This is a fast stir-fry of ground chicken, blistered green beans, oyster mushrooms, and chilies, pulled together with oyster sauce and sweet soy. It comes together in 25 minutes, which makes it a genuinely useful weeknight option when you need protein and vegetables on the table without much fuss.
About the ingredients
- Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis): This is thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce. Find it in the Asian foods aisle or at an Asian grocery store. If you can’t locate it, mix 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce with half a teaspoon of brown sugar as a rough stand-in — the flavor won’t be identical but it works.
- Oyster mushrooms: These cook quickly and stay firm enough to hold their own against the ground chicken. Cremini or shiitake mushrooms are solid substitutes if oyster mushrooms aren’t available; just cut them to a similar chunk size so they cook at the same rate.
- Red and green chilies: The recipe uses three large red chilies and two green ones. That’s a noticeable amount of heat. If you’re cooking for people who prefer mild food, halve the quantity and remove the seeds. Don’t skip them entirely — they add flavor, not just heat.
- Green beans: A standard handful is roughly 100–120g (3–4 oz). Trim the stem ends but leave the tail end on — it saves time and makes no difference to the dish.
Before you start
The green beans go into the pan first, alone, in hot oil — and you need to leave them alone. Resist the urge to stir constantly. They need direct contact with the hot pan to blister and brown, which takes 3–4 minutes over medium-high heat. That char is what gives them flavor. If you crowd the pan or keep moving them, they steam instead of blister and you lose the textural contrast that makes this dish work. Once the beans are done and set aside, the rest of the cook — garlic, shallot, chili, chicken, mushrooms, sauces — moves fast, so have everything prepped and within reach before the oil goes in. Ground chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) quickly; a minute or two of cooking after it changes color fully is enough to confirm it’s done.
If something goes sideways
- The chicken is releasing a lot of liquid and won’t brown: The pan isn’t hot enough, or it’s overcrowded. Turn the heat up and spread the mince out flat. Let it sit for 30–45 seconds before breaking it up — this helps it color rather than poach.
- The sauce is too salty: Oyster sauce already carries significant sodium, and sweet soy adds more. If it tastes sharp, add a small splash of water and a pinch of sugar to balance it out.
- The green beans went soft: They cooked too long or over too low a heat. Next time, pull them off the heat as soon as they blister and set them aside — they’ll hold their texture better. Skip the garnish if you’re tempted to add one; it’s not worth the extra dish.
- The mushrooms disappeared into the mince: They were cut too small. Oyster mushrooms should be torn or cut into chunks roughly the size of a large grape so they stay visible and add texture.
- The dish tastes flat: Sweet soy sauce varies by brand — some are much milder than others. Taste before serving and add a small extra drizzle of oyster sauce or a few drops of regular soy sauce to sharpen the flavor.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The green beans will soften overnight — that’s unavoidable, but the flavor holds up well. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) again throughout. A microwave works too; cover loosely and heat in 60-second bursts, stirring between each. This dish can be frozen for up to 2 months, though the green beans will lose their texture entirely after freezing — if that matters to you, freeze only the chicken and mushroom mixture and cook fresh beans when you reheat it.
Tasty Mince Chicken With Crunchy Green Bean
Ingredients
1 small green onions (scallions or green shallots) - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
3 big red chili (red chilli in British English) - sliced thinly
2 medium green chilis (green chilli in British English) - cut julienne style
1 cup ground chicken (minced chicken)- 1 cup oyster mushrooms - cut into chunks
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce - sweet
1 handful green beans
Instructions
- Preheat a tablespoon of cooking oil, and then add the green bean. Leave it until brownish. You will hear the popping sounds.
- Sauteed the garlic and shallot, put the chilli, add mince chicken and the mushrooms. Cook until change colour.
- Add oyster sauce and sweet soya sauce. Mix well until all cooked.
- Arrange the green bean on a plate. Pour the minced chicken mix on top.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?
Yes, ground turkey works as a direct swap in the same quantity. It has a slightly denser texture than ground chicken but takes the sauces well. Like ground chicken, it needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before serving — cook it until there’s no pink remaining and the juices run clear.
Do I have to cook the green beans separately, or can I just throw everything in together?
Cook the green beans separately first. If you add them with the chicken and mushrooms, they steam in the liquid the chicken releases and won’t blister. The blistered texture is the point — it’s what keeps them from going limp in the finished dish.
I only have regular soy sauce, not sweet soy sauce. Will it still work?
It will work, but the sauce will be saltier and less rounded without the sweetness. Stir half a teaspoon of brown sugar or honey into a tablespoon of regular soy sauce before adding it to the pan. Taste as you go and hold back on the oyster sauce slightly, since the dish can tip salty quickly without the sweet soy to balance it.
Try these next
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Japanese Pork Lettuce Cups
- Colombian Chicken Cheese Empanadas
