I still remember the first time I went to a Thai restaurant. I ordered the chicken and cashew nuts because it sounded intriguing.
I was blown away by the flavour. The texture. The umami savory deliciousness.
I wanted more.
All these years later I’m still playing around with that classic combo.
This Chicken & Green Bean Stir Fry using frozen veg is my latest crush.
It comes with a warning though..
Make sure you buy frozen BABY green beans.
There are a lot of bad frozen beans on the market. And I’d hate for you to have a bad bean experience. So get the baby beans.
You can use fresh beans but then you’ll have to cut the tops off. Which for me isn’t worth the effort.
And my other magic trick – cook the beans straight from frozen – it save you from mediocre mushy bean texture.
Trust me.
You’ll be surprised that frozen green beans can actually be pretty good.
Ingredients
- 250 g / 9 oz frozen green beans
- 200 g / 7 oz ground minced chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce or soy sauce
PLUS Ingredient
- small handful roast cashews
Instructions
- Heat your wok, skillet or frying pan on a super high heat. Add the frozen green beans cover and cook for a minute. Stir and keep cooking for another minute or until the green beans are hot and a little charred in places.
- Place hot beans in a clean bowl.
- Return the pan to the heat and add a splash of oil. Then add the chicken. Cook stirring often until the chicken is no longer pink. You can brown it if you like but I prefer to keep it moister.
- Return beans to the pan and toss to warm.
- Remove wok or frying pan from the heat and stir in oyster / soy sauce. Taste and season with more sauce if needed.
- Serve topped with cashews.
Variations & Substitutions
different frozen veg – peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cauliflower rice, spinach, kale.
different fresh veg – fresh green beans, capsicum (bell peppers), carrot, broccolini, asparagus, snow peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli, baby corn – anything you like to stir fry.
vegetarian – replace chicken with cooked lentils or chickpeas or crumbled tofu. And either use soy sauce or track down some vegetarian oyster sauce (it does exist!)
nut-free – just skip them or replace with fresh herbs like basil or coriander (cilantro) or mint.
different nuts – cashews are our family fave but almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or peanuts will also work.
more substantial (low carb) – more cashews! or more veg! Avocado.
more substantial (carb-lovers) – serve with steamed rice, fried rice or cooked noodles.
different protein – great with sliced chicken thigh or breast fillets, steak, ground beef, ground turkey or pork or lamb.
plan-B (pantry) – this is a pantry meal!
extra flavour – add sliced or crushed garlic, ginger or fresh chilli in with the chicken.
more fancy / for entertaining – serve with fresh herbs like basil or coriander (cilantro) or mint or chives. And maybe add some garlic when stir frying the chicken.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
frozen green beans – will keep in the freezer for months.
ground (minced) chicken – freeze them.
oyster sauce – unopened bottles keep in the pantry. Once opened will keep in the fridge for months.
roast cashews – keep them in the pantry.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more sauce! Or a squeeze of lime.
too dry – overcooked chicken. Next time get it out earlier. For now a little more sauce can help.
sticking to the pan – next time make sure your pan is hot before adding the oil and make sure the oil is hot before adding the chicken. For now remove from the heat and stirring in a splash of water will help it release.
Prep Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe. Keep the cashews separately. Either keep at room temperature if it’s only 1-2 hours before serving or refrigerate if longer. Then to serve warm in a frying pan or skillet and serve with cashews.
