Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

As I've mentioned before, I love Asian flavors.  I particularly enjoy stir fries because I can load them with healthy, fresh vegetables and they cook very quickly.  Over the past few years I've learned how to whip up a tasty (and probably healthier) stir fry dish over rice at home in less time than it takes for Chinese delivery.

A few years ago I bookmarked this recipe from Emeril Lagasse and forgot about it.  It resurfaced in my recipe file a while ago, I tried it, we loved it, and now it's our go-to recipe for stir fry.

This recipe is super simple if you have the proper ingredients on hand.  When I first tried this recipe in 2007 I had a difficult time finding Sriracha sauce, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and hoisin sauce at the grocery store.  I'm happy to say that these ingredients are now so common (at least in my area) that I can buy them at Target and Wal-Mart, as well as my regular grocery store (shout out to ShopRite!).

The Asian condiment lineup

The key to a successful stir fry is a hot wok and having all your ingredients lined up and ready to go.  When I first started making this recipe I didn't own a wok, but I ended up buying a non-stick wok at Costco (some people don't recommend non-stick, but it worked for my budget) for under $20.  You can make this in a broad skillet, but I think the wok is worth the investment, especially if you plan on making fried rice... which would be a very delicious future recipe post.

Have everything ready to go... this cooks quickly!

I like to do the prep (mixing sauces, trimming veggies, slicing raw meat) the night before (or whenever I have time) so I can just throw dinner together in 15 minutes when I get home from work.

Get creative with this one.  We've added broccoli, carrots, onions, pork, seafood... it's whatever you'd like it to be.  We seldom have leftovers because a wok can only cook about 2-4 servings at a time.  We're greedy.  We eat two servings each, but we don't feel bad about it because it has green beans and that's got to be healthy, right?

It smells great, too.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans
adapted from Emeril's Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Reduced sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend (sometimes called “Chinese 5-Spice”)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon lightly toasted white sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic-red pepper sauce (I use Sriracha)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a bowl, combine the chicken, 4 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and Asian spice blend. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, red pepper sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken. Spread the chicken out over the bottom of the pan and let sear for one minute. Begin stirring constantly, cook until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir-fry until wrinkled, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add sauce mixture. Stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute. Top with toasted sesame seeds. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, over white or basmati rice.