Description
A flavorful and quick Chicken Green Bean Stir Fry featuring tender chicken strips velveted for extra juiciness, combined with vibrant green beans and a savory Asian-inspired sauce. This stir fry is perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner, packed with garlic, ginger, and a delicious blend of soy, oyster, hoisin, and rice vinegar sauces.
Ingredients
Scale
For Velveting the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 pound frozen green beans
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Velvet Chicken: Combine chicken with baking soda, cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. Marinate for 15-20 minutes. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry to remove excess baking soda mixture for tenderizing.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch if using. Set aside the sauce mixture.
- Stir-fry Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and stir-fry until cooked through and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Stir-fry Vegetables: Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to the skillet. Sauté minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen green beans and stir-fry until heated through and slightly tender, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Combine and Finish: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the green beans. Pour the prepared sauce over and stir-fry everything together until the sauce has thickened and evenly coats the chicken and vegetables, about 2 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish the stir fry with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve the dish hot over steamed rice or noodles as desired.
Notes
- Velveting the chicken with baking soda and cornstarch helps achieve a tender, juicy texture.
- Rinsing the chicken after marinating removes the baking soda’s metallic taste.
- Using frozen green beans saves prep time and maintains a nice crunch.
- Adjust sauces to your preference, adding more hoisin for sweetness or oyster sauce for umami.
- For thicker sauce, do not omit the cornstarch in the sauce mixture.
- This stir fry pairs well with steamed jasmine rice or brown rice for a complete meal.
