Stir-Fried Szechuan Green Beans and Shiitake Mushrooms
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You’ll be amazed at how authentic these Szechuan-style green beans taste—plus, they’re so easy to make.
In the midst of weeknight dinner chaos, vegetables often play second fiddle to meaty mains—at least at my house. I often find myself making a last-minute dash to microwave some frozen veggies. But sometimes it’s nice to let them shine. These Szechuan-style green beans with shiitake mushrooms are special enough to take center stage and rival any restaurant version. It’s an easy dish to whip up; just remember the golden rule for stir-fries—have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. You don’t want to be stuck mincing garlic while your ginger burns in the pan! Though the recipe technically serves four, my husband and I often prove otherwise. Serve it as a side dish to any simply broiled fish or meat, or with jasmine rice or chicken chow mein.
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Stir-Fried Szechuan Green Beans & Shiitake Mushrooms
You’ll be amazed at how authentic these Szechuan-style green beans taste—plus, they’re so easy to make.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1½ tablespoons dry sherry
- ½ teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 1¼ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- Vegetable oil
- 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
- 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (see note)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, water, dry sherry, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and mustard together. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot and shimmering. Add the beans and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, puckered and browned, about 7-10 minutes (cooking time will depend on the size of the beans). Transfer beans to large plate.
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until slightly browned. Reduce heat to medium, then add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Return the beans to the pan and add the sauce. Toss and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the vegetables are evenly coated, about 10 seconds. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately.
- Note: This recipe works best with thinner green beans (but not the super thin French haricots verts). If your beans seem really long, thick or a bit tough, cut them in half so they cook evenly (there may be just a few in the bunch that you need to cut). Also, be sure beans are dry, otherwise oil will splatter.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 156
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 672 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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We love your recipes, Jenn, and thank you for the best of the best recipes! Especially like your chicken and veggie dishes.
❣️
The taste of these beans was sublime, truly full of umami, crunch, and satisfying goodness. Thank you for this delicious recipe. We all loved it!
Hi Jenn,
My husband is really excited that I’m going to make this recipe tonight because we’ve always had such great success with all of your recipes. The only ingredient I don’t have on hand is fresh ginger. My plan is to substitute dried ginger which I will add to the sauce along with the other ingredients. How much dried ginger would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Gail, I’d use 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Hope you and your hubby enjoy!
Great recipe! Can I just double the sauce if I want a little more sauce? Thanks!
Glad you like it! Sure, you can double the sauce — just keep in mind that it won’t thicken as much.
Hi Jenn. Is there a substitute for the sherry or can I leave it out entirely? Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi Debbie, Shaoxing rice wine or white vermouth will work in place of the sherry. If you don’t have either of those, you can just omit it. Enjoy!
Can I use frozen green beans to make this recipe?
Hi Marcia, I think you’d get the best results with fresh green beans, but frozen ones can be used.
Perfect. As always.
The shiitake add quite a punch of flavour.
Thank you, Jenn!
Soy sauce has wheat – use tamari sauce if you want to be gluten free.
I have a good size quantity of haricots verts which I would like to use up. I realize you don’t recommend them for this recipe, but is there any advice/tips you can give me in modifying your recipe to accommodate using them? Thanks!
Hi April, I think you could get away with it. Cooking time will just be shorter, so be careful not to overcook them.
I have szechuan peppercorns, when and how much should I use?Thanks.
Hi, I don’t know enough about Szechuan peppercorns to tell you how they should be incorporated into the recipe – I’m sorry! I’d either stick with the recipe as is or if you really want to use the Szechuan peppercorns, look for a recipe that includes them. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
This has become one of my favorite green beans side dish recipes! So tasty alongside a good porterhouse steak or anything you’d think it would pair with nicely.
I love all mushrooms, especially shitake , and this combo with the wonderfully tasty Asian sauce is simply terrific!
Quick and easy with incredible flavour, I’ve whipped these up a few times when I needed a side. As long as you have the most basic asian staples in your pantry, you can make this last-minute whenever you want, minus the shiitake. I find cemeni mushrooms substitute the shiitake just fine, though it does lack that incredibly meaty flavour.
Quick, simple and spectacularly good. I make as is for a veg side dish. For vegan main course I use 16oz of shiitake and don’t cut too finely. I also double everything but veg oil and green beans.
Hi Jenn,
Quick question. My family isn’t a fan of mushrooms. Can I omit them or should I replace them with something else or use more green beans? Also, I notice you often use non-stick pans in your recipes. I use All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans without any non-stick lining. Is there anything I should do differently?
