Inspired by salty-crunchy, stir fry style green beans, Blistered Green Beans are a quick and easy side dish made by quickly cooking green beans in a hot pan just until they begin to blister, then tossing with soy sauce to bring out the flavor.
I love vegetables – all of them, especially when cooked in a way that enhances their natural flavors. There is nothing worse that you can do then steam or boil Brussels sprouts or cauliflower into a sad, mushy mess. But if I had to pick my favorite vegetable, green beans would definitely be near the top.
And these Blistered Green Beans might be my favorite – I know for a fact they are Steve’s. So needless to say, we eat them a lot around here. The fact that they are super quick and easy to cook up while the rest of dinner is finishing off in the oven or on the grill just makes these all the better.
What are Blistered Green Beans?
The inspiration for these Blistered Green Beans comes from those stir fried green beans you always find on Chinese buffets. You know the ones that are super addictive with the perfect combination of crunchy, chewy, and salty. I always seem to find myself with a plate piled high of just green beans.
The green beans are perfectly blistered and blackend in spots, but cooked quickly so that they still retain some of their crunch and chew. Finishing them off with just a little garlic powder and soy sauce adds that salty and savory flavor that just can’t be beat.
These Blistered Green Beans would be the perfect quick and easy side dish to accompany any stir fry or fried rice, pot stickers, or any other Asian inspired dish. But, don’t think of them as just an Asian style meal. They are also the perfect compliment paired with any grilled meat, steak, pork loin, or even salmon – which just happens to be how we served these up most recently!
How Do You Cook Blistered Green Beans?
These are super quick and easy to cook up on any weeknight, but they are also fancy enough for company. In fact, we served them the last time we had Steve’s parents over for a steak dinner and they were a huge hit.
To cook the Blistered Green Beans, you want to use a cast iron, or other heavy bottomed, skillet. This will help retain the heat, allowing the green beans to blister and soften without burning. You heat the skillet over medium high heat until it is nice and hot, then just toss the green beans in. Resist the urge to stir the beans in the pan, letting them sit and cook for a few minutes is key to getting that perfect blister.
At the end, just add a little garlic powder – I have tried using fresh garlic here, but always found that the garlic burned since it couldn’t take the high heat. Then splash in some soy sauce, turn off the heat, and stir. If you find the beans seem a little dry, add in a splash or two of water to help loosen them up. This will depend on how much residual heat was left in your pan.
Looking for more easy and healthy side dishes and veggies?
Here are some of my favorites:
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
- Grilled Rosemary Potato Wedges
- Roasted Delicata Squash and Onions with Apple Cider Reduction
Easy Blistered Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs butter
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in cast iron or other heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat until oil shimmers
- Add butter and green beans, let green beans sit about 3 minutes to blister before stirring
- Toss green beans and continue to cook for about 3 minutes longer
- When green beans have begun to soften and are blistered and blackened in spots (but not burned), add garlic powder and soy sauce. Turn off heat and stir to coat.
- If green beans seem a little dry, add in a splash (1 tbs or so) of water to help loosen them up. This will depend on how much residual heat was left in your pan.
Thank you for this post. I was looking for a super, simple but tasty bean recipe and this one was! I will be making it again.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for taking your time to comment and review.