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Chinese long beans stir-fry is a quick and tasty dish that highlights their crisp texture and nutty flavor. Tossed with garlic, ground chicken, shrimp, and seasonings, it’s a healthy and delicious addition to your dinner!
Chinese Long Beans Recipe
Chinese long beans, also known as yard-long beans, asparagus beans, or snake beans are a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine. Unlike their shorter counterparts of string beans, long beans can grow up to 18-24 inches long!!
I love the crisp texture of long beans; they are mildly sweet, with a distinct nutty flavor. To me, the best way of preparing long beans is a simple stir fry or sauté with garlic. My favorite way to cook long beans is Chinese long beans stir fry, with ground meat (either pork or chicken), fresh and succulent shrimp and and spiced with fresh red chilies.
Other than stir fry, long beans are also used in Thai fish cakes and Thai shrimp cakes, adding a nice crunch to these appetizers. Asian long beans are full of vibrant flavors, with a perfect balance of texture and savory tastes.
This Chinese long beans recipe is a keeper—one that I always return to again and again. It’s never boring because you can mix it up with new ingredients, such as carrots, sliced mushrooms, and red bell peppers, to keep things exciting and flavorful.
Long Beans vs. String Beans
Long beans and string beans are different in their size and texture. Long beans, or yard-long beans, grow up to 18-24 inches long and have a slightly fibrous texture with a mild, nutty flavor, making them ideal for Asian stir fries.
String beans is also called French beans. Both terms are used interchangeably, and refer to green beans that are harvested while still young and tender; they are shorter, about 4-6 inches long, and have a nice tender green color.
In different regions, they might be called by different names, such as green beans, Haricots Verts, but they are generally the same vegetable. The term “French beans” is often used in European contexts, while “string beans” and “green beans” are more common in the United States.
Chinese Long Beans Ingredients
This long beans recipe requires the following ingredients:
- Long beans – avoid old and dry long beans.
- Garlic
- Ground meat – you can use ground pork or chicken. For this recipe, I used ground chicken.
- Shrimp
- Red chili – lends a hint of heat and bright color to the dish.
- Chicken bouillon powder – the secret ingredient in all Chinese restaurants.
- Salt
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Cook Chinese Long Beans
Step 1: Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Then, add the ground chicken and shrimp, cooking until the chicken is broken into small pieces and everything is well combined.
Step 2: Add the long beans, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and water. Continue stirring until the long beans are tender-crisp, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the red chili and stir to combine. Dish out and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 102 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Chinese Long Beans
For a Chinese style dinner at home, I recommend the following recipes.
Chinese Long Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 grams) long beans, ends trimmed, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 oz (60 grams) ground pork or chicken
- 3 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 red chilies, cut into thin slices
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Then, add the ground chicken and shrimp, cooking until the chicken is broken into small pieces and everything is well combined.
- Add the long beans, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and water. Continue stirring until the long beans are tender-crisp, about 1 minute.
- Add the red chili and stir to combine. Dish out and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