Thanks,
Maura
Hi Maura, I would replace the mushrooms with more green beans, and I don’t think you’ll need to make any changes with a stainless steel pan. Hope you enjoy!
I tend to modify recipes to taste or based on what I have on hand. In this case, I added a bit of rice vinegar and plum vinegar, since I didn’t have any sherry. I then added a squirt of yellow mustard, since I was out of mustard powder. I also cooked cubed, firm tofu in the oven and tossed it in at the end with the beans and mushrooms. This was easy to make and my husband and daughter loved it! Thanks, Jen!
These were fantastic!
The only missing ingredient is the Szechuan pepper. There is NOTHING that replaces that flavor. I am searching for an authentic Szechuan green bean recipe. The title had me fooled. I’ll keep searching although I am sure this is a tasty green bean N mushroom recipe. Maybe I’ll try to convert this and use authentic Szechuan pepper. If you’ve ever had real Szechuan pepper you never go back!!
I wish I had tried this recipe sooner. It is so tasty. And I thought I knew how to cook Chinese food. This dish is exquisite and I got to use green beans from my garden. The only mushrooms I had were dried porcini ones so I used those instead. It still tasted great. I hope to make this a lot!
Jen,
This is one of our family’s favorite sides! The garlic and red pepper flakes are highlighted nicely. I’ve also subbed fresh asparagus spears with teenager-approved results! Thank you for your recipes. We’ve enjoyed so many of them. Cheers!
Hi Jen
I am thinking of making this recipe for a progressive dinner on New Years Eve. I plan to double the recipe. I would like to cook this in advance and re-heat prior to dinner. Thoughts? Does this reheat well? And if so how would you suggest I reheat it?
Thanks
Hi Vivian, Yes, I think you could cook the dish in advance and then reheat in the pan with the sauce. Enjoy!
Excellent. I didn’t have any mushrooms but made it plain, still delicious.
Hi can I substitute with dry shiitake mushrooms? If so, what quantity should i use as they expand when soaked?
Thank you so much
Regards
Vanita
Hi Vanita, I just looked it up and it sounds like you’ll need 1.5 ounces. Hope you enjoy!
Made this last night, such a hit!! My husband loved it!
This is a very good recipe. Turned out perfectly. Sauce is yummy.
This is one of the first recipes I tried from Once Upon a Chef and it is one I go back to time and time again. Whenever I see fresh green beans on sale I pick some up and also some shiitake mushrooms—everything else need for the recipe is already in my pantry 😊
Hi can I substitute with dry shiitake mushrooms? If so, what quantity should i use as they expand when soaked?
Thank you so much
Regards
Vanita
Hi Vanita, I just looked it up and it sounds like you’ll need 1.5 ounces. Hope you enjoy!
I think my son would love this. I only have frozen green beans on hand. Would that work? Thaw first? Thanks!
Hi Leslie, I think you’d get the best results with fresh green beans but, frozen ones can be used. You can cook them straight from the freezer. Hope you son enjoys!
Thank you!
These green beans were delicious! I never would have thought to prepare green beans this way! Thank you again for the quality and breadth of your recipes. As a busy mom with two kids under two, we are in a stage of life where it is really hard to go out to eat. Now that I have found your blog, your recipes make it exciting to eat at home. I actually prefer eating at home now to eating out!
😊
This looks delicious. Do dry Shiitake mushrooms have more flavor? Would this sauce taste good over green beans that have been blanched the night before & refrigerated. Will cook the mushrooms
garlic & ginger & return the warmed beans to the pan & add the sauce.
Diane, dried mushrooms do have a lot of flavor, if you’d prefer to use them. (You would need to soak them in water to reconstitute them.) And yes, I think you could cook the beans in advance and then reheat in the pan with the sauce. Enjoy!
This is an excellent recipe! My husband made it tonight as written and said it was the best vegetable dish he’s ever made. Thank you!
I’m prepping these right now and will cook them when my husband gets home. There’s no mention of what to do with garlic. Slice, mince, dice, chop, smash, leave whole? I can’t wait to try them!
Renee, sorry it’s not more clear! The garlic should be minced. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks, we MORE than enjoyed them! I minced after looking at the first photo. Another of your fantastic recipes that will be in our regular rotation. Tonight we’re having your Pasta e Fagioli. It’s delicious and a perfect cold weather comfort food. I started prepping it this morning. Honestly, half of our meals have one or more recipes from you. Thanks!
