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Perfectly Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans

Elevate your vegetables with this Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans recipe. Just 3 ingredients, 9 minutes, and an air fryer result in perfectly crispy green beans every time – your new favorite side dish!

More Air Fryer Veggies you need to try – Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Carrots and Air Fryer Avocado Fries are a must!

Quick & Easy Air Fryer Green Beans

This is the recipe to share when someone says “it’s too hard to eat a healthy diet”. It does not get much more simple than tossing green beans with olive oil and garlic powder and cooking them in the air fryer. Anyone and everyone will love this Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans recipe!

The best part is that they don’t even taste that healthy! Sure, they are still green beans! But the air fryer works its magic and makes anything delicious! The charred edges and crispy tips are what I love about this recipe. Believe me when I saw these green beans taste indulgent but are incredibly good for you.

fried green beans on a white plate with a bronze fork

Why Cook Green Beans in the Air Fryer?

The air fryer is one of the best things to come into my kitchen. And I bet you can agree! Here’s why I think this is one of the best ways to cook green beans.

  • It’s a healthy choice for cooking green beans. I’m sure you’ve seen fried green beans at a restaurant before, but they are dredged in unhealthy fats and oils. This recipe provides that same flavor but without the added calories.
  • It’s so easy! You don’t have to babysit a pan. You just put them in the air fryer and it does all the work.
  • The taste is so unique and kid-friendly. I can say that air-fried green beans taste nothing like steamed or boiled green beans (which is how had them as a kid!). My kids eat these beans right up without even thinking about it!
green beans in a bowl alongside small bowls with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s the short list of ingredients you need for this recipe:

  • Green Beans: Make sure that you trim them before cooking with them. Also, it’s a good idea to make sure that they are rinsed and drained. No one wants any specs of dirt on their fried green beans!
  • Olive Oil: You could also use avocado oil or sunflower oil. However, I like the rich flavor of the olive oil for this recipe.
  • Garlic Powder: You could also use garlic salt or granulated garlic. I don’t recommend using fresh garlic because it might burn in the air fryer.
  • Salt and Pepper

Can I Use Frozen Green Beans?

You can use frozen green beans if you’d like, but I much prefer using fresh beans.

The problem with frozen beans is that they tend to retain a lot of water. Be sure that you thaw the beans and pat them as dry as you can before using them in the air fryer. The less moisture means that they will get more crispy.

fried green beans on a white plate with a bronze fork

How to Make Air Fryer Green Beans

You’ll start to know this recipe by heart after a few times! It’s that simple. Here’s what you need to do.

Preheat the air fryer. I always try to turn the air fryer on before getting started. Just like you wouldn’t add food to cold frying oil, you don’t want to add food to a cold air fryer.

Then toss the green beans with the garlic powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Remember that you want the beans to be free from any water moisture before doing this step.

Next, put the green beans in the air fryer tray. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

Toss the green beans after about 9 minutes. This ensures that they are air-fried equally on all sides!

Remove the beans from the air fryer. And then serve them immediately!

Tips for Success

Here are a few helpful tips for when you’re cooking green beans in the air fryer.

  • Always dry the green beans completely. This is because water is not your friend in the air fryer. A food item needs to be 100% dry if you want it to come out super crispy.
  • Mix up the seasonings. You could also use onion powder or chili powder to add more seasoning.
  • Don’t stack the green beans on top of each other. Make sure that they are in a single layer in the air fryer tray. Remember that you may need to work in batches.
crispy green beans in an air fryer tray

Common Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions that you might have about frying green beans in the air fryer.

Do You Need To Soak Green Beans Before Cooking?

I do not recommend soaking green beans beforehand. Why? Because they will not get crispy if you soak them and they retain a bunch of water.

The only thing I would recommend is that if you have very large beans you can blanch them ahead of time. Some thicker beans may not cook completely in the air fryer before the edges get too crispy. Blanching means cooking them quickly in a pot of boiling water (under 2 minutes usually).

Be sure to dry the beans completely if you do blanch them ahead of time.

Why Are My Green Beans Still Hard?

There are a few reasons why your green beans might not cook completely in the air fryer.

One is that they are too big. So, you can blanch them as suggested above.

Another reason is that they are not laying flat on the air fryer tray and therefore not cooked completely. The beans need to be in a single layer to cook in the time described in the recipe.

Additionally, a final reason why your beans are still hard is that the air fryer was not preheated.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some suggestions for what to serve with Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

These beans taste the best when they are eaten fresh out of the air fryer. However, you can keep any leftovers that you might have.

Simply store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then you can reheat them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. It’s best to bring them to room temperature first before putting them in the air fryer (this way they won’t burn!).

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fried green beans on a white plate

Perfectly Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans

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  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dishes
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Elevate your vegetables with this Crispy Air Fryer Green Beans recipe. Just 3 ingredients, 9 minutes, and an air fryer result in perfectly crispy green beans every time – your new favorite side dish!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and washed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
  2. To a medium bowl, add green beans, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Gently toss.
  3. Add green beans to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 9 minutes, tossing half way in between. (if you like them more tender cook an additional 2 minutes)
  4. Remove green beans from air fryer and serve.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 cup
  • Calories: 67
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 298 mg
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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