Air Fried Green Beans are a delicious twist on a classic side dish. They are a quick and easy complement to almost any main dish. These air fried green bean recipe starts with a base recipe that you can use again and again. I have also added several recipe variations that you can make to suit your taste or pair well with your main course.
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Why This Recipe Works
Sometimes the star of dinner is not the main dish - it is the side dish! These air fried green beans steal the dinner time show. They are full of flavor and even picky eaters will ask for more. This green bean side dish is lightly seasoned and comes out with a slightly crispy browned exterior. The best part? Air fried green beans come together in under 15 minutes thanks to your air fryer!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
- An Air Fryer. I love the Instant Vortex Air Fryer. It has a 6 square quart basket which is suitable sized for large or small quantities. Plus, the square basket makes it really easy to fit larger items in without crowding or overlapping.
- Green beans. Fresh green beans can be found in almost any produce store or farmer's market. You will want to grab a pound of the best green beans you can find. I do not recommend using frozen or canned green beans for this recipe.
- Olive Oil for air frying.
- Garlic Powder. This adds a nice twist of flavor to the green beans - after all it's garlic!
- Kosher salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper round out the seasonings.
This recipe calls for 1 pound of green beans which makes 4 servings. You can also cut the recipe in half for a dinner for two. If you want to double the recipe, only add 1 precound of green beans at a time to the air fryer. Crowding the beans will cause them to steam and not fry properly. Keep the first batch warm while you are finishing the second batch.
How To Make This Recipe
This air fried green bean recipe is simple to make. Once you mix it all together, the air fryer does all the work! Go ahead and try the basic recipe first. Then experiment with some of the other variations below for making air fried green beans. You will never get bored with making green beans for your side dish.
- First, wash and trim the ends off of the beans. You can do this with a knife or you can just snap them off with your fingers. You will want to pat the green beans dry with a paper towel. This helps the oil and seasonings adhere to the beans. It also helps make the green beans nice and crispy.
- Next, coat the green beans in olive oil. You can do this in a medium bowl or in a resealable plastic food storage bag.
- Season the beans with the kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and the garlic powder. Toss them gently to get the seasoning all over the beans.
- Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Because every air fryer is different, I like to preheat my air fryer. This way, I know the air fryer is the right temperature and I can calculate my cooking times more accurately. I only takes a few minutes so it is well worth it.
- Arrange the green beans in the air fryer basket. Try not to crowd them or pile them in a heap. You want heat and air to circulate around them so you get that nicely charred skin.
- Air fry the green beans for about 5 minutes, then toss and turn them so they cook evenly. Continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes or until they are browned and crisp-tender.
Leftover air fried green beans can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat the beans in your air fryer for a couple of minutes. I don't recommend freezing your beans, but I'm also guessing you won't have any leftovers!
Variations
- Green Bean Fries: These make a perfect appetizer. Serve air fried green beans with a bleu cheese dip, French onion dip, ranch dip, or a spicy dip such as a Siracha yogurt dip (recipe in the notes below).
- Asian Green Beans: Replace the olive oil with sesame oil. In step 4 add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. When the beans are done frying, garnish the air fried green beans with 1 teaspoon sesame seed.
- Bacon Green Beans: Cook and crumble 4 strips of bacon. Replace the olive oil with bacon fat. Garnish air fried green beans with crumbled bacon.
- Almond Green Beans: Air fry green beans according to the recipe. Meanwhile, in a small skillet add 4 teaspoons butter and the olive oil; cook until the butter foams. Add ⅓ cup slivered almonds and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, add almonds to air fried beans and toss together.
Serving Suggestions
Air fried green beans make an excellent side dish to just about any main dish. Here are some of my favorite pairings.
More Vegetable Recipes
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Instant Pot Broccoli
- Sautéed Broccoli
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
Air Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390°F
- Wash and trim green beans. Using a paper towel, pat beans dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the green beans and olive oil; toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the garlic powder. Toss well.
- Arrange beans in the air fryer basket. Close the basket and air fry, turning the beans once halfway through, for 9 minutes or until crisp tender.
- Transfer beans to a serving bowl and serve hot.
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