String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (2024)

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String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (1)

by: Sarah

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String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (2)

This 20-Minute String Bean Chicken Stir-fry is another weeknight staple from me, The Woks of Life’s resident lazy weeknight cook.

A Quick and Easy Dish

It’s no secret that I love recipes that can be made in 20 minutes or less. The fewer ingredients you need and the less time spent at the stove, the better.

While I do love taking the time to cook an elaborate, high-effort sort of meal on weekends and for special occasions, on regular weeknights, I’m looking to do a lot less cooking and a lot more relaxing (read: sweatpants and TV).

But along with the soothing voice of Sir David Attenborough narrating some intense nature drama on Planet Earth or the latest food-related Netflix documentary, I want in my hands something hot, tasty, and balanced (i.e. protein and vegetable, all in one).

This String Bean Chicken Stir-fry, whipped up in 20 minutes or less, fits the bill perfectly.

A Note on the Recipe

This recipe emulates the Chicken with String Beans you may get at your local takeout restaurant.

For me, a good string bean chicken stir-fry has plenty of dark brown sauce to soak into a plate of steamed rice.

The signature dark color of the sauce here can be achieved using dark soy sauce, a thicker, darker soy sauce that, with just a couple teaspoons, can transform a dish from pale to that tantalizing dark amber we all want in our Chinese takeout-style dishes.

Also, you all can rest assured that this Woks of Life resident lazy cook’s recipe was thoroughly vetted by The Woks of Life’s resident Chinese Takeout expert, my dad––ya’ll know him here as Bill. So you know it’s legit.

Ok, let’s talk about how to make this String Bean Chicken Stir-fry.

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (3)

20-Minute String Bean Chicken Stir-fry: The Recipe

Start by slicing your chicken. Make sure that you’re slicing it against the grain! See those faint horizontal lines in the photo below? That’s the “grain” of the meat.

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (4)

You want your knife to slice the chicken perpendicular to those lines for the most tender result.

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It also helps if the chicken breast is slightly frozen. The semi-solid chicken will be easier for the knife to slide through.

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (6)

Next, add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken in a bowl, mix well with your hands so the chicken absorbs all the marinade liquid, and set aside.

Prepare the sauce by mixing together ½ cup chicken stock or water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of freshly ground white pepper, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.

When ready to cook, preheat your wok over medium high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. You’ll know it’s hot enough if the oil “shimmers” when it spreads across the wok, like so:

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (8)

Sear the chicken until it’s just browned. If your wok is as hot as it should be, the chicken should not stick.

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (9)
String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (10)

Turn off the heat while you transfer the chicken to a separate bowl. Leave any oil/fat in the wok.

Add 2 additional tablespoons oil to the wok, and add the string beans in a single layer. Sear the string beans on one side, about 1 minute.

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Stir-fry the beans for 30 seconds, and then add ¼ cup water to the wok. Cover the wok and allow the green beans to steam for 60-90 seconds (still on medium high heat).

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Add the garlic and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the Shaoxing wine around the wok to deglaze it, stir-frying for 15 seconds. Then add the sauce mixture and bring it to a simmer.

Add the chicken back to the wok and stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds.

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The cornstarch in the sauce mixture will thicken it. When the sauce is at the consistency you’d like, plate and serve immediately with rice.

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String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (17)
String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (18)

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4.90 from 66 votes

20-Minute String Bean Chicken Stir-fry

This quick String Bean Chicken Stir-fry recipe emulates what you might get at your local takeout restaurant (it’ll be better than takeout, though, trust me!), with plenty of dark brown sauce to soak into a plate of steamed rice.

by: Sarah

Course:Chicken

Cuisine:Chinese

String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (19)

serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

For the chicken and marinade:

  • 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

For the rest of the dish:

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
  • white pepper (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
  • 1 pound string beans (ends trimmed and cut in half)
  • 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken in a bowl, mix well with your hands so the chicken absorbs all the marinade liquid, and set aside.

  • Prepare the sauce by mixing together ½ cup stock or water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of freshly ground white pepper, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.

  • When ready to cook, preheat your wok over medium high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and sear the chicken until it’s just browned. If your wok is as hot as it should be, the chicken should not stick. Turn off the heat while you transfer the chicken to a separate bowl. Leave any oil/fat in the wok.

  • Add 2 additional tablespoons oil to the wok, and add the string beans in a single layer. Sear the string beans on one side, about 1 minute. Stir-fry the beans for 30 seconds, and then add ¼ cup water to the wok. Cover the wok and allow the green beans to steam for 60-90 seconds (still on medium high heat).

