Homemade Green Beans with XO Sauce

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Finding a side dish that feels both familiar and exciting can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to get your family to eat more vegetables. You want something that goes beyond the usual steamed broccoli or plain carrots, but you also don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen or hunt down ingredients that cost a fortune.

That’s where green beans with XO sauce come in perfectly. This dish takes ordinary green beans and gives them a serious flavor boost with the rich, savory taste of XO sauce, plus it comes together in just minutes on a busy weeknight.

What Kind of Green Beans Should I Use?

Fresh green beans are definitely the way to go for this recipe – they hold up beautifully to the bold XO sauce and maintain a nice crisp texture. Look for beans that are bright green with no brown spots or wrinkled ends, and they should snap crisply when you bend them. French green beans (haricots verts) work wonderfully if you can find them since they’re more tender and cook quickly, but regular green beans from the grocery store are perfectly fine too. Just trim off the stem ends before cooking, and if your beans are on the thicker side, you might want to cut them into smaller pieces so they cook evenly with the sauce.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe has some specialty ingredients, but here are some swaps that can help you make it work:

• Dried shrimp and scallops: These are key to authentic XO sauce flavor, so try to find them at Asian markets if possible. In a pinch, you can use fish sauce (start with 2 tablespoons) plus a bit of anchovy paste for that umami depth, though the texture will be different.
• Country ham or prosciutto: Regular bacon or pancetta work great here. Just dice it up the same way and cook until crispy. Chinese lap cheong sausage is another good option if you can find it.
• Rice bran oil: Grapeseed or canola oil are perfect substitutes and easier to find. Vegetable oil works too – you just want something with a neutral flavor and high smoke point.
• Green beans: While regular green beans are traditional, you can try this sauce with snap peas, asparagus, or even broccoli. Just adjust cooking times accordingly – snap peas need less time, while broccoli might need a bit more.
• Shallot: A small yellow onion works just fine if you don’t have shallots on hand. Use about half a medium onion to get the same mild flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making XO sauce is rushing the process – those dried shrimp and scallops need a full 20-30 minutes to properly rehydrate in boiling water, or they’ll stay tough and chewy in your finished dish.

Another common error is cooking the aromatics (garlic, shallot, and ginger) too quickly over high heat, which can make them bitter instead of fragrant, so keep your heat at medium and let them slowly turn golden.

Don’t skip blanching your green beans first in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes before stir-frying – this ensures they cook evenly and stay bright green rather than turning dull and overcooked.

Finally, make sure to drain your rehydrated seafood really well and pat it dry before adding to the oil, as excess moisture will cause dangerous splattering and prevent proper browning.

What to Serve With Green Beans with XO Sauce?

These green beans are packed with so much flavor from the XO sauce that they work great as a side dish alongside simple grilled or steamed proteins like chicken, fish, or pork. I love serving them with plain jasmine rice or brown rice to soak up all that amazing sauce – it’s too good to waste! They also pair really well with other Chinese dishes if you’re doing a family-style meal, like steamed dumplings or simple stir-fried noodles. The lemon wedges that come with the recipe are perfect for adding a bright pop of citrus that cuts through the rich, savory flavors.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Store your green beans with XO sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get better as they sit together, so don’t worry if you have leftovers! Just keep in mind that the green beans will soften a bit over time, but they’ll still taste great.

Make Ahead: You can prep the XO sauce up to a week in advance and store it separately in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, just quickly stir-fry fresh green beans and toss them with the sauce. This actually saves you time since making the XO sauce is the most time-consuming part of the recipe.

Warm Up: Give leftover green beans a quick toss in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes to warm them through and crisp them up a bit. You can also microwave them for about a minute, but the skillet method keeps them from getting too soft.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	40-50 minutes
Total Time	55-70 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2000-2200
• Protein: 90-100 g
• Fat: 200-220 g
• Carbohydrates: 50-60 g

Ingredients

For the XO sauce:

• 1/2 cup small dried shrimp
• 1/3 cup dried scallops
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup diced country ham or prosciutto (1/2 oz)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil

For the green beans:

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1/4 cup rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Step 1: Soak the Dried Seafood

• 1/2 cup small dried shrimp
• 1/3 cup dried scallops
• 2 cups hot water

In a small bowl, cover the dried shrimp and dried scallops with the hot water.

Let them stand until softened, about 15 minutes.

After soaking, drain them well.

This step is important to rehydrate the seafood and set the foundation for your XO sauce.

Step 2: Prepare and Cook the XO Sauce

• drained shrimp and scallops from Step 1
• 1/4 cup diced country ham or prosciutto (1/2 oz)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil

In a mini food processor, combine the soaked and drained shrimp and scallops with the diced country ham or prosciutto, garlic cloves, chopped shallot, sliced ginger, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and sugar.

Pulse the mixture until everything is finely minced.

Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan and stir in 1 cup of the rice bran oil (or grapeseed/canola).

Bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat.

Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the solids turn dark golden and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

Remove the XO sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

I like to make extra XO sauce to use as a delicious condiment for noodles or rice dishes later on.

Step 3: Blister the Green Beans

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1/4 cup rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat for 5 minutes to get it very hot.

Drizzle in 1/4 cup of rice bran oil (or alternate oil) and add the fresh green beans.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds, until the beans are tender and blistered in spots.

Drain off the excess oil.

Be careful, as the beans will cook quickly over such high heat and can develop a smoky, delicious char.

Step 4: Toss with XO Sauce and Serve

• 1/4 cup XO sauce from Step 2
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• lemon wedges, for serving

Stir in 1/4 cup of the prepared XO sauce (from Step 2) with the blistered green beans in the wok, tossing until the beans are evenly coated.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then transfer to a platter.

Serve with lemon wedges on the side for a bright, fresh finish.

I like to squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the beans just before eating for an extra burst of flavor.