“Eat your veggies” is a wish, not an order, when it comes to veggies Air Fryer Green Beans! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, they make the requisite greens on your plate that much more delicious… even fun!
Thanks to its compact convection cooking with high heat, the air fryer has the unique ability to make food deliciously crispy with very little oil.
We often think of the air fryer as a way to create healthy alternatives to fried favorites (like air fryer fries), but it’s just as good at making classic veggies tempting.
From lightly charred air fryer broccoli to deeply caramelized air fryer Brussels sprouts, if there’s one vegetable you love to roast in the oven, you’ll love it in the air fryer!
About Air Fryer Green Beans
Roasted green beans are one of my favorite vegetables, a bit unexpected so I thought they would be wonderful in the air fryer… I was right!
This air fryer recipe takes roasted green beans up a notch, cooks them faster (air fryer green beans cook in 10 minutes!) and results in an even crispier exterior.
The way you can pick up the crispy beans and pop them in your mouth reminds me of homemade french fries in the most delicious way.
Enjoy them as a quick weeknight side dish alongside baked chicken breasts or grilled salmon, garnish with parmesan and a few wedges of lemon for an elegant dinner, or add a sprinkling (or a few!) of chilli flakes if you like your air fryer green beans sharp.
How to make Air Fryer Green Beans
This easy air fryer green beans recipe works for both French green beans (Haricots Vert) and regular green beans, which are slightly thicker and shorter.
Trim the ends of your green beans (or snap them off if they’re fresh from the garden), toss them with some salt, pepper, and olive oil (or your choice of spices), and in 10 minutes you’ll have your fresh, wholesome , oh so crispy air roasted green beans are ready to serve.
The ingredients
- Green beans. Packed with fiber, vitamin C and even protein, these air fryer green beans are as nutritious as they are delicious.
- olive oil. Adds flavor to the green beans, helps them crisp up and prevents them from burning.
- Spices. Keep things simple with salt and pepper, spice things up with red pepper flakes, and/or add garlic goodness with garlic powder.
- Parmesan. Because cheese makes everything better! Adding Parmesan is optional, but I highly recommend it.
- lemon. Another optional portion addition. We love to dress up our beans with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
The directions
- Wash, dry and trim the beans.
- Mix beans with oil and spices.
- Place half of the beans in the Airfryer basket.
- Air roast green beans at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Repeat with the remaining beans. Serve with parmesan and lemon wedges (if desired). DIG IN!
Tips for the best Air Fryer Green Beans
- Use fresh green beans. These have the most “snap” and give you satisfying, crisp green beans. That means you can air roast frozen green beans—no need to thaw them first.
- Air Fry in a single layer. While you can have some overlap, you don’t want a thick layer or the green beans won’t crisp. For 1 pound of green beans, plan for 2 batches. You can keep them warm in the oven in between.
- Serve immediately. Green beans from the air fryer will soften when sitting. Enjoy right after the end of the cooking time for the ultimate crispy experience. You can also crisp them up again in your air fryer or oven.
seasoning suggestions
- Parmesan. Parmesan is delicious on Air Fryer Green Beans! Prepare the recipe as instructed.
- Sharp. For flavorful air fryer green beans, add the red pepper flakes listed in this recipe. You can even sneak in an extra pinch if you enjoy more warmth.
- Asian. For an Asian twist, add 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce and use the optional garlic powder. Skip the parmesan and lemon. Add sesame seeds just before serving.
- Garlic Butter. The ultimate crowd puller! Substitute melted butter for the olive oil in this recipe. Optionally use garlic powder, parmesan and lemon.
storage tips
- To store. Store cooked green beans in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To warm up. Reheat leftovers in air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through. You can also reheat beans in the microwave.
- Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal prep tip
Rinse, dry, and trim the green beans up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate them in an airtight container until ready to finish the recipe.
What to serve with Air Fryer Green Beans
- air fryer. Essential for preparing air roasted green beans.
- mixing bowls. This mixing bowl set is great for preparing and serving recipes.
- measuring spoon. These magnetic measuring spoons have been one of my best kitchen purchases.
Crunchy, hearty and even snackable, air fryer green beans are an ideal addition to your side dish offering.
Start them now and they’ll be ready in no time!
frequently asked Questions
Absolutely! Whether you want easy access to air fryer green beans for a healthy snack or side dish, using frozen green beans is a great option. Do not thaw green beans before air frying. Prepare the recipe as directed, tossing the beans with the oil and spices. Place them in your preheated air fryer as directed, but cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
If your fresh green beans are tough after cooking, they’re probably not done yet. You can tell when green beans are done cooking by both their appearance and their crunch. You soften green beans by cooking them, so they should be cooked until they have some dark spots and are crisp-tender. You want them to retain some bite and not be mushy.
Haricot Vert (French green beans) and regular green beans are very similar, but they are not exactly the same. Green beans are shorter, thicker, and typically less tender than white beans. You can use either variety for this recipe.
- 1 Pound fresh string beans or string beans
- 2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese optional for serving
- lemon slices optional for serving
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Rinse the green beans and pat VERY dry. Cut off the ends and cut longer beans in half so that all pieces are about the same length.
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Place the green beans in a large mixing bowl. Garnish with oil, salt, garlic powder (if using), and black pepper. Stir to thoroughly and evenly coat the beans with the oil and spices.
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Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Add half the green beans in a single layer (it’s okay if they touch, but you don’t want the layer to be thick; two batches will do for most air fryers.)
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Air fry, turning halfway through, until green beans are crispy-tender and dark in spots, 8 to 10 minutes (if you like your green beans with more bite, cook on the shorter end of time; for more char but a little softer bean, cook them for the full 10 minutes). If desired, transfer to a sheet pan and place in a 200℉ oven to keep warm while you cook the second batch. Repeat with the remaining green beans.
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Put on a serving plate. Sprinkle generously with the parmesan. Serve immediately, squeezing over lemon wedges if you like.
- TO STORE: Store green beans in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO WARM UP: Reheat leftovers in air fryer at 350°F for about 5 minutes, tossing once halfway through. You can also reheat beans in the microwave.
- FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Portion: 1 (of 4)Calories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 9GProtein: 3GFat: 3GSaturated Fatty Acids: 1GPolyunsaturated fat: 0.4GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 2GCholesterol: 3mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 3GSugar: 4GVitamin A: 815ieVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 1mg
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