Name: Easy Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free); 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp fresh ginger paste or fresh grated ginger; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1/4 cup water; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste); 1 lb beef, sliced 1/4 inch thick (some good cuts to use are flank steak, skirt steak, or thin sirloin); Salt; Black pepper; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 12 oz green beans, trimmed; Water; Green onions, chopped; Sesame seeds

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Craving Chinese? Skip the takeout and make this healthier 20-minute Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans at home! The sweet and savory steak with crisp green beans tastes better than your favorite restaurant, and comes together even quicker than ordering out. (dairy-free, gluten-free option)

Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans is a takeout favorite, especially for my husband. But to be honest, there really aren't any good Chinese takeout restaurants where we live, so when we get a craving for Chinese, my best bet is to make it myself. Making this savory, ever so slightly sweet dish full of steak and fresh green beans is actually super easy, and by cooking it myself, I can control the quality of ingredients, the sodium level (Chinese food is notoriously high in sodium), and cook the green beans just to my liking - no mushy brown beans here!

If you've never tried making this takeout favorite yourself, give it a try. It just might surprise you by how quick and easy it is - even quicker than ordering takeout!

Why You'll Love This Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans

This classic Chinese style stir fry is made with just a few simple, fairly common ingredients, and it comes together in just 20 minutes!
With fresh green beans that are cooked to the perfect tender-crisp and quick seared steak, the quality is so much better than the lukewarm, mushy green beans and rubbery steak you'd get with takeout.
Since it's made from scratch, you get to control the ingredients - this homemade sesame ginger beef and green beans is much healthier than your favorite restaurant's version.

How to Make Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans

This stir-fry couldn't be easier!

Whisk together the savory, gingery, brown sauce. Add the cornstarch right into the sauce. The whole thing will thicken quickly as it cooks.
Slice the steak and trim the green beans.
Blanch the green beans. A quick dip in boiling water will soften the green beans just enough so that they are the perfect texture once the dish is finished. Dunk them in an ice water bath after boiling them to stop the cooking process and retain the pretty green color.
Sear the steak. Quickly cooking on high heat locks the juices in for more tender steak.
Add the green beans and sauce to the pan with the steak and lower the heat. Everything cooks together for a few minutes so that the steak and green beans are warmed and coated with the thickened sauce. Add more water as it simmers if the sauce becomes too thick.
Serve with a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds over rice, rice noodles, or any other starch you like.

Pro Tips For Perfect Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans

Do all the prep work first - whisking the sauce, slicing the steak, prepping the green beans. The dish comes together very quickly, so you should have all the ingredients ready to go.
For the most tender steak, make sure to trim any white membranes from the meat before cooking. Slice thinly into ¼-inch thick slices against the grain (perpendicular to the natural lines in the meat). It will be easiest to slice thinly using a sharp knife while beef is very cold or slightly frozen.
If you prefer your green beans more tender, cook them a few minutes longer in the blanching step so that they are mostly soft.
For super easy cleanup, use the same skillet for blanching the green beans, searing the steak, and cooking it all together.

Ingredients and Substitutions

I like to use flank steak for stir-fries like this one, but skirt steak and thinly sliced sirloin work well, too.
You can use frozen green beans if you'd like. Skip the blanching step and just add them in after cooking them beef.
You can use tapioca flour or tapioca starch in place of cornstarch.
For gluten-free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
I love the ease of ginger paste for dishes like this, which is fresh, pre-grated ginger found in the produce section of grocery stores, usually near the fresh herbs and minced garlic. Grating fresh ginger also works well, though it takes just a bit more effort.

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Easy Sesame Ginger Beef and Green Beans

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Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: stir fry
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale

For the sauce:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger paste or fresh grated ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
¼ cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

For the stir-fry:

1 lb beef, sliced ¼ inch thick (some good cuts to use are flank steak, skirt steak, or thin sirloin)
Salt
Black pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
12 oz green beans, trimmed
Water

For garnish (optional):

Green onions, chopped
Sesame seeds

Instructions

Whisk together all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Thinly slice beef across the grain into ¼" thick slices. This is easiest when beef is very cold or even slightly frozen.
Bring about 2 inches of salted water to boil in a large skillet. Add green beans and cook until bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain green beans, and place in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Wipe the skillet dry and place back on the stove. Heat sesame oil over medium high heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear in the skillet for 5-6 minutes, turning to brown both sides of the meat.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add green beans and sauce. Cook, stirring, until green beans and beef are warmed through and sauce is thickened. If the sauce gets too thick, add a bit of water as needed to thin it out.
Serve sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds over brown rice, noodles, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.

Notes

Do all the prep work first - whisking the sauce, slicing the steak, prepping the green beans. The dish comes together very quickly, so you should have all the ingredients ready to go.
For the most tender steak, make sure to trim any white membranes from the meat before cooking. Slice thinly into ¼-inch thick slices against the grain (perpendicular to the natural lines in the meat). It will be easiest to slice thinly using a sharp knife while beef is very cold or slightly frozen.
If you prefer your green beans more tender, cook them a few minutes longer in the blanching step so that they are mostly soft.
You can use frozen green beans if you'd like. Skip the blanching step and just add them in after cooking them beef.
You can use tapioca flour or tapioca starch in place of cornstarch.
For gluten-free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
I love the ease of ginger paste for dishes like this, which is fresh, pre-grated ginger found in the produce section of grocery stores, usually near the fresh herbs and minced garlic. Grating fresh ginger also works well, though it takes just a bit more effort.