Elevate your dinner with my Asian Style Green Beans! This easy side dish pairs with a variety of proteins, whether it’s shrimp, salmon, or your favorite meat. The true magic of this recipe lies in its incredible sauce, which is the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. To ensure the green beans keep their crunch, we par-boil them for just a few minutes. They should be tender but still have a satisfying bite. Serve these with some rice to soak up all the delicious sauce.
Why You’ll Love These Green Beans:
This sauce is sweet, spicy, and addictive thanks to a mixture of coconut aminos (soy sauce or tamari work beautifully too), sweet Thai chili sauce, fresh garlic, and nutty sesame oil.
Additional Tips for Green Beans:
To ensure this flavor-packed sauce clings to the green beans, we add corn starch as our thickener. It helps forms a thicker glaze. If you find the sauce too thick for your liking, you can always add a touch of water to reach your desired consistency.
Now, for the optional yet highly recommended finishing touch: a drizzle of hot honey, which adds a sweet, fiery kick. And don’t forget a sprinkle of sesame seeds. These Asian-inspired green beans are sure to become a mealtime favorite.
Variations and Substitutions
For this Asian Style Green Beans, there are many ways to customize and adapt the recipe to your taste preferences or dietary needs.
- Use tamari or soy sauce instead of coconut aminos (if you’re making this gluten-free, go with tamari).
- Leave out the hot honey for a less spicy version.
- Use sugar snap peas instead of green beans.
- Add toasted sesame seeds for a stronger sesame flavor.
Best Served With
- For a simple meal, team these green beans up with a protein (like shrimp or chicken) and a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.
- Try them with my Teriyaki Salmon Skewers.
- The green beans would make a fantastic addition to a Crispy Salmon & Rice Bowl with Spicy Mayo.
- Serve these green beans as a side with The Best Grilled Salmon Skewers.
- These would be delicious in my Healthy Shrimp Bowl, adding a burst of flavor and crunch.
- Pair these with my Single Serve Sushi Bake for a balanced meal.
- You could also pair this with veggie– or chicken fried-rice.
Common Questions:
I get mine at Healthy Planet or you can find it linked in my Amazon store as well.
Yes, you can use any type of string bean that you like or sugar snap peas.
If you prefer a milder sauce, you can use a sweet chili sauce with less heat or even a combination of honey and mild chili sauce to achieve the desired level of spiciness.
Yes, you can use arrowroot powder or potato starch as a gluten-free substitute for cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
While fresh green beans are recommended for the best texture, you can use frozen green beans in a pinch. Just be sure to thaw and drain them before cooking to avoid excess moisture.
You can garnish the dish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or even crushed peanuts for added texture and flavor.
Asian Style Green Beans
Equipment
- 1 pan
Ingredients
The Sauce:
The Beans:
- 340 grams green beans trimmed (12oz bag)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
The Sauce
- In a bowl or mason jar, add all of the ingredients for the sauce. Shake or stir well.
The Beans:
- In a pan on the stove, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Add in the trimmed and washed green beans. Put the lid on and let them cook for 3-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- You'll know when the beans are cooked when a knife goes through easily. I like mine cooked but firm. The beans should still have a bite to them and not be mushy.
- If there's any water left in the pan, drain it and add the beans back on the heat. Add in the sauce and stir. If you need to thin out the sauce a bit you can add a touch more water.
- Serve with sesame seeds and hot honey on top. Enjoy!
