I discovered this dish at my Japanese mother-in-law's house during a family holiday buffet. She had many friends who brought wonderful Japanese dishes, and this was and has remained one of my favorites. It's light and fresh any time of the year.
Delicious, pretty and different. I found I needed to cover the pan a few minutes to ensure the beans were cooked crisp-tender before they would turn too brown. I finished these with a dribble of toasted sesame seed oil at the end which really enhanced the flavor, and I believe this would have been kind of boring without it. These were so good and flavorful that this is one of those rare occasions where the addition of garlic wouldn't necessarily have made this any better.
Read MoreSubstituted plain green beans for Japanese edamame soy beans. However, mine turned out a little salty, so I think I will cut back on the soy sauce for next time.
Read More Delicious, pretty and different. I found I needed to cover the pan a few minutes to ensure the beans were cooked crisp-tender before they would turn too brown. I finished these with a dribble of toasted sesame seed oil at the end which really enhanced the flavor, and I believe this would have been kind of boring without it. These were so good and flavorful that this is one of those rare occasions where the addition of garlic wouldn't necessarily have made this any better.
Very easy and delicious. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner loved it. You can substitute asparagus for the green beans and sliced or slivered toasted almonds for the sesame seeds.
I used thawed, frozen green beans and it worked, but would have been better with fresh. I also added a clove of minced garlic to the oil with the green beans and it was exactly what I was looking for, YUMMY! UPDATE: I wanted this again, but had no green beans so I used broccoli instead and it was equally delicious (although I used a little more soy sauce & sesame oil since they soaked it right up)!
We really enjoyed this tasty dish. I did add some fresh garlic to it and some sliced fresh mushrooms. Because of personal time constraints, I actually undercooked the dish at first, chilled it, and we ate it later, just heated it up in the microwave and it was excellent. Steams well in the microwave for about 2 minutes in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Loved it..used frozen green beans and half the oils I toasted the sesame seeds first and tossed the beans in gave it a nutttier flavor.. =0)
very good recipe. added 3 cloves of garlic when sauteeing as well as red pepper flakes for some heat. thanks!
Very good! A nice change from same old green beans. Be sure to use regular soy sauce as the mild lower salt left them a little boring.
I thought these were pretty good. I used frozen home grown beans and boiled them for a little while first because my husband hates his veggies 'tender crisp' and prefers them softer ... I bet this would have been great with fresh beans especially if you like your beans a little crispy.
Delicious!! Next time I will use more sesame oil than canola oil for more flavor...but I really enjoyed these, and so did the rest of the family!!
I subbed olive oil for the canola because this is what I had. I ended up covering the beans to get them a little more tender yet still hold their green color but they still seemed to be lacking a little something in the end so I gave them a small drizzle of sesame oil and that did the trick.
Substituted plain green beans for Japanese edamame soy beans. However, mine turned out a little salty, so I think I will cut back on the soy sauce for next time.
Yuuum!!! Used olive oil instead of canola and per other suggestions, increased the sesame oil to 3 teaspoons and added fresh pressed garlic. A definite keeper!
During holidays and at family gatherings I recall seeing this dish on the table along with other spreads. The sprinkle of the white sesame seeds always caught my eye -so pretty. If I remember correctly there was also sugar in this sauce. However, I made this dish according to the directions and found that it had the sesame flavor but was lacking something so I went ahead and added a pinch of sugar to the soy sauce mixture. I stirred the mixture and let it sit. I made sure that I sauteed the beans until they were crisp-tender. I toasted the sesame seeds for about 1 minute (over gas stove) and poured it over the string beans. I do not think you need the entire amount of sesame oil when stirring the beans in the skillet. You could just drizzle a little sesame oil on the top right before adding the sesame seeds which adds a nice flavor and pretty presentation. This is such a tasty twist to the same ole' boring bland string beans.. and worth the effort to make it. Just like I remembered....
Favorite green beans ever I think! Served with Basil chicken over angel hair pasta. I think I will be using sesame oil a lot now....love the flavor! Used 2 cans of green beans....drained one....3t sesame oil...1T canola....sprinkled a little garlic powder...put in slivered almonds and salt...pepper... Fabulous!!!
These were wonderful, using fresh green beans make it extra special. I did blanche them first, and they were just spectacular. I would go to a Buffet just for these beans and now I so happy I can do them myself. Toasted sesame seeds are awesome served with this flavorful side dish!!!
These are so remarkably simple you would NEVER guess they would taste so good. . .well, they do + I have people asking me to make these all the time. This is an AWESOME quick asian side dish!
Yum! My soon to be 13 year old son loved these and he is not keen on green beans (until now!). Thank you for sharing your recipe.
