These Japanese inspired green beans are the perfect Asian side dish. Crispy green beans are tossed with soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and sugar to create a sweet and savory glaze. They’re finished with a splash of rice wine vinegar for brightness and acidity. You’ll love these with rice bowls, with steak, or even with some hibachi chicken and noodles!
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Back when I was doing instagram live cooking demos every night, I got a ton of requests for tasty green bean recipes.
At first, I shared one of my MIL's slow cooked cheesy green bean casserole which is one of my most popular holiday recipes.
But then I thought I should make something more light and fresh for summer.
So one night while I was making Asian rice bowls, I realized I had a ton of green beans on hand.
I just winged the recipe at first but they ended up being so delicious that I decided to recipe test them a few more times.
Each time, they got more and more delicious so I knew I had to add them to the blog.
What I love about them is that they're savory from the soy sauce, sweet from the sugar, and bright from the rice wine vinegar.
The sesame oil adds the extra oomph and the garlic gives that bite that it needs to really pop off.
When it's all cooked down, the glaze coats the green beans and the garlic bits and sesame seeds add the perfect texture.
You'll love them! So let's get to it.
Ingredients - what you'll need
- a neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
- an onion
- washed and trimmed green beans
- soy sauce
- fresh garlic
- sesame oil
- sugar
- rice wine vinegar
- sesame seeds *optional*
How to make them
Cooking up some Japanese green beans is super easy!
To begin, simply add some neutral oil (like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or vegetable oil) to a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil starts to heat up, add the chopped onions and a sprinkle of salt. Give it a stir and cook for a few minutes.
Once the onions have softened up, it's time to add the green beans. You'll want to cook them for another 2-3 minutes.
Next, add the soy sauce and stir. After a few minutes, they'll turn bright green which is when you'll want to add the fresh garlic and the sesame oil.
Toss them around then cook for another 3 minutes. Now add the sugar and cook it down for a few minutes until the sauce starts caramelizing and sticking to the green beans.
To finish, you'll want to add a splash of rice wine vinegar and toss. Cook for another minute or two to take the edge off.
Before serving, plate the green beans and sprinkle sesame seeds on top if desired.
What to pair them with
I highly recommend pairing these Japanese green beans with my hibachi chicken and yum yum sauce with a side of hibachi noodles.
If you want more tasty asian inspired dishes, try these Singapore street noodles, some Thai noodle salad, or these Vietnamese chicken and rice bowls!
Save it for later
Want to make these easy Japanese green beans later on? Feel free to use one of these pretty pinterest images and save it below!
And if you don't already, feel free to follow me on pinterest for plenty of cheesy, delicious, and easy recipes!
Recipe
Recipe
Japanese Style Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1.5 lbs green beans trimmed and cleaned
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 splash rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add oil to a pan over medium heat then add onions and a sprinkle of salt.
- Once the onions soften, add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and stir for a few minutes. Once they turn bright green, add the fresh garlic and the sesame oil and toss.
- After 3 minutes, add the sugar and cook down for a few minutes until the sauce starts sticking to the green beans.
- Finish with a splash of rice wine vinegar and toss one last time. Cook for another minute or two.
- Place the green beans on a plate and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds if desired.
