Din Tai Fung Green Beans (Chinese Garlic Green Beans)

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Din Tai Fung Green Beans (Chinese Garlic Green Beans)

These Din Tai Fung–style garlic green beans are cooked hot and fast for that signature blister, then tossed with golden garlic and a touch of seasoning. They’re crisp-tender, vibrant green, and ready in minutes. Perfect alongside weeknight mains, holiday roasts, or any meal that needs a simple, restaurant-worthy side.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: servings

Calories: 42kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Equipment

Tongs
Spider Spoon
Wok or large skillet

Ingredients

1 lb fresh green beans trimmed
2 cups neutral oil like vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
6 cloves garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
½ teaspoon MSG optional, but recommended
chili oil, toasted sesame seeds, or reserved fried garlic optional garnish

Instructions

Rinse the beans, trim off the ends, and pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. If the beans are damp they'll steam, not blister.
1 lb fresh green beans
Pour about 1 inch of oil into a wok or a large, deep skillet. Place a thermometer in the oil and heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 360ºF.
2 cups neutral oil
Carefully add a small handful of beans to the hot oil. Stir and flip them with tongs or a slotted spoon so they cook evenly. Fry for 1–2 minutes, until the beans are bright green with little blistered, dark spots. Remove them with a spider spoon or slotted spoon and place on a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the rest of the beans, working in small batches so the pan doesn’t get overcrowded.
When all the beans are fried, carefully pour out most of the oil into a heat-safe container, leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Turn the heat down to low, add the minced garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until it smells fragrant and just starts to turn golden.
6 cloves garlic
Return the beans to the pan with the garlic. Toss well to coat them in the garlicky oil. Sprinkle the garlicky green beans with salt, black pepper, and the MSG (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon MSG
Transfer the beans to a serving dish and serve hot. If you’d like, garnish with chili oil, sesame seeds, or the crispy garlic bits from the pan.
chili oil, toasted sesame seeds, or reserved fried garlic

Notes

Ingredient Swaps

Spice it up! Toss in crushed red pepper flakes, a bit of grated ginger, a spoonful of chili crisp, or a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns while stirring the garlic for a spicier take.

No garlic cloves? If you’ve only got jarred minced garlic, stir it in the oil with the heat off so it doesn’t burn.

No MSG? I get that MSG gets a bad rap (which is completely a myth, check it out!) so for that umami boost use chicken bouillon powder or mushroom powder instead.

Nutrition