Looking for a tasty side dish that the whole family will enjoy? Air Fryer Green Beans are an easy side dish that you can have ready in less than 15 minutes – the perfect addition to any meal.
Air Fryer Green Beans are Low Carb, Vegan, Paleo, Keto, and Whole30 compatible – and could not be easier to make. They are one of my favorite side dishes to whip up with a weeknight dinner because they require almost no effort and are so delicious.
The way tender green beans are lightly coated in oil and air fried until they have a slight char. The texture reminds me of blistered shishito peppers.
This is a perfect side dish to make during the summer when you need to use up some freshly grown green beans, as they don’t get overpowered by seasoning or oil, and you can still taste that homegrown deliciousness.
Air frying fresh green beans is a great alternative to sauteing or roasting them in the oven as well – it’s so much easier, and cleanup is a breeze.
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Green Beans – You can use your favorite green beans in this recipe: fresh green beans, yellow beans, french green beans haricot vert (these will cook faster as they are thinner), or even frozen green beans. If you use frozen green beans, see the notes below for how to cook frozen green beans.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Optional, but delicious!
- Optional, Lemon Wedges – After the green beans are cooked, squeeze some fresh lemon over them. It adds another layer of flavor and is really tasty!
🍽 Equipment Needed
- An Air Fryer – I have used both a Gourmia 7 Quart Air Fryer and our Cuisinart Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer to make this recipe, and both work great.
🥣 How to Make Them
- Wash green beans and pat them dry with a paper towel, then snap or cut the ends off of the beans. If you use string beans, remove the strings as well. (Picture 1)
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (or 375°F for toaster fryers.)
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans in oil, then sprinkle them with seasoning and toss again until the beans are completely coated. I like to use a really big bowl so I can fling the beans around like I work in a restaurant. (This is how I coat French fries with oil & seasoning as well. It works great! You can also use tongs to toss the green beans around.) (Picture 2)
- When the air fryer is hot, place the seasoned green beans in the fryer basket and spread them into a single layer. You can spread them out by shaking the basket or using tongs. (Picture 3)
- Set the cooking time to 8 minutes and air fry green beans until they are blistered on the outside but still crisp and tender. (Picture 4 – 5) Give the fryer basket a good shake about halfway through the cooking time. If you want to cook the green beans for more than 8 minutes, increase the cook time in increments of one minute. (Thicker green beans can take up to 10 minutes.)
- Serve green beans topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little salt.
🥶 How to Cook Frozen Green Beans
Green beans are a great vegetable to keep in the freezer because they can be used in so many different recipes and cooked in so many different ways.
They are a great option to have on hand to make a healthy side dish when you need one. You can either thaw the frozen green beans or cook them from frozen.
- To Thaw, then Air Fry: Run the frozen beans in a strainer under cool water until they soften a little. They will mostly thaw, but you don’t want them to get soggy. Pat them dry them with a towel, then follow the recipe as written.
- To Cook from Frozen: Cook green beans from frozen by placing the frozen green beans directly in the air fryer basket at 400°F without any oil or seasoning. Cook for five minutes, then give the basket a really aggressive shake to separate all the beans and shake off any ice. Remove the green beans from the basket and toss with oil & seasonings. Remove any icy bits & dump out any liquid in the bottom of the air fryer. Cook the green beans at 380°F for another 8 minutes.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- Be sure to spread the green beans out in a single layer – Since these green beans aren’t breaded, they won’t get crunchy, but spreading them out will help them cook evenly, stay crisp, and will allow air to circulate, so the beans don’t steam and turn to mush. If you overcrowd the beans, they won’t get that nice air fryer texture with a crispy outside and a fresh, crisp crunch inside.
- Don’t skip the red pepper flakes – Just a little bit of spice is all green beans need, but it adds tons of flavor and subtle heat.
- Don’t be afraid to cook in two batches – If your air fryer basket is small, you might need to split your green beans into two batches to cook so that you don’t overcrowd them. If you put too much in the air fryer basket, you won’t get that signature “air fry” you will just steam the food because moisture will get trapped, and air won’t be able to circulate.