Can this be made with frozen green beans?
Polly, while I think you’d get the best results with fresh green beans, frozen ones can be used in a pinch!
How long can I keep Sherry and how should I store it? Are there other Once Upon a Chef recipes that call for this ingredient. This recipe looks delicious but I don’t have Sherry. I would be willing to purchase a bottle to use, if I knew it would be able to be used for other recipes.
Danielle, There are a several recipes on the site that call for sherry; a couple of which are Beef with broccoli and Oven Baby Back Ribs. For cooking purposes, you can probably keep a bottle for up to a year. Store sherry in a cool, dark place (the fridge is okay too), preferably upright to minimize the contact area with the air inside the bottle.
Excellent recipe! My 2 year old loved these so much she kept asking for more! The rest of the family thought these were delicious as well. Will definitely be making these again!
Was looking for low calorie stir fry for veggies. Came across this recipe. I used frozen mixed veggies and added a couple others….it was delicious!!! I know I need to eat more veggies but plain is blah….will never lose this recipe!!
Wow! Cooked this last night and it was delicious. Had to sub rice wine for the sherry, don’t have any sherry in the house, but it was still gorgeous. Thanks for the recipe, I shall definitely be making it again. Even my confirmed veggie hating partner liked it!
Is there any substitute for dry sherry? As I don’t consume alcohol.
Hi Sadaf, Unfortunately, there is no good non-alcoholic substitute for dry sherry. Sorry!
I do not appreciate your negativity. You must realize some people don’t have bad habits like drinking alcohol. Thank you.
You realize the alcohol cooks down, right?
She was being honest, not negative. Not all recipes have to cater to people who abstain. It’s not a slight.
I don’t think Jennifer has a negative bone in her body. She is an excellent food blogger and very gracious if you ever had a chance to meet her in person. She was simply stating, in her opinion, there are no good substitutes. There was no negativity intended, I am sure. Simply leave out the product if you must stay away from such a ‘bad habit’.
Mm! This was scrumptious. I just served it up with dinner. I love how the mushrooms soak up the sauce. Thank you!
This is the only dish that my family will eat with green beans and if green beans aren’t available I substitute broccoli or asparagus. I serve along side with steak and white rice.
I substituted the sherry for xiao xing cooking wine. Mine ended up coming out really salty, so I added a lot more sugar to balance out the taste. The result was flavorful and fantastic! I might tweak it a little more next time, like using less oil. But thanks for the recipe!
I have personal issues with measuring quantities 😉 I kind of just wing everything and say, “ohh well that looks like a cup…”
That being said, I tried as best to follow the measurements of the recipe, but regardless of that, the flavors are all there! My husband was so surprised at how closely a similar dish at our favorite Chinese restaurant , he ate up the whole thing praising himself for choosing me as his wife LOL
The only thing I had to change was the sherry. I didn’t want to have to go to the supermarket when I had everything else–so i read somewhere that you can replace it with some kind of acidic juice, diluted with water. Not sure how much it changed the flavor, but it still tasted great.
Delicious, did not change a thing!
I love stir-fried beans you can get at Asian restaurants, so I had to try this. It is delicious! I made last night as a side dish to grilled teriyaki chicken. I did not have shitake mushrooms, so I had to sub cremini’s but other than that I stuck to the recipe. The sauce is so good so I served over white rice so it would not be wasted. Will definitely make again!
Hmmm… dinner side maybe? I think I have all that stuff. Except the sherry. Can’t keep sherry around my house for too long.
Just kidding. Maybe.
But I really must try this.
This is a nice alternative to my usual green beans and almonds dish.
Totally as good, if not better, than the take out stir fried green beans that I love from my local Chinese restaurant. Gotta love being able to control the quality of the ingredients – yum!
Found this last week and made it twice over the weekend. We loved it. Made once w/ green beans and the second time w/ asparagus and it was awesome. We love anything w/ mushrooms and have been trying to incorporate more green w/ dinner so I easily identified w/ this blog. This was an easy recipe which I appreciate. Thanks for something we’ll make again and again! So glad to have found this site.
Looks great! I’ve never added dry mustard to my stir fry…can’t wait to try it
Wow!! This looks great. Love szechuan.
Super healthy and easy to make. Thanks!
wow! this looks really good:) i have always love the combo of grean bean and mushrooms for stir fry! thank you for sharing this.
Can’t wait to try this. Your roasted green bean recipe with the fresh lemon and pine nuts is now one of our family favorites.