  • Add the garlic and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the Shaoxing wine around the wok to deglaze it, stir-frying for 15 seconds. Then add the sauce mixture and bring it to a simmer.

  • Add the chicken back to the wok and stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds. The cornstarch in the sauce mixture will thicken it. When the sauce is at the consistency you’d like, plate and serve immediately with rice.

nutrition facts

Calories: 304kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) Protein: 22g (44%) Fat: 19g (29%) Saturated Fat: 13g (65%) Cholesterol: 55mg (18%) Sodium: 652mg (27%) Potassium: 604mg (17%) Fiber: 3g (12%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 810IU (16%) Vitamin C: 15.6mg (19%) Calcium: 50mg (5%) Iron: 1.7mg (9%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (24)

About Sarah

Sarah is the older daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Creator of quick and easy recipes for harried home cooks and official Woks of Life photographer, she grew up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Good Eats. She loves the outdoors (and of course, *cooking* outside), and her obsession with food continues to this day.

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String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!) (2024)

FAQs

How to stir fry chicken and keep it juicy? ›

Chicken is sliced into thin, even-sized pieces and then marinated briefly in a mix of baking soda, cornstarch, wine, and seasoning. This seals in moisture and tenderizes the chicken. The high heat and constant tossing of a wok or skillet cook the chicken fast to keep it tender and juicy.

How to cook tough string beans? ›

Place green beans into a skillet and pour in chicken broth. Raise heat to high, add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to beans, and bring to a simmer. Beans will begin to soften. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

How do Chinese restaurants get their chicken so tender? ›

How do Chinese Restaurants tenderise chicken?
  1. marinating in a cornstarch/cornflour sludge then deep frying or blanching in water before proceeding to cook in the stir fry.
  2. egg whites – sometimes the above method is also done using egg whites.
  3. chemical tenderiser.
  4. simple baking soda / bi carbonate method.
Feb 23, 2019

What makes string beans taste good? ›

A little butter, minced garlic, and lemon-pepper seasoning are all you need to bring the best out of fresh green beans.

What is the best flavor to add to green beans? ›

Herbs are an excellent way to bring out the flavor of green beans and create an enjoyable savory dish. According to Spiceography, some herbs, such as thyme and basil, will bring out green beans' earthy and sweet flavor as they have the same flavor type. Oregano and parsley also work well with green beans.

What adds flavor to green beans? ›

Butter: A bit of butter adds a rich flavor and helps the seasoning stick to the green beans. Seasoned salt: Buy seasoned salt from the store, or make your own seasoned salt at home. Chili powder: This is an unexpected knockout seasoning. Chili powder adds a touch of spice and color without being too overpowering.

What is the difference between a string bean and green bean? ›

Green beans and string beans are one and the same, but the "string" term is, for the most part, outdated. Green beans used to have characteristic fibrous "strings" running down the length of the pod that had to be removed bean by bean, just like snap peas.

Do you season green beans before or after cooking? ›

After the green beans are boiled, remove them from the pot and strain them through a colander and then immediately pour them into your buttered pan. Season the green beans with salt and pepper.

Are canned string beans cooked? ›

While canned green beans are already cooked and safe to eat directly from the can, most people prefer to cook them before consuming. Cooking canned green beans not only enhances their flavor but also ensures they are heated thoroughly.

Why are my string beans rubbery? ›

Less heat means longer cooking times. Stir periodically and make sure there is enough water in the beans. Why are my green beans rubbery? They are rubbery because people never cook them enough.

What do green beans do for the body? ›

The vegetable helps fight inflammation and is a good source of folate and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Green beans also are a good source of protein and fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, Vadiveloo said. "Fiber is underconsumed by U.S. adults and children, and it's good for gut health," she said.

Why are my green beans tough after cooking? ›

On a cooking note, regarding tough green beans, you may be undercooking them.

How do you fry chicken without drying it out? ›

  1. Pat the chicken dry. ...
  2. Dredge the chicken in flour. ...
  3. Dip the chicken in eggs. ...
  4. Dredge the chicken in bread crumbs. ...
  5. Fry the chicken in hot oil. ...
  6. Don't overcrowd the pan. ...
  7. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through. ...
  8. Remove the chicken from the oil and let it drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Feb 15, 2022

Why is my stir-fry chicken dry? ›

This often happens because the chicken is cooked too quickly, but there are a few tips and tricks that will level up your chicken stir-fry recipes.

How do you keep chicken from getting watery when frying? ›

Not crowding the number of pieces in the pan is the most effective, followed by searing the meat when you first put it into the pan, then turning down the heat to complete the cooking.

What are the 3 rules of stir-frying? ›

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

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