“Eat your vegetables,” is a wish not a command when that veggie is Air Fryer Green Beans! Crispy outside and tender within, they make that requisite green on your plate a whole lot more delicious…even fun!
Thanks to its compact, high-heat convection cooking, the air fryer has a unique ability to make foods temptingly crispy, with very little oil.
We often think of the air fryer as a means to create healthy alternatives to deep-fried favorites (like Air Fryer French Fries), but it’s equally as good at making classic vegetables enticing.
From lightly charred Air Fryer Broccoli to deeply caramelized Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, if there’s a vegetable you love roasted in the oven, you’ll go crazy for it in the air fryer!
About Air Fryer Green Beans
Roasted Green Beans are one of my favorite, slightly unexpected vegetables to make, so I anticipated they’d be wonderful in the air fryer…I was right!
This air fryer recipe takes roasted green beans up a notch, cooking them more quickly (air fryer green beans cook in 10 minutes!) and resulting in an even crispier exterior.
The way you can pick up the crispy beans and pop them into your mouth reminds me of Homemade French Fries in the most delightful way.
Enjoy them as a fast weeknight side alongside Baked Chicken Breast or Grilled Salmon, doll them up with Parmesan and a few lemon wedges for an elegant dinner, or add a pinch (or a few!) of chili flakes if you like your air fryer green beans spicy.
How to Make Air Fryer Green Beans
This easy air fryer green beans recipe works for both French green beans (haricots verts) and regular green beans, which are a bit thicker and shorter.
Trim off the ends of your green beans (or snap them if they are fresh from the garden), toss with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil (or your seasonings of choice), and in 10 minutes, your fresh, healthy, oh-so-crispy air fried green beans are ready to serve.
The Ingredients
- Green Beans. Packed with fiber, vitamin C, and even protein, these air fryer green beans are equally as nutritious as they are delicious.
- Olive Oil. Adds flavor to the green beans, helps them crisp up, and keeps them from burning.
- Spices. Keep things simple with salt and pepper, spice things up with red pepper flakes, and/or add garlicky goodness with garlic powder.
- Parmesan. Because cheese makes everything better! Adding Parmesan is optional, but I highly recommend it.
- Lemon. Another optional serving addition. We love finishing our beans with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
The Directions
- Rinse, dry, and trim the beans.
- Toss the beans with the oil and spices.
- Add half of the beans to your air fryer basket.
- Air fry green beans for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees F, 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 will have the most “snap” and give you satisfying, crisp green beans. That said, you can air fry 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 will not crisp. For 1 pound of green beans, plan on 2 batches. You can keep them warm in the oven in between.
- Serve Immediately. Air fryer green beans soften as they sit. For the ultimate crispy experience, enjoy right after the cook time has ended. You also can recrisp them in your air fryer or oven.
Seasoning Suggestions
- Parmesan. Parmesan tastes delicious on air fryer green beans! Prepare the recipe as written.
- Spicy. For spicy air fryer green beans, add the red pepper flakes listed in this recipe. You could even sneak in an extra pinch if you enjoy more heat.
- Asian. For an Asian spin, add 2 teaspoons of 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-pleaser! Swap the olive oil in this recipe for melted butter. Use the optional garlic powder, Parmesan, and lemon.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Keep cooked green beans in the fridge in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes, tossing once halfway through. You can also rewarm beans in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let 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 you’re ready to finish the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Chop the green beans into bite-sized pieces and add them to a pasta salad (like this Chicken Pasta Salad) or egg bake (like Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole). Use them in a Nicoise Salad, in place of the blanched green beans.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Green Beans
- Chicken. Stuffed Chicken Breast and Grilled Chicken Thighs would both be delicious with these beans.
- Beef. Serve green beans with Ground Beef Stroganoff or Instant Pot Pot Roast.
- Pork. Pair these beans with Crock Pot Pork Chops, Baked Pork Tenderloin, or Instant Pot Ribs.
- Seafood. Honey Garlic Salmon, Garlic Butter Shrimp, or Grilled Swordfish would be scrumptious.
- Vegetarian Main. Try these air fryer green bean fries with Quinoa Burgers, Vegetarian Pot Pie, or Mushroom Pasta.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Air Fryer. Essential for making air-fried green beans.
- Mixing Bowls. This set of mixing bowls is great for recipe prep and serving.
- Measuring Spoons. These magnetic measuring spoons have been one of my best kitchen purchases.
Snappy, savory, and even snackable, air fryer green beans are an ideal addition to your side dish lineup.
Start ‘em now, and they’ll be ready in a snap!
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, mixing the beans with the oil and seasonings. Add them to your preheated air fryer as directed, but cook them for 2 to 3 extra minutes.
If your fresh green beans are tough after cooking, they likely aren’t done yet. You know when green beans are finished cooking by both their appearance and crispness. 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 maintain some bite and not be mushy.
Haricot verts (French green beans) and regular green beans are very similar, but they are not the exact same thing. Green beans are shorter, thicker, and typically less tender than haricot verts. You can use either variety for this recipe.
Air Fryer Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans or haricots verts
- 2 teaspoons 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 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional for serving
- Lemon wedges optional for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the green beans and pat VERY dry. Trim off the ends and halve any longer beans so that all of the pieces are roughly the same length.
- Place the green beans in a large mixing bowl. Top with the oil, salt, garlic powder (if using), and black pepper. Toss to thoroughly and evenly coat the beans with the oil and seasonings.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Add half of the green beans in a single layer (it’s OK if they touch, but you don’t want the layer to be thick; for most air fryers, two batches will do it.)
- Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the green beans are crisp-tender and dark in spots (if you like your green beans with more bite, cook on the shorter end of the time; for more char but a slightly softer bean, cook them for the full 10 minutes). If desired, transfer to a sheet pan and place in a 200℉ oven to keep them warm while you cook the second batch. Repeat with the remaining green beans.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle generously with the Parmesan. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges squeezed over the top as desired.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate green beans in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in the air fryer at 350°F for about 5 minutes, tossing once halfway through. You can also rewarm beans in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Delicious! We did not have to worry about leftovers :)
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!