These dry-fried Szechuan green beans are a spicy, savory side dish made with blistered green beans, Sichuan peppercorns, dried Chinese chilies, ground pork, garlic, ginger, and preserved ya cai. They’re naturally lower in carbohydrates and ready in about 25 minutes.
These Szechuan green beans are cooked until the outside becomes blistered and slightly wrinkled, then stir-fried with bold aromatics and spices. Sichuan peppercorns add their distinctive tingly flavor while dried Chinese chilies bring the heat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bold flavor: Garlic, ginger, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and ya cai pack plenty of flavor into a simple vegetable side.
- Spicy: Dried Chinese chilies provide heat while Sichuan peppercorns add their characteristic tingly sensation.
- Lower in carbohydrates: Green beans make this an easy vegetable side for a diabetes-friendly meal.
- Quick: The entire recipe is ready in about 25 minutes.
- No heavy sauce: The seasonings cling directly to the blistered green beans instead of being turned into a thick sauce.
Ingredients
Method
- Wash and trim the green beans, then dry them thoroughly. Removing excess moisture helps the beans blister instead of steam.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and toast for 30–60 seconds, until fragrant. Remove, lightly crush, and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 7–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, wrinkled, and blistered. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the 4 ounces ground pork to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and fully cooked.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the dried Chinese chilies and crushed Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for about 15–20 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 20–30 seconds, stirring constantly so they don’t burn.
- Stir in the 2 tablespoons ya cai and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Return the green beans to the skillet. Add the soy sauce and allulose. Toss everything together over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes, until evenly combined and heated through.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil, if using. Serve immediately
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Tips for Best Results
Dry the green beans well. This is one of the most important steps for achieving a blistered exterior.
Use a large skillet or wok. Giving the green beans plenty of contact with the hot cooking surface helps them brown instead of steam.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the green beans in batches if your pan isn’t large enough to comfortably hold them.
Watch the aromatics. Garlic, dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns cook quickly. Stir them constantly and move on to the next step as soon as they’re fragrant.
Adjust the chilies to taste. Cutting dried chilies exposes more of their seeds and increases the heat. Use fewer chilies or leave them whole for a milder dish.
Variations & Substitutions
Adjust the Sichuan peppercorns: Start with ½ teaspoon for a milder tingle or increase to 1 teaspoon if you enjoy a stronger Sichuan peppercorn flavor.
Sichuan peppercorns aren’t hot in the same way as chili peppers. They have a citrusy, floral flavor and create a distinctive tingling or slightly numbing sensation in the mouth. The dried Chinese chilies provide most of the heat in this recipe.
Ya cai is a preserved vegetable from Sichuan with a concentrated salty and savory flavor. Sui mi ya cai is finely chopped, making it convenient for stir-fry recipes like these green beans.
Excess moisture and overcrowding are two common reasons. Thoroughly dry the green beans and use a large, hot skillet or wok. Cooking too many beans at once traps steam and makes browning more difficult.
Yes. Reduce the number of dried chilies and leave them whole instead of cutting them into pieces. You can still use the Sichuan peppercorns for their characteristic flavor without making the dish excessively hot.
Serving Suggestions
Szechuan green beans work well as a vegetable side with chicken, shrimp, tofu, beef, or pork. For a diabetes-friendly meal, pair them with a protein and a moderate portion of brown rice or cauliflower rice.