This was excellent with some modifications. I used peanut oil instead of canola. I began with green onions and fresh garlic from the farmer's market, letting those brown a bit before I added the green beans. By the time the beans were done, the onions and garlic were nice and carmelized. The cooking method here worked beautifully. Thanks for a terrific jumping off point!
That nutty sesame seeds pair perfectly with nutty green beans makes good sense, of course, but it was kind of an "Oh, duh!" moment for me. I added some minced garlic, too, to ward off vampires and such. :)
I cook these on a regular basis with no changes to the recipe. So easy and simple!
Very good and simple. After getting the beans browned, lower the heat to medium, add some minced garlic. With fresh beans, it might be necessary to add spoons of water in the process to make sure they are cooked.
Cooked exactly as state, but didn't use sesame seeds (realized last minute that I was out)... still, the taste was amazing! Husband immediately declared it a new way to cook up some boring beans. Served with Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi and a some Mandarin Orange salad with the Asian Ginger Dressing from this site.
Quick and simple. It's perfect for busy weeknights. I loved pairing this light side dish with a spicy entree. I'll definitely be making this again.
We added a dash more soy sauce at the end, but my whole family loved these!
yummy! my only suggetion would be to err on the side of caution with the oil.. i found that a little goes a long way.
I made this last night and served with Honeyed Pork Chops found on here also--great combo! These were tasty and quick and easy to make. I threw my sesame seeds in with the beans as I was cooking them and got them toasted that way. Thanks for a tasty side dish!
I add drained & sliced roasted red peppers. I make this every Thanksgiving and it is well-loved. Thank you for the recipe!
These were awesome! Used EVOO instead of canola oil and added red pepper flakes for some added zing. Loved the crunchiness of the beans. Weren't mushy....very tasty! Even good re-heated the next day. Will be making these again very soon.
This makes a great side dish to go with any asian meal. I seved this with seared Ahi Tuna along with coconut rice and it was the perfect healthy light meal. I will for sure make these again as I'm always looking for great way to prepare fresh veggies.
This might sound crazy, but a little, emphasis A LITTLE lime beer salt on top was amazing!
WAY too much oil for us. i was not a fan of this cooking method for green beans. i prefer to steam them first and then flavor them with melted fresh herb butter or olive oil.
Girlfiend loved them. Followed the cooking times but in my opinion they were too undercooked - nearly as 'hard' as fresh. Will double up on flavorings next time to get more 'bang' flavor-wise.
A very simple and tasty side dish. Also goes great with plain white rice. Thanks for sharing!
These are soooo good. I used sesame oil and hot oil together instead of canola oil. I have used this recipe on frozen thin green beans, as well as Prince Edward blend (green bean/wax beans/baby round carrots) with great success. As good as the ones I get in Asian restaurants.
I found the beans way too greasy. Not a lot of flavor. Won't make again. I'll have to settle for having this dish in the restaurant until I find one just as good.
An excellent recipe and one I'll use often. I will try with less oil, though the liquid that cooks out of the beans makes things seem 'greasier' than they really are. I always thicken with a sprinkle of flour or cornstarch to make the seasons cling to the vegetables rather than sitting in the bottom of the bowl. Nice flavor and easy to make as I've always got at least frozen green beans available at home. Thanks for the recipe!
This was so simple to make and delicious - thank you! I suggest, as others did, doing the initial cooking with a lid on, at least for about 3-4 minutes. We found the browner the bean, the yummier.
I really liked this recipe, since I usually just steam or boil green beans. I will definitely make this again!
Delicious! I also covered mine for 5 minutes to so to get them cooked enough. Using a good quality soy sauce will make all the difference in a recipe like this.
The beans need a little more than 10 minutes to cook, mine came our a little underdone. I added a little lemon juice for a zing.
I served this with an early Thanksgiving dinner & it was a hit with 7 guests. Used same amount of ingredients called for but added fresh minced garlic.
Oh my goodness, what could be easier??? the recipe didn't specify, so I chose dark sesame oil. Superb!
These green beans were so tasty! My family's enjoyed these several times. I've followed the reviewers's additions/advice and changed accordingly. No matter what I've done, it all tastes great! I've served these mostly with chicken and once with steaks. I haven't served them yet with Asian foods! No one cares! They all love them and ask for them over and over again! Great recipe!
Excellent!
These had good flavor, but I think there was a little too much oil in this recipe. It left the beans having a very greasy mouthfeel and left oil on your lips. Eek! Loved the sesame though.
One of our favorites recipes. As is! My kids actually ASK me to make these and they don't like veggies. It's pretty much the only way they'll eat green beans. My husband and I love them, too. Thanks for the great recipe!
Turned out perfect and met the expectations set. It's light and you can adjust the beans to whatever level of crunchiness you want.
A new favorite in my house. I have already been asked to make these again...soon!
very good dressing. i made this to top zucchini and carrots that i steamed in a steamer. i figured it'll work with any vegetable. i did add some garlic and used olive oil instead. very good recipe!
