By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on October 4, 2026
Serves 2
274 cal · 40 min
Dry-Fried Snap Beans With Ground Pork
Recipe GLPR95bfd6f101171f
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Average rating: 3.8 (1)
A vibrant Sichuan-inspired stir-fry featuring crispy snap beans paired with savory ground pork, aromatic chili bean paste, and the distinctive numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns. The beans are first deep-fried until their skins wrinkle and soften slightly, then tossed with seasoned pork and fragrant preserved vegetables for a complex, layered flavor profile. Finished with a drizzle of sesame oil and served immediately while still hot and crispy.
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Ingredients
3 cups Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1¼ cup Fresh snap beans (green beans), trimmed
½ cup Ground pork
1 tsp Fermented chili bean paste
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp Preserved vegetables (Chinese-style pickled vegetables)
1 pinch Salt
½ tsp Sesame oil
½ tsp Ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns
Directions
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 210°F. While the oil heats, trim the snap beans by removing any strings and stem ends.
Carefully add the trimmed snap beans to the hot oil. Fry them for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the skins begin to wrinkle and they are about 80 percent cooked through. The beans should be tender-crisp with a slightly shriveled exterior. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a light drizzle of fresh vegetable oil, then add the ground pork. Stir and break it apart as it cooks for 3–4 minutes until browned and the moisture evaporates, creating a dry, crumbly texture.
Stir in the fermented chili bean paste and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the Shaoxing rice wine and stir well to combine.
Add the fried snap beans and preserved vegetables to the wok, tossing everything together over the heat for 1–2 minutes until well combined and heated through. Season with salt.
Remove from heat, drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with ground Sichuan peppercorns. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately while the beans are still crispy and warm.
Comments
The snap beans and ground pork are easy finds at any Charlotte chain, but fermented chili bean paste, Shaoxing rice wine, and Sichuan peppercorns require a trip to an Asian market—likely one of Charlotte's Chinese grocers on Central Avenue or a specialty section at Harris Teeter, adding cost and planning time. Ground pork at ALDI or Food Lion runs $3–4 per pound and snap beans $2–3 per pound, making the protein half the dish's cost; the Asian condiments push total cost per serving to $6–8 before oil and sesame. The 40-minute timer is honest for browning pork and dry-frying beans, but only if you have the paste and wine already in your pantry—a first-time cook should add 15 minutes for an extra store stop. This is a same-night dish: the beans lose their texture when reheated, and it's fussy enough to deserve immediate eating while the pork is still hot.
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