Green beans fried until blistered and slightly wrinkled, then tossed with garlic, chilli and a little minced pork.
Sichuan dry-fried green beans
- 400 g green beans, trimmed
- 100 g minced pork
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp oil
- Heat the oil in a wok until hot, then fry the green beans in batches until blistered and slightly wrinkled, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain.
- Pour off most of the oil, leaving a tablespoon in the wok.
- Fry the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies briefly until fragrant, then remove the peppercorns if preferred.
- Add the garlic and minced pork, stir-frying until the pork is cooked and starting to crisp.
- Return the beans to the wok with the soy sauce and sugar, and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately with rice.
About this dish
Sichuan dry fried green beans (gan bian si ji dou) are fried until the skins blister and wrinkle, then tossed with minced pork, preserved vegetables, garlic, chilli and Sichuan pepper. Dry fried means the beans are cooked in oil with no sauce, which concentrates their flavour.
It is one of the most popular vegetable dishes on Sichuan restaurant menus and works well as a side for a shared meal.
Ingredient notes and UK swaps
- Green beans: fine green beans or runner beans cut into lengths. Dry them well so the oil does not spit.
- Preserved vegetable (ya cai): sold in packets in Chinese grocers. A little chopped pickle or olive is a rough swap.
- Pork: a small amount of minced pork adds savoury depth. Leave it out for a vegetarian side.
- Sichuan pepper and dried chillies: for the tingling heat.
Serving
Serve hot as a side with rice, mapo tofu or a simple meat dish. The beans are best fresh, but leftovers keep for 2 days and can be reheated in a hot dry pan.
Tips for the best sichuan dry-fried green beans
- The beans need real heat and a little patience to blister properly, do not crowd the wok.
- This is traditionally a fairly dry, oily dish rather than saucy, so do not add extra liquid.
Getting the beans properly blistered
The beans need real heat and should not be crowded in the pan, fry in batches if necessary, patience at this stage is what gives the beans their characteristic wrinkled, blistered skin rather than a flat, boiled texture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without deep-frying the beans?
Yes, a hot wok with a few tablespoons of oil gets close to the same blistered result with less oil overall.
Is this dish vegetarian?
Leave out the minced pork for a vegetarian version, the beans and aromatics carry plenty of flavour alone.
Can I use an air fryer to blister the beans?
Yes. Toss with a little oil and air fry at 200C for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir fry with the other ingredients.