- Eat green beans while they’re hot and fresh from the air fryer – Green beans will get softer as they cool and will lose their crispiness, so enjoy them while they are fresh!
- Try breading your green beans to make green bean fries – Get three bowls and put all-purpose flour in one, whisked eggs in another, and a breading mix of parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and garlic powder in a third. Coat green beans in all-purpose flour, then dunk in eggs, then the breading mix. The more breading you have, the crispier your green beans will be. Spritz the green beans with cooking spray – either olive oil or avocado oil spray will work best – then Air Fry at 390°F for 5 minutes. Dip Air Fryer Green Bean Fries in your favorite dipping sauce. (More information about green bean fries and breading quantities here.)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
No, this is not necessary. (I think some people used to think you need to soak green beans.) Though greens beans should be thoroughly washed to remove dirt and leaves. (Some recipes do, however, require blanching green beans, then dunking them in an ice bath.)
If your green beans are still hard after the cooking time is up, continue cooking the beans in 1 – 2 minute increments until they reach your desired tenderness. Toss the green beans about halfway through the cooking process to make sure that they cook evenly.
Yes. To freeze cooked green beans, let them cool, then freeze in an airtight container, plastic bag, or vacuum seal them in a bag. To thaw, reheat from frozen in the air fryer so the beans don’t get soggy.
Cooked green beans will last for 3 – 5 days in the fridge.
Recipe Variations
- Garlicky Green Beans – Increase the amount of garlic powder, then add fresh garlic to your green beans when there are about 2 minutes left in the cooking time. (Fresh garlic can burn if cooked too long in the air fryer and can become bitter.)
- Sesame Green Beans – Use a mix of sesame oil & olive oil, then sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the cooked green beans. (Too much sesame oil will overpower fresh beans, so I recommend using a mix!)
- Peruvian Green Beans – Cook green beans with fresh ginger, garlic, and sliced red bell peppers. Toss with soy sauce and sesame oil and season with salt & pepper. Yum!
Share on Facebook
Share with friendsHow to Store Leftovers
Once cooled, store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep for about five days.
How to Reheat Leftovers
You can heat up any leftover green beans in a few different ways. You can use your air fryer to bring back a bit of that crunch but be careful not to overcook or burn them.
You can also reheat leftover green beans in the microwave if that is easier.
What to Serve on the Side
- Rice Pilaf
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Blackened Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Bourbon Glazed Ham
More Green Bean Recipes
- Peruvian Green Beans
- Green Bean Casserole
- Crock Pot Southern Green Beans
- Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
- Instant Pot Homemade Dog Food – Yes! Dogs love green beans too 🙂
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Air Fryer Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ black pepper
- ½ garlic powder
- ¼ crushed red pepper flakes
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Wash the green beans and pat them dry with a paper towel, then snap or cut the ends off of the beans. If you use string beans, remove the strings as well.1 pound fresh green beans
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans in oil, then sprinkle them with seasoning and toss again until the beans are completely coated. I like to use a really big bowl so I can fling the beans around like I work in a restaurant.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ black pepper, ½ garlic powder, ¼ crushed red pepper flakes
- When the air fryer is hot, place the seasoned green beans in the fryer basket and spread them out in a single layer. You can spread them out by shaking the basket or using tongs.
- Set the cooking time to 8 minutes and air fry green beans until they are blistered on the outside but still crisp and tender. Give the fryer basket a good shake about halfway through the cooking time.
- For thicker beans, increase the cooking time in increments of 1 minute, but check the beans as they cook to avoid burning them.
- Serve green beans topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little extra salt. Enjoy!lemon wedges
Notes
How to Store Leftover Green Beans
Once cooled, store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep for about five days.How to Reheat Leftover Green Beans
You can heat up any leftover green beans in a few different ways. You can use your air fryer to bring back a bit of that crunch but be careful not to overcook or burn them. You can also reheat leftover green beans in the microwave if that is easier.Special Equipment Needeed
- Air Fryer
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
