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There’s nothing like the flavor of Air Fryer Green Beans. Fresh green beans topped with lemon wedges make for a nice and refreshing side dish choice. Perfect to pair with any main entree and a great way to add a boost of healthy green beans to your meal.
The best thing about this fresh green bean recipe is the texture that it gets from cooking them in the air fryer. I like to call them a “crisp-tender” texture because they have a little bit of crunch with an inside that is nice and soft.
You can call them whatever you want but I promise you that these air fryer green beans are addictive!
Why You’ll Love Cooking Fresh Green Beans in the Air Fryer
- Fast and easy side dish.
- Ready in less than 15 minutes of time.
- No need to preheat your oven.
Ingredients & substitutions For Crispy Green Beans
- Fresh Green Beans: I love using fresh French green beans but you can also use fresh green beans that are snapped from the garden, too. (just in case you’re making this during the summer months!)
- Olive oil: Just a little bit of oil is all you need. If you want to add some heat, chili oil would be great as well.
- Lemon wedges: These are optional and are great to garnish the plate. I also think that squeezing some fresh lemon juice over the top is pretty amazing for a punch of added flavor.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper are all you need and you can just add to your preference.
How to air fry green beans
- Start off by trimming the ends off the green beans and getting rid of any stems. You might be able to snap them by hand but if not, just use scissors to trim them.
- Add the trimmed green beans to a bowl with the salt, pepper, and olive oil. Use tongs to toss and coat the green beans entirely.
- Place the coated green beans in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Once they’re done cooking to your likeness, remove and serve.
Tips for air frying green beans
- Make sure that you put the green beans in a single layer – These green beans aren’t breaded so they’re not going to get super crispy but putting them in a single layer will give them a bit of a crunch. If you overcrowd, they won’t get that air fryer texture.
- Make this recipe in two batches – Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to split up the batch and cook two.
- Add some chili powder on top – You can easily add a bit of spice by putting some chili powder on your portion.
- Enjoy them while they’re hot – This will not get any crisper as they cool so eat them carefully while they’re hot to get that crunch.
What foods pair well with green beans
How to store cooked green beans
Storing leftovers of french green beans cooked in the air fryer is simple. Just make sure to let them cool completely before adding them to an airtight container.
You can then store them in the fridge for 3-4 days without worry.
How To Reheat green beans
To heat up the leftover green beans, you have a couple of options. Using your air fryer may bring back a bit of that crunch but be careful to not overcook them.
You can also reheat them in the microwave as well.
Frequently asked questions
Both are delicious but there is a difference. French green beans are longer in size while green beans tend to be short. You can air fry both kinds of green beans.
Yes. To freeze green beans let them cool down completely and then add them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
No. This is an old wives’ tale actually. The only thing that you should do before cooking green beans is make sure that you wash them off to get rid of any dirt or dust.
Air fryer green beans are too easy to pass up. It’s simply amazing to think that a recipe this easy can taste this great! Fry up your own batch today and get ready to add this simple green bean recipe to your meal planning menu again asap.
More green bean recipes:
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Air Fryer Green Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 380ºF.
- Prepare the green beans by trimming their stems and cutting larger ones in half so they are relatively equal in size, if needed.
- Place the cleaned trimmed green beans in a large bowl along with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the green beans to the air fryer and shake the basket to make sure they’re in a single layer. You may need to cook in two batches. Cook until crisp tender, shaking the basket halfway through, for 8-10 minutes total.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Incredible. Took 15 min but wow.
So glad you liked them, and thanks for sharing info about your cook time, very helpful as everyones air fryer seems to be different.
Do you think frozen green beans, thawed & dried, might work?
Hi Cyndy, I am not sure, but my gut is telling me no. When you freeze veggies the texture changes so even thawing and drawing them probably won’t work. But, you can always try it and if you’re happy with the flavor and texture that is what matters most!
I made this tonight but there was no crunch, they were a little soggy and limp but flavor was there. Any tips?
Hmm… sounds like they may have gotten over cooked. They aren’t crunchy the same as a breaded green bean, but do usually have a crispness to them with a soft inside.
Would this work with Grape Seed Oil rather than Olive oil?
You can try it! Grapeseed oil does have a smoke point of 390, so just make sure you the green beans if you do use it for this recipe.