This chicken and green beans recipe is an easy and healthy stir fry with seared chicken breast and fresh green beans, all tossed in a honey garlic sauce. The perfect quick dinner or meal prep option!
I make stir fry at least once a week, my family loves chicken and asparagus stir fry, moo goo gai pan, and this simple yet satisfying chicken and green bean version.
You can never go wrong with a stir fry at dinner time – they’re fresh, relatively healthy and super speedy to make. This chicken and green beans stir fry gets made constantly at my house. It’s got protein and veggies all in one place. Start a pot of rice at the same time as you make your stir fry, and you’ll have a complete dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
How do you make chicken and green beans?
The first step is to cook your green beans until they’re crisp yet tender. The green beans are removed from the pan, then bite sized pieces of chicken get seared to golden brown perfection. Combine your green beans and chicken, then add a honey garlic sauce to the pan. Simmer until thickened, then serve over rice and enjoy!
HOW DO YOU COOK CHICKEN FOR STIR FRY?
The best way to cook chicken for stir fry is to cut it into 1 inch pieces, season it with salt and pepper, then sear it in vegetable oil in a hot pan until browned and cooked through. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan; if you add too much meat at once, the chicken will steam instead of brown. I typically cook my chicken in two batches.
WHAT KIND OF SAUCE DO YOU PUT IN A STIR FRY?
Most stir fry sauces are made with soy sauce, minced garlic, and other seasonings such as sesame oil, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, chicken broth, sugar or chili sauce. One important component of stir fry sauce is a thickening agent, such as cornstarch. A thicker sauce will cling better to your chicken and vegetables.
This recipe is written for garlic lovers with 2 teaspoons of garlic in the dish. If you prefer you can cut that amount down to 1 teaspoon and it’ll still be delicious. Serve your chicken and green bean stir fry over rice for a quick meal that’s sure to please the whole family.
Chicken and Green Beans variations
You can make this dish with just chicken and green beans as written, or you can add a variety of other veggies to the mix for a different flavor combination. You can substitute up to half of the green beans with any of the following vegetable options.
- mushrooms
- bell peppers
- onions
- carrots
- snow peas
- broccoli
- asparagus
While this chicken and green bean dish is great for dinner, it’s also perfect for meal prep. Divide your stir fry into 4 portions, then place into meal prep containers with a side of rice. You’ll be able to enjoy it all week long!
MORE STIR FRY RECIPES
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
- Orange Beef Stir Fry
- Mongolian Chicken
Chicken and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
- 2 1/2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the green beans and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes or until beans are tender.
- Remove the green beans from the pan; place them on a plate and cover.
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer - you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the green beans back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until the green beans are warmed through.
- In a bowl whisk together the chicken broth, honey and soy sauce.
- In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
- Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and green beans; cook for 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken, stirring constantly.
- Serve immediately, with rice if desired.
Valeria says
Hu, can you use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast? It’s what I have and do want to make this recipe right now loll
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Deb Rowley says
My husband absolutely loved this! So easy and healthy this recipe will go into heavy rotation at my house.
Kim says
We give this recipe a “10!” A great way to use all those fresh green beans from the garden!
Christine says
Made this tonight and definitely would make it again. The only change I made was adding red pepper flakes and it gave it abit of a kick. I dug add more garlic as we love garlic in this house
Shannon says
Super yummy! The family loved it!
We added orange bell peppers and onion, and topped with a little sriracha!
Scrumptious!!!
Audrey horwitz-abplanalp says
Sauce was excellent. I just added a pinch of red pepper flakes. Will definitely be making again
Michelle Hamilton says
This is a great recipe! Everyone in the family has truely enjoyed it! I only made a small change and simply did the the chicken in the pot first and browned only a bit not even fully cooking. Then I added the beans raw fresh and put a lid on until thing cooked a bit then added the sauce. Just so I didn’t have to take the beans out and cook the chicken then add them back. I like one pot cooking. This recipe made things so quick and easy.
Netta Kai says
The concept is really good, but the flavor is a bit lacking. Next time I think we’ll add sesame oil and Sriracha. This is still a win and something we will make again.
Bethany says
Absolutely hands down amazing! I never comment but this was soooooo delicious, I had to.
Thank you so much!
Betty says
Love this but the sauce never thickens…Why?
Sara says
I’m thinking you should try adding another teaspoon or two of corn starch!
Jo says
Love this recipe thanks so much! I am counting calories and I’m just wondering how many grams is per portion on the nutritional value?
Thank you.
Sara says
It’s 1 1/2 cups!