Chicken and Green Bean Stir-fry with Sesame Seeds is a healthy mixture of French green beans and tender white chicken in an all-purpose stir-fry sauce.
Do you have certain dishes or recipes that bring back vivid memories?
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.
The stir-fry sauce used in this recipe works nicely in all my stir-fry dishes. Make ahead and vacuum-pack it in a pint jar to keep as long as possible (at least a month).
It’s so quick to sauté a few vegetables along with some meat in a hot skillet. Add your homemade stir-fry sauce for the freshest taste. Cook a minute to thicken. Dinner is ready!
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.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 rounded teaspoons arrowroot
- 1 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound French green beans
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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving:Calories: 292 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 97mg Sodium: 1644mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 7g Protein: 41g
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Vicki
This looks wonderful. It’s our 15 year old daughters favorite dish when we eat at our local family owned Chinese restaurant. I have been searching for a similar recipe and this sounds like it should be as close and is can get!! I can’t wait to make it. Thank you for sharing with us!
Pete
Please, use a microwave bag or oven bag. NOT a freezer bag it’s full of all nasty chemicals when heated.
Spencer
Great recipe. Just as good as Chinese – almost…lol! Easy to make, light, and hearty w/o all the extra calories. Mine came out just like the picture, which is rare for me. I enjoyed it and will be using the sauce to make other variations of this recipe using asparagus, snow peas, shrimp, etc.
Sis
Good job with your photos.
Kyle
I saw something similar to this at panda express the other day. They called it string bean chicken. I’m sure yours is better.
Damjana
Thanks to you too for stopping at my site:). I bought this time skim milk (1.5% fat) for my next batch of Greek yoghurt. Actually the protein quantity is the same so I think both should work the same (even the 0.1% one?).
I added yesterday maple syrup (your suggestion) and it was awsome! I had tried it with honey before, liked it too. Maybe cinnamon for the next time. I don’t add direct sugar, I like it a bit sour as well. Which is your favourite flavouring? Have you ever mixed (blended) it with fruit?
love