ All Our way says
I bet Dozer practices that move in front of the mirror or on a certain female he lives with. 😄 The stir fry looks delicious. I like the way you made the pork in small pieces versus chunks. I really like that touch of red you added to the final dish instead of having just dark green and brown. Sending 🤗🤗
Nagi says
BA HA HA! He practices it multiple times a day as a matter of usual routine… 🙄