These copycat Din Tai Fung Green Beans are deliciously crispy and coated with lots of savory garlic and a spicy chili crisp. It’s the best umami-forward side dish to pair with all of your takeout-inspired favorites!
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Din Tai Fung String Beans are a super simple side dish made famous by the Taiwanese restaurant, Din Tai Fung. While they’re usually known for their dumplings, like Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork soup dumplings), their crispy fried green beans are super popular and over the top!
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make a batch of garlic-loaded green beans that mimic the Din Tai Fung garlic green beans recipe perfectly. All it takes is a short list of simple ingredients!
If you’re looking for more delicious takeout-inspired sides, this copycat Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad is a must-make, along with these 30+ Easy Asian Side Dishes.
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Love
We LOVED this recipe so much!!! The perfect amount of garlic with just the right amount of heat. It’s the perfect side dish.
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What are Din Tai Fung green beans?
The Din Tai Fung restaurant describes the dish as “freshly-cut greens, coated with minced garlic and tossed over high heat for a savory-umami-packed bite”. The green beans are blistered on the outside, crisp-tender, and snappy through the center. One bite and you’ll understand why this is one of their most popular menu items.
But when you don’t want to head out for dinner, you can replicate the same amount of crunch and umami flavor in the comfort of your kitchen. You don’t need any fancy equipment, tools, or ingredients, either – just a few pantry staples and a frying pan.
Ingredients needed
- Green beans – The best time of year to make this recipe is when green beans are in season. You can find fresh green beans year-round in North American grocery stores, but the best beans will pop up from May through October.
- Garlic – This is a garlicky green bean recipe, after all. Extra garlic is always welcome!
- Oil – You’ll need a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying, like avocado oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.
- Chicken broth concentrate – Like better than bouillon or chicken bouillon powder.
- Water
- Salt
- Spicy chili crisp – This is an optional, but highly recommended topping made from dried chili peppers, aromatics, and oil. It makes the green beans spicy while adding some crunch. You can use store-bought chili crisp, make it yourself, or use regular chili oil instead.
How to make Din Tai Fung green beans
First, blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling water before immediately transferring them to an ice bath. Drain and pat them completely dry.
Heat enough oil to submerge the beans in a large skillet.
Once the oil is hot, add a handful of beans and fry until you can see that the skin is starting to wrinkle and blister. This only takes 1 or 2 minutes.
Transfer the fried beans to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until you run out of beans.
Drain all but a tablespoon of oil from the skillet and reduce the heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Finish by stirring in the broth concentrate and water.
Return the fried green beans to the pan to bind everything together. Plate the green beans and garlic, then season with salt and a drizzle of chili crisp. Enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Blanching the green beans is technically optional, but it gives the beans a more vibrant green color and a crisp-tender snap during the frying process.
- If you do decide to blanch the green beans first, remember to dry them really well before frying. Excess water can cause the hot oil to splatter.
- The oil should be around 350°F. You can check the temperature with a thermometer or by dropping a green bean into the skillet to make sure it sizzles.
- Work in batches to help every bean crisp up and cook evenly.
- Allow the skillet to cool off before adding the garlic. The garlic will immediately seize up and burn if it’s too hot.
Customize it
The simplicity of Din Tin Fung garlic green beans leaves a lot of room for customizing. For instance, you could season the finished dish with sesame seeds, fresh lemon juice, sliced almonds, cilantro, or chopped peanuts. Use what you love!
FAQs
Green beans only take 1 to 2 minutes to fry as long as your oil is up to temperature (350ºF). You’ll know they’re done frying when the skin shrinks up and blisters.
No, but flash-frying blanched green beans in oil is the only way to truly achieve the distinguishable flavor and texture of Din Tai Fung string beans.
If you were hoping for a lighter green bean recipe, try “frying” the beans in the air fryer or oven before tossing them with the sauteed garlic. Check out my green bean fries for tips on cooking crispy green beans in the oven or air fryer.
Storing
Keep the leftovers covered and in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, either warm the beans in the microwave or a skillet over medium heat.
More copycat recipes
More takeout-inspired recipes
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Full Recipe
Din Tai Fung Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds green beans (ends trimmed (about 4 cups))
- 8 cloves garlic (minced (about 2 Tablespoons))
- Neutral oil (for frying – like avocado oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, the amount used will depend on the size of your skillet)
- 1 Tablespoon chicken broth concentrate (like better than bouillon, or chicken bouillon powder)
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon chili crisp ( or chili oil, optional)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Optional: Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 20 seconds, then place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Pat them very dry after draining.
- If you don’t dry thoroughly, splattering and popping can occur with the oil.
- Once the beans are dry, pour some neutral oil into a large skillet, just enough to submerge the beans, about ½-1-inch. Heat the oil over high heat, it should be around 350-degrees. To test the temperature of the oil, drop a bean into the skillet. It should start to sizzle immediately.
- Once the oil is hot, add a handful of beans and fry until you see wrinkling and blistering on the skin, it should take 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the beans with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining green beans.
- Remove all but 1 TBSP oil from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth concentrate (or bouillon powder) and water and stir to combine. Return the green beans to the pan and cook for 30 seconds longer. Season with salt and drizzle with chili oil, if desired. Enjoy!
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