We love this recipe at my house! Easy to make and very tasty and healthy. A perfect side to salmon glazed with a little hoisin sauce.
I keep canned vegies in the house for emergency purposes only. My emergency was that I totally forgot to buy string beans today and I wanted to make this. Even so, this was a great dish! I did add onion/garlic powders and a bit of red pepper flakes for some heat. I toasted my seeds in the the oil and then added the beans. Good Nell and thanks!
What a wonderful, flavorful recipe for green beans. It adds just enough flavor without overpowering the beans. We also like to make this with fresh asparagus - yum! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yummmmmmy! This will be on our table at least once a week. Thanks for the great, fast and easy recipe!
Delicious! I changed this recipe up a bit - I threw in some red peppers and mushrooms. Turned out great! The only thing I will do next time is to cook the beans a bit longer before adding the peppers and mushrooms.
Tastes just like the kind at Japanese restaurants -- super yummy!! Thanks for sharing!
This is great. From now on, I won't eat green beans any other way.
Yum. I made these for an Asian dinner party & there were none left. Just like you get in a restaurant. I did add some minced garlic.
I loved them, but my family wasn't as thrilled. My husband (a true Southerner) thought the beans tasted raw. The next time I will blanch the beans first. Maybe that will make him happier. These were perfect with the Sesame Turkey recipe from this site.
not really japanese style...my mom's from japan. I liked them, but they were NOT japanese style. They needed a little more flavor. I think the sesame oil was a little over powering
Excellent! The only thing I would change would be the amount of oil used (I found it a little oily). Aside from that, great side dish to any Asian meal!
Quite good! I added about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to spice it up. In the future, I think I'll cut back slightly on the oil. This wasn't quite as good as the green beans at our favorite Asian buffet, but it was still pretty good! Thanks!
I searched hard to find a good green bean recipe that doesn'r contain cream soups. Light & tasty. Goes very well w/ pork chops.
Really good! I sent my husband to the store for 3/4 lb of green beans but he came home with 3 1/2 lbs of green beans! So I was looking for some green bean recipes. This one was great! Thanks!
I was soooo tempted to use garlic in this recipe, but then thought it might change the entire taste. I didn't read the reviews prior to making this dish, but next time would think twice about using so much oil. Liked the overall taste of the dish, might need a bit of tweaking with chili oil or red pepper flakes tho'.
Great & easy recipe. Used this at my dinner party for 12 - everyone loved it! I didn't change a thing - thanks for sharing.
A great way to use fresh green beans. I didn't sesame seeds so I didn't use them. I did add some garlic to the beans.
I tried this as listed and it was great. I can't wait to try some of the vegetable substitutes provided in other reviews (asparagus, soy beans... yum!)
These green beans were okay. There wasn't anything to really make them stand out.
I added some minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in the skillet, but kept everything else the same. I was skeptical but 1 tbsp is the perfect amount of soy sauce. Delicious.
Great flavor even after I got carried away and some of the beans "blackened", those seemed to get eaten the fastest. Added some minced garlic and a little extra soy sauce, just for our taste.
A little dull as written. To make it five stars, use 1 T light sesame oil and 1 T toasted sesame oil and add red pepper flakes to give some heat.
I really liked the taste of these. Much more exciting than plain green beans. My family wasn't as big a fan. I did add minced garlic with the beans as well as added sesame seeds to the oil to toast. To complete the meal I made 'Asian beef skewers' and plain jasmine rice. Fun.
This recipe was really good! I served it with the Sesame Baked Chicken and rice. My son who doesn't like green beans even loved it!
These were really delicious! I used those frozen "steam-able" green beans, thawed them out, and then just followed the rest of the recipe. They have a GREAT flavor - and I don't usually like green beans!
Give it only four stars because I think there was a bit too much oil. Will bring down the canola oil amount a bit next time, other then that, it was very good. Forgot about the sesame seeds, will get next time. Very easy recipe.
These were delicious! Light and tasty! I had pork chops as the main dish and everything went perfect together- I'd definitely make these again!
Delicious, very quick. My family is picky they don't care for fresh green beans. But, I decided to grow a garden this year and I have green beans coming out of my ears. LOL So I needed new recipes that they would like. They LOVE them this way. But I added toasted almond instead of sesame seeds. Our new fave.
This bean recipe was a perfect sidedish, with the main course. Made it ask directed, wouldn't change a thing.
Fabulous! You can use any vegetable and it's just as good; broccoli, carrots, bok choy, etc.
Perfect!! These were easy and very tasty. I substituted frozen green beans because that's what I had on hand. I microwaved those to just about room temperature before proceeding with the rest of the directions and they turned out great. I've made these twice in two weeks and will defintely be making them again. Great recipe.
