This is real life. Even the most prepared and health-conscious eaters have moments when fast food is the only option. In one such moment of desperation, at a certain Chinese Food Express establishment, I ordered a string bean chicken breast stir fry. It was so delicious that now I make it at home.
Proof that inspiration can strike anywhere!
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Where Have You Bean?
Travel is one of those times that food choices can become unexpectedly limited. I take food planning seriously, and listen, it still happens to the best of us. You can imagine my utter disbelief when not only was the stir fry very tasty, but a few weeks later I was actually craving it.
Bright green string beans and vibrant flavor make this plate as pleasing to look at as it is to eat. Serve over cauliflower rice and the LPK renovation is complete. You would never guess that this evolved from a moment of desperation. The power of food, am I right?
A little less processed, a little more fresh-forward, this is my at-home take on take-out. 🥡 – Linds x
Ingredient Notes + Swaps (for low carb)
My goal here was to get the flavor and texture as similar to the Panda Express string bean chicken breast as possible. That said, we’ve made this recipe exactly as is, and with a few modifications shared below — both are absolutely delicious. So here’s what you need and how it can be modified:
- Chicken Breast – Slice chicken against the grain for the most tender dish. To thinly slice the chicken, I like to toss it in the freezer for 10 minutes before attempting to slice. A super sharp knife helps a lot too. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Vegetables – Green beans (stir fried green beans are a must here!), white onions, mushrooms (these are my addition, feel free to skip), garlic, and ginger.
- Oil – You want something mild in flavor with a high smoke point. I love avocado, vegetable oil is also great.
- Shaoxing wine is a type of rice wine that gives this string bean chicken breast more depth and sweet flavor. The best substitute for this is dry sherry — Mirin is quite a bit sweeter, but if that’s all you have, skip the brown sugar.
- Cornstarch is used in the marinade and the sauce. In the marinade it’s used to coat the protein so it’s protected from the high heat we will be cooking it in. If you’re eating low carb, feel free to skip it in the marinade, just pay extra attention to not overcook your chicken. You can also skip it in the sauce, just reduce the sauce a bit longer to allow it to thicken. Or, you can substitute it for 1/8th a teaspoon of xanthan gum.
- Brown sugar is traditionally used, but I often use Lakanto/Swerve’s golden erythritol without any flavor difference.
- Oyster Sauce – is what adds the sweet, umami flavor to the sauce. It’s key here! That said, there really isn’t a great substitute if eating low carb. If you need to skip it, go ahead. But also keep in mind there are 2g carbs per tablespoon, which is all we add here.
- Low sodium soy sauce – be sure to use “low sodium” to get the salt just right. Looking for a gluten-free alternative? Opt for low sodium coconut aminos.
Can I Add Some Spice?
Absolutely! Make a spicy chicken and green beans stir fry by adding sriracha or even just a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. You can also take a lesson from kung pao chicken by adding ground Sichuan peppercorns. Or try using my Asian chicken marinade before you start stir-frying.
How About Extra Veggies?
Always! See how I snuck in those mushrooms? You can do the same with your favorite stir fry veggies — make chicken stir fry with green beans and carrots, red bell pepper, you name it.
What About a Different Protein?
Totally! This dish would be delicious with tofu, thinly sliced beef, pork, or seafood.
How to Make String Bean Chicken Breast
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Add sauce ingredients to a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan or wok over high heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Once golden, flip and cook on the other side. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, you may need to do this in batches. Set cooked chicken aside on a plate.
- Add additional oil to the pan, along with the veggies. Cook until softened.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
- Add the sauce, chicken, and any accumulated juices back to the pan. Toss to coat. Cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
What Goes with Chicken Stir Fry?
Serve this string bean chicken recipe over sauteed cauliflower rice or rice. Sprinkle sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top.
More Asian Inspired Recipes
String Bean Chicken Breast
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Marinade:
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 Tablespoon light soy sauce (note 1)
- 1½ Tablespoons Shaoxing wine aka Chinese cooking wine (note 2)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (note 3)
Stir Fry:
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil
- 1½ cups green beans cut into 2" pieces
- 1 cup white onion chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (note 4)
- 1½ teaspoon brown sugar (note 5)
To Serve:
- green onions
- sesame seeds
- cooked cauliflower rice or rice
Instructions
- Slice. Toss the chicken in the freezer for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife, and cut 1/4" thick slices against the grain (find the tiny white muscle fibers and slice against them, rather than parallel to them).
- Marinade. In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you begin.
- Sauce. Whisk together the water (3 tablespoons), oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), soy sauce (1 tablespoons), rice vinegar (1 tablespoon), and sesame oil (1 teaspoon) in the small bowl. Add the cornstarch (1 teaspoon) (if using) and whisk until dissolved.
- Chicken. Heat a large pan or wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once shimmering add the chicken in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, you may need to do this in batches. Once the chicken is golden brown (should be 30 seconds-1 minute), flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer cooked chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
- Veggies. Reduce the heat of your pan to medium, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Once shimmering add the green beans (1½ cups), mushrooms (1 cup), and onion (1 cup). Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Bringing it all together. Add the sauce, chicken, and any accumulated chicken juices back to the pan. Toss everything together and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately over rice or cauliflower rice with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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Lindsey’s Tips
- Soy sauce – It’s important to use LIGHT soy sauce to get the salt just right here.
- Chinese cooking wine – gives this dish loads of flavor. If you need to substitute, the best option is dry sherry. Mirin is sweeter and not a great sub.
- Cornstarch in the marinade – We use this to protect the meat from the high heat of the pan, but feel free to skip it. I typically do! And just pay extra attention to not overcook the meat.
- Cornstarch in the sauce – Is used to thicken the sauce. Again, if you’re eating low carb feel free to skip, just thicken the sauce by reducing it in the pan for a tad longer. You can also add 1/8th teaspoon of xanthan gum instead.
- Brown sugar – If low carb, feel free to use golden Swerve/Lakanto.
- Low carb nutritional information (if skipping the cornstarch and using Swerve/Lakanto instead) per serving — Calories: 283, total carbs: 10g, net carbs: 8g.
Nutrition
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