Inspired by salty-crunchy Sichuan dry-fried string beans (gan bian si ji dou), these green beans are shriveled and browned into delicious submission before receiving a flavor bomb of garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped capers at the very end. Resist the urge to stir the beans around in the pan, and let them take on color like you would ground meat. Patience is essential here.
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Splatter Screen
$18 At Williams Sonoma
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$16.37 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
⅓
1
6
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oil in a large skillet over high until shimmering. Add green beans (the dryer they are, the less they will spatter when they hit the oil) and cook, covering skillet as needed if beans are spattering, until browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn beans with tongs and redistribute so they brown evenly (don’t toss them since hot oil can easily slosh out of skillet if you try to show off). Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over and tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season with salt. Add garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes. Cook, tossing occasionally, just until garlic turns golden, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Transfer beans to a platter. Spoon caper-garlic mixture over and pour some oil over too; season with salt.
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Reviews (82)
Back to TopAt first I wasn't sure if I would ever make this again. The warning in the recipe about the potential for splattering is very real! While the green beans were cooking, the splattering oil was making a huge mess (even with a cover). But, once the cooking was done, the taste made it all worthwhile! This is a great recipe - especially for the vegan in our house. Next time I will add more capers (because you can never have too many crispy capers in a recipe).
txaz20
Austin, TX
1/28/2019
These were really good! I didn't have capers and am going to pick some up for next time. BUT the best part of this dish was the crispy fried garlic. OMG. Tip: do not rinse your greenbeans right before you make this OR make sure they are reallly, really dry. Mine were washed a few days ago and were totally dry and I only had minimal spatter.
Anonymous
Madison
1/30/2019
This was fantastic! I didn't add the capers (I don't really like them), and the garlic I added was minced, but regardless, this was amazing. I'm not sure following the times on the recipe is the way to go, since mine took a bit more time than what was called for, so just cook them 'til they look like the picture and you won't be disappointed!
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
2/5/2019
So. Dang. Good! I made this two nights in a row I loved it so much. I skipped the capers because I don't typically like them, but followed the recipe aside from that. Like another commenter, the cook time was longer than what the recipe suggested, but you can easily eyeball them to see when they are finished.
Anonymous
Texas
2/12/2019
So delicious and simple! Packs lots of flavor and freshness into a quick recipe. I’ve made it 3 times in the past week :)
Anonymous
Portland, OR
2/18/2019
Amazing flavors, very easy to prepare. My family loved it! Will definitely be making this again.
Anita459
Portland, OR area
2/20/2019
These beans are seriously life changing. The combo of the capers, garlic, and pepper flakes brings out a whole new set of flavors that I've never experienced eating green beans. The sweetness in the green beans is perfectly balanced with a nice heat in the back coming from the pepper and I can't get enough! Sure it might get oil everywhere, but to say it is worth it would be an understatement. Make these beans.
Anonymous
Atlanta, GA
3/6/2019