Din Tai Fung Green Beans (Copycat) (VIDEO)
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Din Tai Fung Green Beans are loaded with garlic and everyone’s favorite side dish! The only problem is they are SO expensive at $16 per plate. My authentic copycat recipe means you can make them at home any time for a fraction of the cost!
Check out the Din Tai Fung Green Beans recipe video!
A Note from CJ
Make Din Tai Fung at home!
Do you love Din Tai Fung? Here’s a full Din Tai Fung menu so you can enjoy at home – start with their famous Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad and Taiwanese Cabbage with Garlic, make Din Tai Fung Shrimp Fried Rice or Pork Chop Fried Rice, with the iconic Noodles with Sesame Sauce, and you can’t forget the Din Tai Fung Spicy Wontons!
This is better than Din Tai Fung IMO. This is the only way my meat loving 4 year old will eat green beans. Yup, it’s that good!
Ingredient Tips
- green beans – I like using 3″ green bean pieces that are washed and trimmed (this is how large the restaurant cuts them). Make sure the green beans are completely dry and cut to similar sizes so they cook evenly in the oil without splattering.
- garlic – use finely minced garlic – we don’t want large chunks!
- white pepper – white pepper is milder and woodier than black pepper. I don’t recommend substituting with black pepper.
- MSG or chicken bouillon powder – I use MSG in moderation as an optional flavor enhancer; you can also use chicken bouillon powder which is a common Chinese seasoning.
- neutral oil – I use avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil which are all high smoke point oils. Do not use olive or sesame oil.
How to Make Garlic Green Beans
Wash, Trim, and Cut Green Beans – Wash green beans and pat completely dry. Trim ends off green beans and cut them in half to about 3″ equal sized pieces.
Fry Green Beans – Add 1″ of neutral oil to a shallow pan (about 1 quart) and heat the oil to 375F over medium high heat. Fry the green beans in batches for 1 minute ensuring the oil does not drop below 325F. If the oil drops too low, you will get soggy green beans, so fry in smaller batches if this happens. Remove and drain the green beans onto a paper towel lined plate.
Fry Garlic, Add Back Green Beans, and Season – In a pan or wok, add 2 tbsp of the reserved frying oil over medium low heat and add the garlic. Sauté on medium low for 1-2 minutes. We want to release the aroma of the garlic to a pale golden color but not browned. Add back the green beans and season with white pepper, msg, and salt to taste. Turn the heat to high and saute for 1-2 minutes until combined and fragrant. Enjoy!
My Pro Tip
CJ’s Storage Tips
I don’t recommend making these in advance, as I think they taste best fresh!
Store any leftover Garlic Green Beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The green beans will soften (and sometimes get stringy) as they sit in the refrigerator – this is normal. Reheat until warmed through in the microwave.
If you tried this Din Tai Fung Green Beans or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Din Tai Fung Green Beans (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed to 3" pieces
- 1 quart neutral oil, for frying – I like using avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
- 15 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp MSG, or chicken bouillon powder
Instructions
- Wash green beans and pat completely dry (to prevent splattering in the oil). Trim ends off green beans and cut them in half to about 3" equal sized pieces.
- Add 1" of neutral oil to a shallow pan (about 1 quart) and heat the oil to 375F over medium high heat. Fry the green beans in batches for 1 minute ensuring the oil does not drop below 325F. If the oil drops too low, you will get soggy green beans, so fry in smaller batches if this happens. Remove and drain the green beans onto a paper towel lined plate.
- In a pan or wok, add 2 tbsp of the reserved frying oil over medium low heat and add the garlic. Sauté on medium low for 1-2 minutes. We want to release the aroma of the garlic to a pale golden color but not browned. Add back the green beans and season with white pepper, msg, and salt to taste. Turn the heat to high and saute for 1-2 minutes until combined and fragrant. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Copycat Din Tai Fung Green Beans recipe was originally published in May 2023, and updated in March 2026.
Made this for thanksgiving, and it was amazing!! Such a hit instead of a heavy casserole. Yummm
Thank you so much! I’m so glad everyone loved it!
Used string beans instead. Flavor was 👌. The best part was the super fragrant garlic that absorbed so much of the seasoning 😍
I’m so glad you loved it, Anna!
Made this tonight and it was very close to what I had in New York last week
Love to hear it, Tony! Thanks for trying my recipe and the great review!
Canola is a GMO weed derivative , sprayed with round up weed killer kills da weeds but not da GMO plant. ever hear of a canola nut fruit tree. there is none
You could also use avocado oil!
I made them by blanching the beans in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, then placed them in iced water. Pat dry then cooked them and garlic with 4 tbs of avocado oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Added sea salt only and garlic powder. They are crisp even the next day.
That sounds incredible! I’ll have to try that way.
Doing trials for Thanksgiving dishes and I tried this recipe for my string beans. They came out excellent!!! I do have a question tho. Do you know if I can fry the green beans in advance (like the night before)? Trying to get as much prep work done for Thanksgiving meals and wasn’t sure if I can fry the green beans ahead of time. Thanks you.
Hi Jen! For this dish specifically, I wouldn’t recommend frying them the night before. They won’t have the same crisp and crunch that they do when they’re freshly fried, unfortunately. I’m so glad you loved them!
Tried this and actually healthier than the DTF version which is deep fried. Omitted the MSG tho because of being thirsty always after MSG in food!
@aceozski
But you kept the sodium chloride lololol?
Cooked in an inch of oil and cooked in 6 in of oil makes no difference in healthiness. Being thirsty after Chinese food is the result of the level of salt. Not a specific trait of monosodium glutamate. Cheers!
Ordered this a lot at DTF and glad I can make it at home!