Air Fryer Green Beans

Crispy air fryer green beans are a quick and easy side dish to pair with all of your favorite entrées. Try this healthy recipe for a simple and delicious way to eat more greens!

Table of Contents

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• ♨️ Air fried vs baked
• 🌱 Best green beans for air frying
• 🧊 Can you cook frozen green beans in an air fryer?
• 🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
• 📝 Instructions
• 🥗 What to serve with green beans
• 🌡️ Storage & reheating
• ♻️ Variations
• 🧑‍🍳 Top tips
• 💬 FAQ
• 🍴 More recipes like this one
• 📋 Recipe

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

After you make this air fryer green bean recipe, it will become your next go-to dish! It's:

Quick & easy — Anyone can make this tasty recipe. Plus it only takes 10 minutes of cook time!

Customizable — With tons of flavors to try (more down below), these beans can be switched up to suit any palate.

Diet-friendly — Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-carb, green beans meet almost every dietary preference.

Budget-conscious — Green beans are a widely available and cost-effective vegetable for most people to enjoy on a daily basis.

Healthy — Green beans are low FODMAP, heart-healthy, protein-rich, and a great source of vitamins and minerals.

♨️ Air fried vs baked

We prefer making green beans in an air fryer over the oven, and here's why:

It's faster — Green beans are ready in half the time compared to the oven.

Requires less oil — If you want to save on calories or prefer oil-free cooking, you can use less (or none at all) by opting for an air fryer!

Crispier — Not only can you use less oil, but the air fryer makes green beans even crispier than the oven!

More energy efficient — Statistics show that using an air fryer is almost 50% more energy-efficient than a standard electric oven. That means more money in your pocket!

🌱 Best green beans for air frying

With over 130 different types of green beans, you may be wondering which one is best for air frying.

Quick answer — Any of them work perfectly well. Just choose the one that's most convenient and available near you.

Long answer — We have easy access to string beans, which are typically our number one choice. However, French green beans, long beans, or Romano beans are all great choices too.

Note: The cook time in this recipe is for standard green beans, and other varieties may vary in cook time.

🧊 Can you cook frozen green beans in an air fryer?

Yes! Frozen green beans cook just as well in an air fryer. However, it's important to preheat it and add 2-3 minutes to the total cook time.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

Green beans — For this recipe, we're using regular green beans. If you use another variety (like French green beans), your cook time will vary.

Olive oil — Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil to really enhance the beans. You can also switch things up by using infused olive oil like chile, garlic, lemon, rosemary, basil, etc.

Garlic — We love keeping things simple with just a pinch of garlic powder. But, you can also season your green beans with other herbs and spices like red pepper flakes, thyme, cumin, paprika, or cayenne.

Salt, pepper — Just a pinch of each is all you need!

Lemon — To serve with your finished air fryer green beans. The tart flavor of lemon helps bring out the freshness of the green beans.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 Instructions

Step 1 — Wash, drain, and trim the ends off of the green beans (we usually leave the pointy end intact).

Step 2 — Add them to a mixing bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the beans.

Step 3 — Transfer the green beans to your air fryer basket, being careful not to add too many at a time (it may take a few batches for this recipe).

Step 4 — Cook at 380 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, removing the basket halfway to toss and rotate the green beans.

Step 5 — Serve immediately as a side dish or snack with lemon wedges on the side. Happy eating!

If you have questions about these air fryer green beans, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🥗 What to serve with green beans

Air-fried green beans are the perfect side to accompany dishes like these:

Potato cakes — Mashed potato patties mixed with dairy-free cheese.

Espagueti blanco — Mexican-style white spaghetti made with a rich and creamy cashew crema.

Lentil bolognese — A hearty, flavor-packed bolognese starring fiber-rich brown lentils.

Lentil loaf — Meatloaf made with savory vegetables, seasonings, and lentils instead.

Vegan chicken — Tender, "meaty," and flavor-packed plant-based meat!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

Follow these green bean storage tips to get the most out of your recipe:

Fridge — Once the beans have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in your fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer — We don't recommend freezing cooked green beans as they'll end up turning mushy.

Reheating — Add them to a preheated air fryer and cook for 2-3 minutes at 380 degrees F. You can also heat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time (although they won't crisp up quite as nice).

♻️ Variations

Panko — For a crunchy texture, coat your green beans with panko bread crumbs.

Spicy — Toss the beans in cayenne, ancho chile powder, or sambal oelek for a little heat.

Cheesy — Top your green beans with cashew parmesan or nutritional yeast for a savory and umami flavor.

Oil-free — Air fry the green beans tossed in lemon juice for an even healthier version.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

Preheat your air fryer — For the most consistent results, heat your air fryer while you wash and trim the green beans.

Avoid overcrowding — Cook the beans in a single layer so heat can better circulate, ensuring a perfectly crispy result.

Multiple batches — If you have a smaller air fryer, cook the green beans in multiple batches.

Toss halfway — For an even cook, remove the green beans and mix or rotate the trays at the halfway point.

🍴 More recipes like this one

If you enjoyed this air fryer green beans recipe, be sure to check out some of these dishes:

• Air fryer pizza rolls — Mini plant-based pizza bites cooked in the air fryer.
• Air fryer zucchini — A quick, easy, and delicious zucchini side dish or snack.
• Elotes — Grilled corn on the cobs topped with vegan mayo, cheese, chile-lime seasoning, and more!
• Calabacitas — Tender zucchini served with other summer vegetables and dairy-free cheese.
• Totopos — Homemade crunchy corn tortilla chips.

📋 Recipe