Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

Name: Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb green beans (trimmed, dried very well, cut into 2-inch pieces); 4 oz ground pork (optional — leave out for vegetarian); 3 tbsp neutral oil; 2 tbsp ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens) (or fermented black beans); 4–6 dried red chilies (snipped, to taste); ½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 inch ginger (minced); 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp Shaoxing wine; ½ tsp sugar

By The Chowmi Test KitchenUpdated June 3, 2026↓ Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

Quick answer

Sichuan dry-fried green beans (干煸四季豆, gān biān sì jì dòu) are green beans cooked hard in a little oil until their skins blister, wrinkle, and char in spots, then tossed with savory ground pork, preserved mustard greens, garlic, ginger, and a touch of chili and Sichuan peppercorn. The blistering is the whole technique: it drives off moisture and concentrates the beans into something deeply savory with a slightly chewy, addictive texture — nothing like a steamed green bean. The restaurant method deep-fries the beans, but you can “dry-fry” them in a wide pan with just a few tablespoons of oil. It takes about 25 minutes and is easily made fully vegetarian by leaving out the pork.

Sichuan dry-fried green beans, blistered and tossed with ground pork and chili

Why you'll love this sichuan dry-fried green beans

Blistered, savory, slightly chewy green beans — the addictive restaurant favorite.
No deep-frying needed: we use the easy “dry-fry” method with a few tablespoons of oil.
Easily vegetarian — leave out the pork and the beans still steal the show.
Every hard-to-find seasoning has a precise US-grocery substitute.

Ingredients

Main

1 lb green beans, trimmed, dried very well, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 oz ground pork, optional — leave out for vegetarian
3 tbsp neutral oil

Aromatics & seasoning

2 tbsp ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), or fermented black beanssubstitutes →
4–6 dried red chilies, snipped, to tastehard to find
½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercornsubstitutes →
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
½ tsp sugar

Missing an ingredient?

Tell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.

Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered

Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: ya cai, dried red chilies, ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn, Shaoxing wine. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.

Shop on Weee! →Shop on Yamibuy →Find on Amazon →(affiliate)

Equipment

Wok or wide skillet — A wide pan blisters the beans without crowding.(shop →)

Instructions

Dry the green beans thoroughly — wet beans steam and spit instead of blistering. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium-high.
💡 Bone-dry beans are the key to blistering. Pat them with a towel after washing.
Add the green beans in a single layer and let them cook, stirring only occasionally, until the skins blister, wrinkle, and char in spots, 6–8 minutes. Remove the beans and set aside.
In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ground pork (if using) and stir-fry until browned and a little crisp, 3 minutes. (For vegetarian, skip to the next step.)
Add the ya cai (or fermented black beans), dried chilies, garlic, and ginger and stir 30–60 seconds until fragrant — keep the heat moderate so nothing burns.
Return the green beans to the pan. Add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar and toss for 1 minute until everything is coated and glossy.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the ground Sichuan peppercorn, toss once, and serve.
💡 Add the Sichuan peppercorn off the heat so its numbing aroma stays bright.

Tips & notes

“Dry-fried” (干煸) means cooking with little liquid over steady heat to drive off moisture and concentrate flavor — that's what gives the beans their blistered, chewy texture. Don't rush it; let them sit in the pan to char.
Restaurants deep-fry the beans for 60–90 seconds to blister them fast. The pan method here uses far less oil and gets you 90% of the way there.
No ya cai? Fermented black beans add a similar savory-funky depth — see our substitute guide. A spoon of Tianjin preserved vegetable also works.
Make it fully vegetarian by leaving out the pork; bump the ya cai or add a few sliced shiitake for savoriness.

Recipe wording too vague?

Paste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.

Recipe

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

New recipe

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner

Ingredients

Main

1 lb green beans, trimmed, dried very well, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 oz ground pork, optional — leave out for vegetarian
3 tbsp neutral oil

Aromatics & seasoning

2 tbsp ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), or fermented black beans
4–6 dried red chilies, snipped, to taste
½ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
½ tsp sugar

Instructions

Dry the green beans thoroughly — wet beans steam and spit instead of blistering. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium-high.
Add the green beans in a single layer and let them cook, stirring only occasionally, until the skins blister, wrinkle, and char in spots, 6–8 minutes. Remove the beans and set aside.
In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ground pork (if using) and stir-fry until browned and a little crisp, 3 minutes. (For vegetarian, skip to the next step.)
Add the ya cai (or fermented black beans), dried chilies, garlic, and ginger and stir 30–60 seconds until fragrant — keep the heat moderate so nothing burns.
Return the green beans to the pan. Add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar and toss for 1 minute until everything is coated and glossy.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the ground Sichuan peppercorn, toss once, and serve.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 200 cal · 8 g protein · 11 g carbs · 15 g fat

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans FAQ

What does “dry-fried” mean for green beans?

Dry-frying (干煸) cooks the beans in a small amount of oil over steady heat until the moisture cooks off and the skins blister and wrinkle. It concentrates the bean flavor and creates a slightly chewy, savory texture — completely different from a steamed or boiled green bean.

Do I have to deep-fry the green beans?

No. Restaurants deep-fry to blister the beans quickly, but you can “dry-fry” them in a wide pan with just a few tablespoons of oil — cook them mostly undisturbed until the skins wrinkle and char in spots. It uses far less oil and works great at home.

How do I make Sichuan green beans vegetarian?

Just leave out the ground pork — the blistered beans, preserved mustard (or fermented black beans), garlic, chili, and Sichuan peppercorn carry the dish. Add a few chopped shiitake mushrooms if you want extra savory depth.

Why won't my green beans blister?

Usually they're wet, the pan isn't hot enough, or it's overcrowded. Dry the beans very well, get the oil hot over medium-high, use a wide pan, and let the beans sit mostly undisturbed so they can char instead of steam.

What is ya cai, and what can I use instead?

Ya cai is a Sichuan preserved mustard green that adds a savory, slightly sweet crunch. If you can't find it, fermented black beans (douchi) give a similar funky-savory depth, or use Tianjin preserved vegetable. See our fermented black bean substitute guide for ratios.