Spicy Green Beans With Chilli, Garlic and a Soy Glaze
These spicy green beans use the same one-pan method I use for all my green beans: steam them under a lid with a splash of water, then finish them in the same pan. This time the flavour comes from garlic, chilli flakes and a glaze of light soy, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and light brown sugar. They take about 6 minutes, and they’re good enough to be the star of the plate.
Why You’ll Love These Spicy Green Beans
They’re fresh and crisp with a proper kick from the chilli, and the glaze is simple and balanced: salty soy, sharp vinegar, nutty sesame and a little sweetness. Everything happens in one pan, with nothing to blanch or chill first.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For four portions you need 200 g of green beans, 10 ml of neutral oil, two garlic cloves, a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes and 50 ml of water. The glaze is equal parts light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil, 30 ml of each, with 30 g of light brown sugar. Mix it before you start, because it goes in the moment the lid comes off. The full quantities are in the recipe card below.
Trimming the Beans
Line up the tops of the beans with your hand or a knife and cut through them all at once, taking only the top. There’s no need to trim the tails. Wash the beans before they go in the pan.
How to Make Spicy Green Beans
Fry the garlic and chilli
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat for a moment. Add the finely sliced garlic and keep it moving for 30 seconds, then add the chilli flakes and let them cook in the oil for another 10 to 15 seconds.
Steam the beans
Add the beans and 50 ml of water and put the lid on. Leave them on a medium heat for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. When the lid comes off they’ll still look quite raw and squeak on your teeth. That’s fine: they aren’t finished yet.
Glaze and finish
Add the glaze straight away and keep cooking on a medium heat until the beans are tender but crisp and coated. If the pan starts to look dry before the beans are cooked, add a little water.
Why the Beans Lose a Little Colour
The beans will lose some of their vibrant green. That isn’t overcooking or the method failing: it’s the acid in the vinegar attacking the chlorophyll and dulling the colour. They’re still fresh and crisp, and for me the balance the vinegar brings far outweighs a little lost colour.
Spicy Green Beans With Chilli, Garlic and a Soy Glaze
Ingredients
- 200 g green beans trimmed and washed
- 10 ml neutral oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 50 ml water plus a dash more if needed
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml rice wine vinegar
- 30 ml sesame oil
- 30 g light brown sugar
Instructions
- Trim the tops off the beans and wash them. Mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sugar together and set aside.
- Put a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil and let it heat up for a moment.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, moving it around continuously.
- Add the chilli flakes and let them cook in the oil for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Add the beans and the 50 ml of water, then cover with a lid. Leave on a medium heat for about 3 minutes to steam, shaking the pan occasionally.
- Take the lid off and add the sauce straight away. Keep cooking on a medium heat.
- Cook until the beans are tender but still crisp and glazed. If the pan starts to look dry before the beans are cooked, add a little water. Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
| Total Fat | 9.6g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.2g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0mg |
| Sodium | 469.4mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 11.7g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.9g |
| Sugars | 9.0g |
| Protein | 2.0g |
| Potassium | 221.9mg |
What to Serve With Spicy Green Beans
Put them next to a piece of salmon, some sticky rice or grilled chicken, and let them be the star of the plate rather than the protein or the carb. They’re great next to a simple pan-seared chicken breast. If you like this sweet, salty and sour balance, my chicken pad thai builds on the same idea.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I jazz up my green beans?
Keep the method and change the flavourings. Steam the beans in a frying pan with a splash of water under a lid, then finish them with whatever you like: garlic and chilli with a soy and sesame glaze here, or butter, shallot and lemon for something classic. The method stays the same; only the flavour changes.
More Sides Recipes
For another side that proves vegetables can be the star, try my charred cabbage wedges.
