String Bean Chicken – Panda Express Copycat! (VIDEO)

Ingredients for String Bean Chicken

I love this String Bean Chicken recipe because only a few ingredients will make crispy, juicy chicken. Firstly, here are the ingredients you will need!

• Chicken Breast – I like to use chicken breast in this recipe but if you prefer chicken thigh, feel free to sub!
• Light Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce – Yes, they’re different! Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than regular soy sauce. Because I use these two ingredients at 1:1 ratio and there are so few ingredients in the sauce, there is not a substitute I can recommend 🙁
• White Pepper
• Salt
• Shaoxing Wine – If you cannot or do not want to use wine, you can sub with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock!
• Cornstarch – A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water that is used in cooking to thicken WITHOUT powdery lumps or additional flavors/colors! This is the secret to so many of your favorite Chinese dishes. My #1 tip is make sure your cornstarch slurry has not separated before adding it in – I always try to re-stir right before!
• Chicken Stock
• Oyster Sauce
• Sugar
• Sesame Oil
• MSG – As always, this is optional 🙂
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Onion
• String Beans
• Neutral Oil – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.

String Bean Chicken: Recipe Instructions

Cut the Chicken

The first step in making this recipe is cutting the chicken into 1/4″ wide pieces. Cut the chicken thinly and at an angle to create wide, disk-like strips.

Next, place the sliced chicken into a bowl with light soy sauce, white pepper, salt, shaoxing wine, neutral oil and cornstarch. Mix well with your hands and let marinate for at least 15 mintues.

Next, mix the sauce by combining chicken stock, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and msg. I always like to premix my sauce to have it ready to go during the fast cooking process.

Velvet the Chicken in Neutral Oil

After the chicken is marinated, heat about a cup of neutral oil (I always prefer avocado oil) over high heat until smoking. Fry the chicken pieces (in batches if needed) for 2 minutes or until they are cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken and the excess oil to leave about 2 tbsp of oil left in the pan.

Dry Fry the String Beans

Next, sauté the string beans until they are slightly blistered. This should only take about 1 minute over medium high heat.

Sauté Onions

Once the string beans are blistered, add the onions and cook for another minute. Add the minced ginger and garlic, season with salt, and stir fry for another 30 seconds.

Add Chicken and Sauce

Once the vegetables are crisp and cooked through, add back the chicken along with the sauce. Work quickly to mix the sauce together to evenly coat all the ingredients in the pan.

Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened and your String Bean Chicken is done! I love serving this with a freshly steamed bowl of rice.

Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)

By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!

If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.

If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.

My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your String Bean Chicken not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.