Air Fried Green Beans Recipe

~ This Air Fried Green Beans recipe is ultra quick and easy! It produces virtually the same results as high-heat roasting in a traditional oven, but in even less time. So deeply flavorful with all those yummy golden brown spots! (Includes lots of delicious ideas for adapting it to any main dish you’re serving.) ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Includes Make-Ahead Steps  •  Vegan (and Vegetarian)  •  Gluten Free  •  Paleo  •

As if Roasted Green Beans couldn’t get any easier … along came the air fryer!

And now they actually ARE easier and faster than ever before!

You guys know that I’m a huge fan of roasted vegetables. “Old school” oven roasting creates deep, caramelized flavors without overcooking your veggies to unappetizing mush.

And … if you do it right, your handy, countertop air fryer can achieve virtually identical results to your big ol’ oven, in a fraction of the time. (Since there’s almost no preheating time with an air fryer – and with some air fryer models, actually ZERO preheating time at all!)

Mmmmmm … it’s a lot to love, for sure!

Why You’ll Love Air Fried Green Beans

Seriously, what’s not to love?

How to Make Your Easy Air Fryer Green Beans

Prep:

Grab a pound of fresh green beans.

Avoid older, woody or tough green beans. They’ll tend to stay tougher when you air fry them, instead of coming out nicely blistered yet tender inside.

Give them a good rinse to get rid of any dirt.

Then, pat them dry with a paper towel.

If they’re wet, the olive oil you’re going to toss them with won’t adhere well. And the surface of wet green beans won’t roast as nicely.

Next, trim away the stem ends.

*** Make-Ahead Tip: You can do this prep work ahead of time – earlier in the day or even the day before. Whenever you happen to have a free moment. Pop your prepped green beans (loosely wrapped) into the fridge until go-time!

Once you’ve got your green beans washed and trimmed, you’re ready to start cooking.

Step #1:

Set your air fryer to 375°F.

Note that some air fryer models have a built-in preheating cycle of a couple of minutes, and some don’t. (For example, my Instant Vortex Plus does have a preheating cycle, but my COSORI Pro III Dual Blaze does not.)

If your particular air fryer does have a brief preheating cycle, I recommend that you wait to add your raw green beans until after that preheating stage.

Step #2:

Right before adding them to your air fryer basket, drizzle your green beans with a smidge of extra virgin olive oil. Toss them to ensure that every bean is evenly, thinly coated with oil.

Then, sprinkle your beans with salt and pepper, and toss them again to get the seasonings evenly distributed.

I like to do this right on the cutting board where I trimmed my beans. I mean … you can use a large bowl if you prefer, but why dirty more dishes than you have to, right?

And I definitely recommend that you use your hands to do the tossing here.

Sure, it’s a tiny bit messy. But your hands truly are your very best tool for rubbing that oil lightly across your beans and making sure each bean gets its share. Roll up your sleeves and dive on in!

Step #3:

Spread your green beans out in your air fryer basket.

For the best green beans, it’s important not to just toss the beans in there, all heaped on top of themselves in a big pile. You’re trying to get as close to a single layer as possible. (If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook this recipe in two batches.)

The reason for this is due to the fact that air frying is a dry heat cooking method (known as convection). Your air fryer uses hot air that’s circulated around your food in order to create the fabulous cooking results we’ve all come to love about air frying.

To work its magic, your air fryer’s hot air actually needs to be able to get to the surface of your beans, which it can’t do very effectively if they’re in a big pile.

But what if you want to cook up two or three pounds of green beans? No doubt, you could air fry them in several batches. But I’ve got a better idea …

Step #4:

Air fry your beans for about 12-13 minutes. The exact timing will depend on factors like:

• How roasted and blistered you like your green beans. Be careful not to shoot for TOO blistered, though. Green beans that are air fried for too long can become dried out and tough.

• The size of your beans. Larger, thicker beans may need a little more cook time. However, if your beans are overly mature or woody with tough skins (or weren’t picked very recently), air frying them longer generally won’t help the situation. Fresher green beans air fry much better than tough, woody green beans (which just get tougher in the air fryer).

• The wattage of your air fryer. The wattage relates to the power of your air fryer. So, in general, a higher wattage model may cook slightly faster. You can read more about that HERE. A good rule of thumb is: when in doubt, the first time you make any air fryer recipe, start with less time than you think you need. It’s easy to add a couple extra minutes if you need to.

Most air fryers require that you shake and flip your food partway through cooking. (My Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer prompts me to do this about two-thirds of the way through the cook time, but my COSORI does not require any shaking or flipping).

If your air fryer requires this step, be sure to spread the green beans out again, rather than allowing them to pile up.

But, regardless of your model, my recipe and timing should get you pretty darn close.

Just remember to start with slightly less time the first time you make Air Fryer Green Beans, if you’re not quite sure how your machine will perform. As I mentioned earlier, it’s easy to add more time if needed.

Step #5:

Mmmmmm … you’ll smell those beans start to get all hot and roasty. And you might even hear them sizzle and pop inside your air fryer. Yes … yum!

When your beans are finished cooking, transfer them to a serving platter. Give them a little taste, and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

I often add about an extra 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt before I serve them up. But that depends on how I’m serving them and whether I’m drizzling them with any sauces or seasonings to tie them into the main course.

Which brings us to the really fun, very best part …

How to Customize Your Green Beans

The options here are wonderfully, deliciously limitless!

While these tasty guys are absolutely fantastic without any other adornments at all, you can also get really creative and dress your beans up in all sorts of delectably different ways!

• One of my favorite ideas for an absolutely outstanding yet easy side dish is to steal the browned butter sauce from our Roasted Green Beans. Rich, nutty browned butter is laced with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. It’s pure, blissful liquid gold! Lick-the-plate-AWESOME!

• Sprinkle on a few toasted nuts if you’d like some crunch.

• Or try a dusting of cheese. I’m a huge fan of cheddar with green beans, but parmesan cheese is great, too. Or try any other type of cheese that complements your main course (maybe feta for a Mediterranean vibe, or queso fresco for a Mexican meal).

• Drizzle ’em with some toasted sesame oil (after air frying) and sprinkle on some pretty sesame seeds for an Asian feel. (Like with my 5-Minute Asian Sugar Snap Peas, black sesame seeds look especially eye-catching on green vegetables.)

• Toss on some fresh herbs. Basil and green beans are outstanding together, maybe because they both are in their glory in the summer months. If you’re thinking basil, I’d maybe quarter some juicy grape tomatoes to add in. Mmmmmm and then maybe some goat cheese. Or mozzarella!

• You can also drizzle your delicious Air Fryer Green Beans with a bit of whatever sauce you might be serving with your main dish. It’s a simple trick that easily ties the whole meal together.

• These even make for a fantastic, quick and healthy snack, served up with your favorite dipping sauce. Beats the nutritional socks off french fries or potato chips, that’s for sure!

Ok ok … I think you get the idea.

With a smidge of creativity, your ultra-simple, quickly air fried green beans can evolve and morph in all sorts of interesting ways.

So now there’s no need to fire up your big, “old school” oven to get great roasted green beans for a speedy weeknight dinner.

Your air fryer will get the job done beautifully, in even less time!

And in just minutes, you’ll have an endlessly adaptable, perfect side dish your whole family will love.

Thanks, little air fryer! No wonder everyone has gone air fryer-crazy these days!