These easy air fryer green beans are the side dish I turn to the most when I want a quick, flavorful veggie everyone in my family will eat. I first created this recipe because I wanted an easy, hands-off way to enjoy perfectly cooked green beans without boiling water or dirtying extra pans. However, what started as a new recipe experiment has since become a family favorite method, and my kids request it nearly every week.
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Recipe Highlights
Simple: This recipe comes together with just 5 simple ingredients I almost always have on hand. I share my simple step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.
Quick: Thanks to the air fryer, the green beans cook quickly and are ready to eat in about 15 minutes from start to finish, which is much faster than my oven-roasted green beans recipe.
Option for all: Allergen-friendly, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, Paleo, egg-free, nut-free, and vegan.
Nutritious: My kids enjoy the savory flavor of these crispy green beans as much as I do, making it easy for the whole family to get enough daily fiber.
Ingredient Highlight: Green Beans
Green beans are a nutrient-dense vegetable that’s low in calories, carbohydrates, and fat, including saturated fat. with a crisp texture and mild flavor. They contain cellulose, which contributes to their satisfying crunch and supports digestive health. Green beans are also a source of:
- Dietary fiber: This important nutrient promotes healthy digestion, supports gut health, and helps regulate blood sugar levels between meals.
- Vitamin A: This fat-soluble vitamin supports vision, immune health, and cellular growth. Since the green beans are tossed in avocado oil or olive oil (a good source of monounsaturated fat), the body can more easily absorb this vitamin from the green beans
- Vitamin C: This vitamin acts as an antioxidant and supports immune function, skin health, and wound healing.
- Vitamin K: An essential vitamin that plays a key role in bone health and proper blood clotting.
- Folate (Vitamin B9): This vitamin is needed for cell growth, red blood cell production, and prenatal health.
- Potassium: An essential mineral that helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function.
Serve Alongside Mains And Other Sides
These air fryer green beans are a foolproof recipe I know I can count on as an easy side dish for weeknight dinners. I honestly haven’t found anything that it doesn’t pair well with, but some of my favorite main course to serve it with are sesame chicken, sheet pan honey garlic shrimp, and miso-glazed salmon. I’ve even been known to use it in my holiday green bean casserole.
My kids enjoy the veggies plain, but I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest for a bright touch, and often sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top for a kick of heat or shredded Parmesan cheese as a garnish with a salty finish and a bit of calcium.
The Best Way To Store Leftovers
Air fryer green beans are great for meal prep. If I have any leftovers, I transfer them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, I spread the green beans in a single layer on a sheet pan and warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. Or, I pop them back into the air fryer at 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes to restore some crispness.
While cooked green beans can technically be frozen, I don’t recommend it for this recipe, because the texture of the beans gets too soft once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Steaming green beans is simple and quick, but the texture is softer and some describe them as less flavorful. Air frying, on the other hand, creates a crisp-tender texture with slightly caramelized edges and a deeper flavor. It’s also quicker and doesn’t require boiling water or extra pans, which makes it a convenient method for busy weeknights.
Technically, air fryers don’t always have to be preheated, depending on the model, but I recommend it. Preheating an air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the food can help ensure crispy green beans.
French green beans, also called haricots verts, are a thinner, more delicate variety of green beans. They cook faster and are slightly more tender. Standard green beans are a little thicker and sturdier. Either one can be used in this recipe, though the cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly if using French green beans.
Green beans are extremely versatile and lend well to a variety of seasonings. I tend to keep things simple with kosher salt or sea salt, black pepper, and a little garlic powder. However, onion powder, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and Chinese 5-spice all taste great, too.
Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe
Savory, garlicky, and perfectly crisp-tender, this easy air fryer green beans recipe is a foolproof side dish for meal prep, weeknight dinners, and holiday tables.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 2–3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: lemon wedges for squeezing or grated lemon zest
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, toss together the green beans, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add the seasoned green beans to the air fryer basket and air fry for 7-8 minutes, or until crisp and tender. (NOTE: May need to air fry in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer).
- If desired, top with a squeeze with lemon juice or grated lemon zest.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 68
- Fat: 3 g
- (Sat Fat: 0 g)
- Sodium: 287 mg
- Carbohydrate: 8 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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Can you use frozen green beans?
We haven’t specifically experimented with that method, but it should work fine, Kristen!
Will this work using the air fryer option on my oven? I don’t have a basket, so would I just use a sheet pan instead?
Yes, Nancy! That would work great!