These Chinese Buffet Green Beans are one of the only pure veggie dishes served at Chinese buffets. I always get a big scoop of them so I feel less unhealthy. The cooking method is very simple and takes less than 20 minutes. They make a great side dish regardless of what you cook.

overhead shot of cooked green beans on a plate.

The green beans at Chinese buffets always taste different than the ones you make at home. The reason is that restaurants use very hot, industrial-strength stoves. This allows their food to have a "wok hei" flavor, which is created when the flames of the stove "lick" the food and impart a smoky flavor.

Obviously, most of us do not want things catching on fire at home, but you can still achieve "wok hei" by simply using high heat. No flames are needed. You just need the wok to be very hot so that the oil smokes slightly.

Preparing the green beans

First, wash them under cold water, then dry them thoroughly. I use a salad spinner to get off as much water as possible. It's super important to dry them thoroughly because excess water will lower the temperature of the wok and prevent the smoky flavor.

green beans spun dry in a salad spinner.

To cut off the ends quickly, I grab a handful of them, line them up to the side of the knife, and trim the ends off all at once.

green beans with ends trimmed on a cutting board

How to cook them with a smoky flavor

Heat the wok over high heat until it is smoking slightly. If you look closely at the wok, you should see small wisps of smoke. For my stovetop, this usually takes about 1 minute.

Once the wok is heated, add the oil and swirl it around the wok so it coats the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides. Immediately add the green beans. Cook and stir the beans for about 5-6 minutes, stirring about once every 10 seconds or so, until they start to look blistered and charred.

After that, reduce the heat to medium and remove the wok from the heat for about 20 seconds to let it cool down. This is important so the garlic does not burn.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. The final step is just to add the sauce ingredients. I like to pour this along the side of the wok because the sides of the wok carry a lot of residual heat so it heats up faster. Finally, we are ready to serve!

Chinese Buffet Green Beans

The reason restaurant green beans taste better is because they use high-strength stoves. You can replicate this by heating your wok until it smokes slightly.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Chinese

Servings people

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup chicken stock (or water)
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon MSG (optional)

Stir-fry

2 tablespoons oil
1 pound green beans (ends trimmed)
3 cloves garlic (minced)

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.
Put your wok on the stove and heat it over high heat. When it starts to smoke slightly, add the oil and green beans. Cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes until the green beans are looking slightly blistered and charred.
Remove the wok from the heat for 20 seconds to let it cool down. Reduce the heat to medium and put the wok back on the stove. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add 2 tablespoons of water to the wok, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 minute.
Remove the lid. Give the sauce mixture a stir to redistribute the cornstarch, then pour it into the wok.
Cook for 30 seconds until the sauce thickens, and toss it evenly with the green beans. Serve immediately.