Chinese Stir-Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork
This Chinese stir-fried green beans with minced pork is a quick, flavorful, and satisfying dish that comes together in just 15 minutes. The green beans stay crisp-tender, and the garlic and chilies add just the right amount of kick. I love this dish because it’s simple, yet such a great way to enjoy a big serving of vegetables — even my daughter says it’s her favorite way to eat green beans.
Okay, hear me out — I know green beans don’t usually get the spotlight, but this recipe seriously changed how often I cook them. It’s one of those dishes that looks simple but hits all the right flavors: savory, a little sweet, packed with vegetables, and perfect with a bowl of hot rice.
A Classic Example of “Xia Fan Cai”
In Chinese cuisine, there’s a category of dishes called “Xia Fan Cai” (下饭菜) — which means “a flavorful dish that makes you want more rice.” These dishes came about because, back in the day, people didn’t always have access to multiple dishes at every meal. A big bowl of rice was the main staple, and just one flavorful dish was enough to make it satisfying. Honestly, I feel so lucky that we have more variety now, but I still love meals like this — simple, comforting, and deeply satisfying.
And I think this stir-fried green bean dish belongs to that category. It makes green beans taste so good that I could easily eat a whole bowl of rice with just this. It’s also super quick to make — around 15 minutes start to finish — and only uses ingredients I almost always have on hand. You can keep it light or load it up with extra ground pork for a more filling meal. I’ve also made it with ground chicken and turkey — both work great.
How to Make Chinese Stir-Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork
Ingredients
- 300g green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 100g ground pork
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Thai chilies, sliced (optional, for heat)
- 1.5 tbsp neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil)
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
1. Make the sauce:
In a small bowl, mix together Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar, and water. Set aside.
2. Cook the pork:
Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and stir fry, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook until it’s browned and a little crispy on the edges.
3. Add garlic:
Toss in the minced garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Add green beans:
Add in your chopped green beans and mix everything together well.
5. Add sauce & simmer:
Pour the sauce over the mixture, stir to combine, then partially cover the pan. Let it simmer for about 6 minutes, until the green beans are cooked through but still crisp-tender. If the sauce starts to dry out too quickly, add a splash more water.
6. Finish with chilies:
Add the sliced chilies and stir everything together for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then turn off the heat.
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Chinese Stir-Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork
Equipment
- 1 Wok or pan for stir-fry
Ingredients
- 300 g green beans chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 100 g ground pork
- 3–4 cloves cloves garlic minced
- 2 Thai chilies sliced (optional, for heat)
- 1.5 tbsp neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar, and water. Set aside.
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and stir fry, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook until it’s browned and a little crispy on the edges.
- Toss in the minced garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in your chopped green beans and mix everything together well.
- Pour the sauce over the mixture, stir to combine, then partially cover the pan. Let it simmer for about 6 minutes, until the green beans are cooked through but still crisp-tender. If the sauce starts to dry out too quickly, add a splash more water.
- Add the sliced chilies and stir everything together for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and serve hot.
