Description
This Chicken Green Bean Stir Fry is a quick and flavorful Asian-inspired dish featuring tender velveted chicken strips and crisp green beans tossed in a savory sauce made with soy, oyster, hoisin, and rice vinegar. The dish is garnished with green onions and sesame seeds for an added burst of flavor and texture, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner that’s both satisfying and easy to prepare.
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 strips with baking soda, cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. Marinate for 15-20 minutes to tenderize the meat. Rinse the chicken under cold water afterward and pat dry with paper towels to prepare for stir-frying.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch (if using) until smooth. Set aside to use later in the stir-fry.
- 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 they are cooked through and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Stir-fry Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the skillet. Sauté minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the frozen green beans and stir-fry until they are heated through and slightly tender, around 5-7 minutes.
- Combine and Finish: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the prepared sauce over and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the chicken and green beans.
- Serve: Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve the stir-fry hot with steamed rice or noodles if desired.
Notes
- Velveting the chicken helps to keep it tender and juicy during stir-frying.
- Rinsing the chicken after marinating removes excess baking soda which can affect texture and flavor.
- You can substitute fresh green beans if preferred; just blanch before adding to the stir-fry.
- If you like your sauce thicker, be sure to include the optional cornstarch and mix it well before adding to the pan.
- Adjust the sauces to taste; for a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce.
