Chicken and Green Bean Stir-fry with Sesame Seeds

Preview: Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry is a mixture of vegetables and chicken pieces in an all-purpose stir fry sauce good for many Chinese dishes.

What dishes or recipes bring back vivid memories for you?

One of my favorite food memories is tied to my friend Sharon, from ultrasound school a few years back. We used to frequent a little Chinese place (don’t remember the name) for lunch in downtown Dallas.  We always ordered the same thing–String Bean Chicken.

This recipe for Chicken and Green Bean Stir-fry is similar. I can’t make it without remembering all the good (and bad) times we shared during our school years.

Kitchen secret for stir-fry sauce:

The stir-fry sauce used in this recipe works nicely in all my stir-fry dishes.  Make ahead and vacuum-seal it into a pint jar to keep it as long as possible (at least a month).

What kind of green beans should I buy?

About the green beans:  French green beans are sometimes hard to find.  I usually get them at Costco or Trader Joe’s.  They are small and tender. 

It’s not necessary to take the ends off so a good rinse is all they need. Drop them in boiling water and cook until they’re tender but still have a little crunch–only about 2-3 minutes.

If you can’t find French green beans, try this with only the best quality green beans you can find in the grocery store.  If they are big or old, they will be tough. Look for tender, easy-to-break beans.

Chicken and Green Bean Stirfry with Sesame Seeds

Avoid another take-out night with these tender green beans and chicken combined in a spicy stir fry sauce and served over rice.

Paula Rhodes

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Save Saved! Share by Email

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Chicken

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2.25 teaspoons arrowroot
• 1 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• Pinch of red pepper flakes or a few drops of Sriracha sauce
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce
• Splash of sesame oil
• ½ to ¾ pound French green beans

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Sauce
• Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce. Or do as I do and put it in a Mason jar, put a lid on it and shake well.
• Stir-fry
• Slice chicken breasts or filets into thin, small pieces. Place in a zippered bag and douse with soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
• Trim and rinse green beans. Drop them into a pan of boiling water on the stove. Cook for from 3-5 minutes or until beans are tender but still a little crunchy. Drain beans and dump in ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
• Pour 1 tablespoon peanut or avocado oil into a very hot skillet. Brown chicken pieces. Don’t stir them too much at first. Let them get nice and golden brown. If your skillet is not very big, do this in batches. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to your hot skillet. Saute green beans until they get a little toasty but are not overcooked or limp.
• Add stir-fry sauce and chicken to vegetables in skillet. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Season with a few drops of Sriracha sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes–according to your tastes.
• Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds. Serve with short grain rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 27gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1572mgPotassium: 646mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 426IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg

Essentials

• Non-Stick Frypan Set

Keyword chicken, Chinese entree, green beans, Panda Express, stir-fry, string beans

Cuisine Chinese

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!