Content

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1. Why This Recipe Works
2. Ingredients Required
3. How to Prepare Everything Before Cooking
4. Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
5. A Few Tips From My Kitchen 
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid 
7. Variations
8. More Recipes to Try

Why This Recipe Works

• Wrinkled, browned green beans: Dry-frying removes excess moisture and develops the characteristic wrinkles and browned spots.
• Better-browned pork: Frying the ground pork until its moisture evaporates and the meat begins to brown brings out a more pronounced, meaty taste.
• Distinctive Sichuan aroma: Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, garlic, and ginger give the dish its characteristic fragrance.
• The right balance from preserved vegetables: Yibin ya cai adds a salty, savory note that complements the pork and green beans.
• Simple, one-pan cooking: Cook the beans and pork separately, then bring everything together in the same wok. No separate sauce or added water is needed.
• Easy to adjust: You can vary the chili heat and add salt at the end, depending on your preference and the saltiness of the preserved vegetable.

Ingredients Breakdown

Main ingredients: Fresh green beans form the base of the dish, while ground pork adds a meaty taste. Choose pork with approximately one-quarter to one-third fat. Very lean pork can become tough and dry during frying.

Preserved vegetable: Yibin ya cai (碎米芽菜) is the traditional choice for this version of Sichuan dry-fried green beans. It is made from preserved mustard greens, not bean sprouts, and adds a distinctive salty, savory taste.

Aromatics and spices: Garlic and ginger provide the aromatic base. Dried red chili peppers add heat, while Sichuan peppercorns contribute their distinctive fragrance and numbing sensation.

Seasonings: Light soy sauce adds savoriness, and a small amount of sugar balances the seasoning. Shaoxing wine is optional. Since preserved vegetables already contain salt, taste the dish before adding any extra.

What If I Can’t Find Yibin Ya Cai?

Yibin ya cai can be difficult to find outside China. Tianjin dong cai (冬菜) is a practical substitute, although its flavor differs from Yibin ya cai.

Whenever possible, use Yibin ya cai for the flavor intended in this recipe. If you use dong cai instead, taste the dish before adding salt, as the saltiness can vary.

How to Prepare Everything Before Cooking

Prepare the green beans

Wash the beans thoroughly, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Trim both ends, remove any tough strings along the sides, and cut the beans into pieces approximately 6 cm long.

Make sure the beans are thoroughly dry before frying. Excess moisture slows the dry-frying process and makes it harder to develop the browned spots that give the dish its characteristic texture.

Prepare the ground pork

Choose ground pork with approximately one-quarter to one-third fat. This helps keep the meat from becoming too dry or tough during frying.

Prepare the aromatics

Mince the garlic and ginger. Lightly crack the whole Sichuan peppercorns with a mortar and pestle; there’s no need to grind them into powder.

Rinse the dried chili peppers under running water to remove any dust, then drain and dry them thoroughly before frying. For a milder dish, cut them open and remove the seeds.

Prepare the preserved vegetable and seasonings

Finely chop the Yibin ya cai if necessary. Measure the light soy sauce and sugar, and keep the optional Shaoxing wine nearby.

The complete ingredient quantities and measurements are provided in the recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Dry-Fry the Green Beans

Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat and add 2–3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the thoroughly dried green beans, spreading them out in a single layer as much as possible. If the pan is too crowded, cook them in batches.

Turn the beans occasionally and continue cooking for several minutes, until they begin to wrinkle, darken slightly, and develop browned or lightly charred spots.

Remove the beans from the pan and set them aside. Don’t add water; the aim is to dry-fry the beans rather than steam them.

Step 2: Dry-Fry the Ground Pork

Add the ground pork to the same pan. Break it into small pieces with your spatula, separating any large clumps.

Continue frying until the moisture evaporates and the meat begins to brown. Don’t stop as soon as the pork is cooked through; allowing it to brown develops a more pronounced flavor.

Add the optional Shaoxing wine at this stage, if using. There’s no need to add water. Once the pork has browned, push it to one side of the pan.

Step 3: Add the Spices, Aromatics, and Preserved Vegetable

Add the lightly cracked Sichuan peppercorns and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add the dried chili peppers and continue cooking until their aroma is released.

Next, add the minced garlic and ginger. Adding them after the peppercorns and chili peppers helps preserve the intended cooking sequence. Stir-fry briefly, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Add the preserved vegetable and stir-fry for another 20–30 seconds.

Step 4: Combine Everything and Adjust the Seasoning

Return the ground pork to the aromatic mixture if it has been moved aside. Stir well, then return the green beans to the pan.

Add the light soy sauce and sugar. Stir-fry until the pork, preserved vegetable, seasonings, and aromatics are evenly distributed among the beans.

Taste before adding salt, as the preserved vegetable may already provide enough seasoning. If needed, add a little salt to taste.

Continue stir-frying until everything is well combined. Serve your Sichuan dry-fried green beans with ground pork while hot.

Variations

• Use Tianjin dong cai: If you can’t find Yibin ya cai, Tianjin dong cai is a practical substitute, although the flavor will be different. Taste before adding extra salt.
• Adjust the chili heat: Use fewer dried chili peppers or remove their seeds for a milder dish.
• Use ground Sichuan peppercorns: If you don’t like biting into small pieces of peppercorn, use ground Sichuan peppercorns instead. I prefer lightly cracked whole peppercorns for this version.

This recipe focuses on the dry-fried method and doesn’t use chili oil, Lao Gan Ma, or doubanjiang.

More Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this Sichuan dry-fried green bean dish, here are three more recipes from this food blog:

Sichuan Pork in Garlic Sauce (Fish-Fragrant Pork)

This Sichuan pork stir-fry combines garlic and chili with a sweet-and-sour savory sauce. Try it when you want another Sichuan-style dish with a different seasoning profile.

Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣汤)

Hot and sour soup makes a nice contrast to the dry-fried green beans. Its tangy broth adds warmth and a different texture to a Chinese-style meal.

Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)

Dan dan noodles are another classic Sichuan dish featuring ground pork and Sichuan seasonings. If you enjoy the pork and peppercorn flavors in these green beans, you’ll likely appreciate this noodle dish, too.

Quick Takeaways

Sichuan dry-fried green beans are known for their wrinkled, lightly browned skins and the savory combination of pork, spices, and preserved mustard greens. The beans may lose some of their bright green color, but that is part of this traditional dry-frying method.

• The key to success: Let the beans and pork develop some browning, and don’t add water during frying.
• For the intended Sichuan flavor: Use Yibin ya cai whenever possible, and taste before adding extra salt.

Serve the green beans with hot steamed rice for a simple Chinese home-style meal.