Vietnamese Garlic Stir-Fried Green Beans
Crisp-tender green beans blistered in a hot wok, then tossed with plenty of golden garlic, sweet shallots, and a quick fish sauce glaze. A fast, savory-sweet side that goes with rice and almost any main.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (4 side-dish servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Wash the green beans and dry them completely with a towel; wet beans steam instead of blister and will spatter in hot oil.
- Prep everything before you turn on the heat: the stir-fry moves fast and garlic burns in seconds.
- Mix the sauce in a small bowl first so you can add it all at once.
- Use a wok or large 12-inch (30 cm) skillet so the beans sit in a mostly single layer.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, and water until the sugar dissolves.
- Set it beside the stove along with the shallots, garlic, pepper, and chili if using.
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Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid looks clear.
Prep the vegetables
- Trim the stem ends of the green beans and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- Dry thoroughly with a towel.
- Slice the shallots into thin rings, mince the garlic, and slice the chili if using.
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Ready when: Beans are bone dry to the touch.
Tip: Dry beans blister; damp beans steam and turn dull.
Blister the beans
- Heat a wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the oil and swirl to coat.
- When the oil shimmers, add the beans in a mostly single layer.
- Cook, tossing every 30–45 seconds, for 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Beans are bright green with some browned, wrinkled blisters on the skin.
Tip: If your pan is small, cook the beans in two batches to avoid steaming them.
Soften the shallots
- Reduce heat to medium-high.
- Push the beans to the side, add the shallots to the cleared space, and stir for 1 minute, then mix them into the beans.
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Ready when: Shallots are translucent with lightly golden edges and smell sweet.
Add garlic
- Add the garlic and chili if using.
- Stir constantly for 20–30 seconds.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and pale golden, not brown.
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter. If it darkens fast, lift the pan off the heat briefly.
Glaze and finish
- Pour in the sauce and add the black pepper.
- Toss for 1–2 minutes, until the liquid reduces to a light glaze that coats the beans.
- Taste a bean and cook another 30 seconds if you want it softer.
- Serve right away with steamed rice.
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Ready when: Beans are crisp-tender (bite through with slight snap), and the pan is nearly dry with a sticky glaze.
Tip: Fish sauce is salty, so taste before adding any extra salt.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the heat high for the blistering stage; this gives the beans their roasted flavor and keeps them crisp.
- Do not salt the beans first. The fish sauce provides all the salt needed.
- Cut beans to uniform lengths so they cook at the same rate.
- For extra richness, finish with 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil off the heat.
Make ahead
Trim and cut the beans, slice the shallots, and mince the garlic up to 1 day ahead; store beans in a paper towel-lined container and the aromatics in a covered container in the fridge. Mix the sauce up to 3 days ahead.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the beans turn soft. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2 minutes with a splash of water, or microwave for 45–60 seconds.
Substitutions
- shallots → 1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced. Slightly sharper and less sweet; cook 1 extra minute.
- fish sauce → 3 tsp (15 ml) soy sauce plus 1/2 tsp lime juice. Less funky and lacks depth, but works for a vegetarian or fish-free version.
- green beans → yardlong beans or haricots verts. Yardlong beans need about 1 extra minute; haricots verts need about 1 minute less.
- neutral oil such as canola or avocado → peanut oil. Adds a subtle nutty flavor and tolerates high heat well.