Chinese Chicken and Green Beans turns an ordinary chicken and vegetable dish into something magical with a rich stir fry sauce that will become a family favorite. String bean chicken is the perfect make-at-home alternative to your favorite takeout Chinese food.
In the last few years, I have been inspired to learn to make some of my favorite take-out dishes at home. Chinese chicken and green beans has long been a family favorite and it's incredibly simple to make. This green beans stir fry is loaded with juicy chicken and has a flavorful sauce that the whole family loves.
I also love that this dish is so versatile. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Swap broccoli for the string beans or add some red peppers to this easy chicken stir fry. Serve it with white rice, brown rice or some fried noodles. You can even add some spice to the stir-fry sauce by stirring in a bit of red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce.
String bean chicken is perfect for a quick meal and stores well for a tasty make ahead dinner or easy lunch option. All of the ingredients are available in your grocery store, so you won't even need to make a trip to the Asian market. You can also meal prep and cut the tender chicken breast and green beans in advance. You are going to love this Chinese chicken and green bean stir-fry recipe!
Ingredients
- Chicken – I prefer boneless chicken breasts or tenders for this recipe but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. My family loves simple sauteed chicken thighs so I often keep several packages in my freezer and will use them if I am out of chicken breasts.
- Corn Starch – This will help to give the chicken a bit of crispiness.
- Olive Oil – for stir frying the chicken. You can substitute your favorite light, neutral flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Green Beans – Use frozen green beans here. They will thaw as they cook so there is no need to thaw in advance. I am a big fan of frozen string beans cooked in my air fryer if serving them as a side dish.
- Soy Sauce – I like to use low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce to have better control over the dishes saltiness. Select tamari or amino acids for a gluten free option.
- Sesame Oil – Adding sesame oil to the sauce gives string bean chicken that nutty, classic Asian flavor.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic add a pungent, earthy flavor.
- Ginger – I used ground ginger but feel free to substitute freshly grated ginger if you have it on hand.
- Salt and Pepper – to taste.
- Green Onion – chopped for garnish.
- Sesame Seeds – for garnish.
See recipe card for exact quantities and instructions.
Instructions
- The first step is to coat the bite sized chicken pieces in corn starch. Saute in hot oil for about 4 to 5 minutes on medium high heat or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Set chicken on paper towels to drain.
2. Add green beans to the same pan and cook for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove green beans to the plate with the chicken.
3. Pour soy sauce into the pan, along with the sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir the sauce and bring to a boil on medium-high heat (1-2 minutes). Mix the remaining corn starch with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and add to the pan. Whisk the sauce and cook for a few minutes on medium heat until slightly thickened.
4. Transfer the chicken and green beans to the pan, mix and wait another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave the dish covered for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Hint: Use the same large skillet for all the steps. A large nonstick pan or wok is perfect for this recipe. Let the chicken and green beans rest on a paper towel lined plate while you prepare the sauce.
Substitutions
- Gluten Free - Replace soy sauce with gluten free tamari or amino acids.
- Vegetarian - Use tofu instead of chicken to make this meal vegetarian.
Variations
- Spicy - add red chili pepper flakes or stir a bit of sriracha into the sauce for added heat.
- Swap Vegetables - String beans are a family favorite but you can easily swap in your favorite vegetables. Broccoli and mushrooms are also great options.
- Swap The Protein - Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. Try the recipe with shrimp, beef or even tofu.
- Fresh Green Beans - Use cleaned fresh beans in this recipe. There will be more of a crunch in this string bean chicken recipe and you might want to cook them a few minutes more.
Storage
Leftover Chinese chicken and green beans will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days so it's perfect for make ahead lunches. If serving with rice, store the rice in a separate container.
You can freeze the chicken and green beans for up to 3 months. The green beans may lose some of their texture when reheated.
Top Tips
Frozen string beans are convenient but you can use fresh or canned green beans if preferred. Canned beans will have a much softer texture.
Serving Suggestions
For a complete meal, I like to serve this chicken and green bean stir fry with a starch like brown rice. Cauliflower rice would be a great way to have a low carb option but still a perfect meal. Here are some other side dishes to serve with this chicken stir fry.
FAQs
We always have chicken breast on hand so it's my go-to protein. You can certainly use chicken tenders, chicken thighs or try the recipe with shrimp, beef or tofu.
Soy sauce usually contains wheat. In order to make this recipe gluten free you will need to swap out the soy sauce for gluten free tamari or amino acids.
This recipe has 11 grams of net carbs per serving.
If you like this String Bean Chicken, please leave a 5-star rating.
RECIPE
Easy Chinese Chicken and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or tenders
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups frozen green beans
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce use less or more for salt preference
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch salt (or to taste)
- pinch pepper
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and put into a medium sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle and lightly coat with 2 tablespoons of the corn starch.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Add green beans to the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove green beans from pan and set with the chicken.
- Pour soy sauce into the pan, along with the sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir the sauce and bring to a boil (1-2 minutes). Mix the remaining corn starch with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and add to the pan. Whick the sauce and cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Transfer the chicken and green beans to the pan, mix and wait another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave the dish covered for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition
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Debbie Sansone says
Nice meal made with leftover chicken and rice.
lisa says
Glad you enjoyed Debbie!