These Chinese garlic green beans are a copycat of the popular Din Tai Fung recipe that has taken over the internet. These crispy green beans come together in an umami-packed garlic and soy stir fry, making the perfect Asian side dish. The best part? Only 4 ingredients are needed, with no deep frying!
These green beans are the perfect side to hibachi-style steak, soy & sesame broccoli, szechuan chicken lettuce wraps, and fluffy jasmine rice. Bonus - if you love these green beans, you have got to try our copycat dim sum cucumber salad, too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
A delicious restaurant copycat: These garlic green beans are a favorite side at many Chinese restaurants - whether the Chinese buffet or the iconic Din Tai Fung restaurant. The signature savory flavor that you expect from those restaurant green beans is so easy to replicate at home.
A healthier alternative: Traditionally Chinese-style green beans get their signature blistered texture from dry frying in oil. Dry frying is the process of frying in a wok of oil without using a batter. This recipe ditches the oil frying and opts for the air fryer instead. You won't notice a difference in taste, and you still get those iconic blistered green beans!
A quick and easy side: This green beans recipe is fuss-free. That means no fussing with hot oil, or worrying about getting the right oil temperature. Clean-up is also a breeze since you don't have to worry about disposing of the leftover oil.
Ingredient Notes
Get Your Pantry Ready to Cook!
For more detailed information on many of the ingredients used in this recipe, check out this guide to 10 pantry staple ingredients in Chinese cooking!
- Green beans: You can purchase pre-packaged, pre-trimmed green beans from the grocery store. This will save some prep time before cooking. If you buy loose green beans, be sure to trim the tough, stringy ends of the green beans off. You may also find these beans labeled as haricots verts, or string beans.
- Chicken bouillon concentrate: Bouillon concentrate packs a lot more punch than powdered bouillon, and is what gives this green bean recipe the umami flavor that sets it apart. Powder bouillon tends to be overwhelmingly salty over any other flavor. Chicken bouillon is not only one of the secret ingredients to din tai fung green beans, but also many of your favorite Chinese food recipes.
- Fresh garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves are the way to go in this recipe. Since garlic is one of the main flavors in the sauce, you want the boldest, freshest flavor possible. Pre-minced garlic will not give you the zestiness that you expect from Chinese restaurant-style green beans, especially when using lots of garlic like in this recipe.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Substitutions
- Soy sauce: You can use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. I would not recommend using dark soy sauce instead of light soy, as the flavor is not the same and it will overpower the sauce.
- Chicken bouillon concentrate: Powdered bouillon or a stock cube will work if you do not have the paste version.
- Fresh green beans: You can use frozen green beans in a pinch, but I would not recommend using canned green beans due to the textural difference.
Variations
- Spicy: Add some minced Thai red chilies or even some spicy Szechuan chili oil to the sauce for a spicy kick!
- Extra vegetables: Toss in some broccoli and zucchini for a bulkier vegetarian side dish. Try this recipe with bok choy instead of green beans for an equally as delicious twist on this recipe.
- Sesame: Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil into the sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds for a hint of sesame flavor.
- Extra umami: You can sometimes find mushroom seasoning in your local grocery store, or Chinese supermarket. Mushroom seasoning adds an extra layer of umami to the green beans, which can replicate MSG.
- Meaty: If you like the flavors of stir-fried green beans, try this stir-fried chicken with green beans recipe for a bump in protein!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Trim the green beans - Trim off the stringy ends off of any of the beans.
Mince the garlic: Finely mince the garlic. If you prefer smaller bites of garlic, use a garlic press.
Add the trimmed green beans to an air fryer basket. Spray the green beans generously with the neutral cooking oil spray of your choice - I use avocado oil. Toss to make sure the surface of the green beans is coated. Air fry the green beans at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. [photo 1]
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil, or your favorite neutral oil, to a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and lightly saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant but not brown. [photo 2]
Reduce the heat to low, and add the soy sauce, water, and chicken bouillon concentrate to the skillet. Stir well to combine the bouillon paste with the soy sauce. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes. [photo 3]
Add the green beans to the skillet, and toss in the sauce. Remove from the heat, and serve. [photo 4]
Expert Tips
Shake the air fryer basket: While the green beans are air frying, give the air fryer basket a shake periodically. This will ensure that all the beans are equally exposed to the heat.
Adjust cooking time to your preference: If you prefer a more crisp texture to your green beans, you can shorten the air frying time to keep their snap.
Traditional cooking method: Heat a large skillet with 2 cups of neutral oil such as peanut oil. Avoid using olive oil, as the flavor is too intense. Add the green beans to the heated oil in small batches, and fry until the beans are lightly blistered. Drain the excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels, and toss it with the sauce.
Keep the color vibrant: To keep the color of the green beans vibrant, you can blanch the green beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Shock the beans in an ice water ice bath, and dry them on paper towels.
Make Ahead & Storage
These green beans are best served freshly prepared, for the best texture. If the green beans are air-fried in advance, they will soften and will lose some of their texture.
Leftover garlic beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days.
Reheat green beans in a skillet, in the microwave, or air fryer if you'd like to keep the crunchy texture of the beans.
Recipe FAQs
To prevent garlic from burning, make sure the heat is not too high when sautéing it in oil. Stir the garlic constantly, and add in the liquids as soon as it turns fragrant and lightly golden. Burnt garlic can become bitter and will overpower the flavor of the green beans.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, peanut, or canola oil, for sautéing the garlic and green beans. I recommend avoiding olive oil, as it does not stand up well to high heat cooking.
More Side Dish Recipes
Chinese Garlic Green Beans (Din Tai Fung Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 24 oz Green beans - ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 10 cloves Garlic - freshly minced
- 1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon concentrate
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
- Add the trimmed green beans to an air fryer basket. Spray the green beans generously with the neutral cooking oil spray of your choice. Toss to make sure the surface of the green beans is coated. Air fry the green beans at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.24 oz Green beans
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil, or your favorite neutral oil, to a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and lightly saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant but not brown.1 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 10 cloves Garlic
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the soy sauce, water, and chicken bouillon concentrate to the skillet. Stir well to combine the bouillon paste with the soy sauce. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoon Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon concentrate, ½ cup Water
- Add the green beans to the skillet, and toss in the sauce. Remove from the heat, and serve.
✱Recipe Notes
- Shake the air fryer basket: While the green beans are air frying, give the air fryer basket a shake periodically. This will ensure that all the beans are equally exposed to the heat.
- Adjust cooking time to your preference: If you prefer a more crisp texture to your green beans, you can shorten the air frying time to keep their snap.
- Keep the color vibrant: To keep the color of the green beans vibrant, you can blanch the green beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Shock the beans in an ice water ice bath, and dry them on paper towels.
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