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:
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Chinese cooking wine (see recipe notes for subs)
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dark soy sauce (for colour)
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Chilli Garlic Sauce (for spice / vinegar / general Asian tasty flavour – see notes for subs)
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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
This is delicious. Perfect for a weeknight (or any night, for that matter). I added about 1/2 Tablespoon oyster sauce for a little bit of funk and it was perfect. Thanks Nagi. I can always count on your recipes!
Nagi says
So glad you enjoyed it, Susan! N x
Ike says
This might sound crazy, but here in Colombia (and in other Latin American countries) cheap genuine Scotch whisky is often way cheaper than highly taxed rice wine, mirin and other Asian imports.
It’s a great substitute for rice wine. Just use equal quantities.
Nagi says
Maybe I need to move there! I do like a nice Scotch! Thanks for the tip!! Nx❤️
Amanda says
I forgot to say this is 5 STARS!
Amanda says
This saved me! I had leftover roast pork so I used that (chopped finely) instead of mince. My family said “thank goodness we didn’t have to eat that leftover pork!!’ Too expensive to throw out but my family don’t like leftovers. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you SO MUCH!!
Elaine says
Love this recipe! The charred green beans are amazing. I’ve made it so many times. Thanks for the recipe
Rhonda Keith says
I made this a while back. It is fabulous and just like the one our local Chinese restaurant makes. I used frozen green beans and hamburger (beef mince). It was easy and tasted great!
M says
Soooo good and easy for weeknight dinners!! I made double the portion for 2 of us at home so I’d have enough for leftovers but we were left with just one for lunch the next day… YUM!! Gonna be a go to for other lazy nights!
Avril Miranda says
Instant hit at dinner today..made a chicken mince version. This one’s a keeper.
Carol says
Made this tonight, It was delicious!
Chellie says
Hi Nagi
We had the Chinese with pork at a restaurant today and love the
Look of your recipe! They seemed to use granulated garlic. Is this common? It the second Chinese dish I have had using granulated garlic.
Mia R Griffin-Carter says
Hi Nagi! I made this recipe last night for dinner and used Chinese long beans. I also doubled the recipe for leftovers to bring for lunch. It was so so delicious! My youngest daughter(8 yo) is a picky eater and she loved it. I did add extra sugar to balance out the spiciness for everyone. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Jacinta Murray says
Another great recipe from you Nagi. So simple to prepare & make but so so tasty. It is hard to believe the sauce is only 4 ingredients.
Daniela Harea says
Nice recipe! I used minced turkey instead of pork and followed this recipe steps. My lunch turned out amazing.
Mark says
This is a hit in our house. Funny thing is though, they added yoghurt. I couldn’t fathom the thought
Shelagh Jelinek says
So simple – yet so delicious!
Marcy says
I’ve been making this for years, but my husband was recently told not to eat beef and pork. I tried the recipe tonight with ground chicken and it was still delicious. I added an extra tablespoon of oil to the browning pan and doubled the sauce. He couldn’t tell the difference!
Aimy says
I love it. It made me excited because it sounded like a dish I used to get at my local Thai restaurant except with pork mince instead of pork belly. I doubled the chilli garlic and for my personal spice I think I’d want more (I even topped with chilli flakes) but still super delicious and so easy
Ruth says
Would this be okay with pork sausage mince?
Nagi says
Hi Ruth, it’s a different texture and really depends on the flavours that are in the sausages to be honest! N x
Gracey says
Delicious! I substituted garlic chilli with oyster sauce and served with a lot of cucumber to balance the salty dish.
Mark says
How much would I use. I love the idea of oyster sauce
Lisa Austin says
I made this last night for dinner as I had most of the ingredients and just subbed the couple that I didn’t have. I served with cauliflower rice and it was delicious. Filling but still light enough to leave room for dessert 😉
Amy says
Delicious!