If you’re a fan of easy vegetable side dishes like this one and want to learn different ways to use green beans in your everyday cooking, be sure to check out my No Mushroom Soup Green Bean Casserole, Garlic Butter Green Beans recipe and my essential guide on How To Boil Green Beans.
Ingredients For Air Fryer Green Beans
Just a few ingredients go into this easy recipe for air fryer green beans:
- Fresh green beans or string beans
- Olive Oil
- A little salt
- Some black pepper
Notes on Ingredients
- Green Beans vs. Haricot Verts: Haricot verts, or also known as French green beans, are thinner and longer than standard green beans because they are harvested earlier in the season. If you’re using haricot verts, halve the cooking time: for air fryer haricot verts, that means cooking them for 3-5 minutes rather than 7-9.
- Changing it Up: Make this dish your own! Because air fried green beans are so simple to cook, you can have fun with the recipe and add your own unique flair. Try seasoning your green beans with chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, a squeeze of lemon juice, or your favorite spices for an extra kick, or sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top before air frying for a melty addition.
- Cooking Oil: Although I used olive oil in my version, you can switch the type of oil used in this recipe. For an Asian-inspired flavor, try air frying green beans in sesame oil.
How to Make this Recipe
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F (190°C)
- Wash and dry green beans: Place the green beans in a colander and wash them under cold running water. Place them on a sheet pan lined with a kitchen towel or paper towels and dry them as much as you can.
- Trim green beans: Trim the ends to remove their tough, stringy tails. A great way to cut the beans is to line 5-7 of them up at a time on a cutting board and remove the stem end with a single cut. Based on your personal preference, you can cut them in half or leave them whole.
- Dry them off: Gently dry them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer them into a large bowl.
- Add seasoning: Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently toss to make sure all of the string beans are coated with oil and seasoning.
- Air fry green beans: Transfer to the air fryer basket, ensuring that they are arranged in a single layer. If not, you may have to cook them in batches. Cook them until crisp-tender, 7-9 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking. For even more crispy green beans, you can extend the air frying time by 1-2 minutes.
- Serve: When done, carefully remove them from the air fryer and serve immediately.
How to Store Leftovers
- Storage: Store your green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the air fryer or oven, or just eat them straight away—they make a delicious snack right out of the fridge.
- Freezing: Freeze your green beans in a Ziploc bag or other container for up to 2 months.
- Thawing: Reheat your frozen green beans in the air fryer or oven at 375°F for 7-8 minutes.
Expert Tips
Here are a few helpful tips to get the most delicious and perfectly cooked air-fried string beans:
- Make sure the green beans are dry: For best results, dry your green beans thoroughly with paper towels before air frying for the perfect crispy texture.
- Single layer: Don’t overcrowd the green beans when you put them into the air fryer basket. Instead, spread them out into a single layer before air frying so each green bean will be perfectly cooked. It is best to do several batches for the crispiest and perfectly air-fried beans.
- Toss halfway through: To ensure the green beans fry evenly, toss them halfway through cooking.
- The timing might change: depending on the brand of air fryer you use, the cooking time might vary slightly. I used the Instant Pot Air Fryer, but if you used Nuwave, Actifry, or another brand, you might need to adjust the timing.
Why Should You Try This Recipe?
These quick, versatile air fryer string beans are a perfect side dish (or healthy snack!) that complements a wide variety of main dishes and accommodates diverse diets and tastes. Here are a few reasons why you should give it a try:
- It’s a quick, easy side dish that takes under 15 minutes from start to finish and uses only a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- The green beans come out perfectly crispy using much less oil, thanks to the convenience of the air fryer.
- You can change up the flavor with spices, herbs, and toppings—make it your own!
- It works perfectly for any occasion ranging from a holiday celebration to a normal weeknight dinner.
FAQs
Air fry fresh green beans for 7-8 minutes at 375°F. For air fryer haricot verts (French green beans), the cook time is 4-5 minutes at 375°F. If you have too many green beans for one layer in the air-fryer basket, cook them in batches.
Cook frozen green beans for up to 11-12 minutes at 375°F. No need to thaw them beforehand.
The ideal temperature for air frying green beans is 375°F degrees (190°C).
Simply omit the oil. The green beans will still be delicious but a bit softer instead of crispy.
For extra-crispy air fried green beans, extend the cooking time by 1-2 extra minutes.
Yes, it is. Green beans are low in calories and high in fiber and vitamin C. Additionally, air frying green beans with a very small amount of oil helps us achieve a healthier fried green beans recipe without all the frying oil.
Other Air Fryer Vegetables You Might Also Like:
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
- Mexican Street Corn in Air Fryer
- Air Fried Corn on the Cob
If you try this Easy Air Fryer Green Beans recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Place green beans in a colander and wash them under cold running water. Trim the ends to remove their tough, stringy tails before cooking. A great way to cut the beans is to line 5-7 of them up at a time on a cutting board and remove the stem end with a single cut. At this point, you can cut them in half or leave them as a whole.
- Gently dry them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer them into a large bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently toss to make sure all of the string beans are coated with oil and seasoning.
- Transfer to the air fryer basket ensuring that they are arranged on a single layer. If not, you may have to cook them in batches. Cook them until crisp-tender 7-9 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking.
- When done, carefully remove them from the air fryer and serve immediately while still warm.
Notes
- Seasoning ideas: Change it up by seasoning your green beans with chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or your favorite spices for an extra kick, or sprinkle some Parmesan cheese right before serving.
- Green Beans vs. Haricot Verts: Haricot verts, also known as French green beans, are thinner and longer than standard green beans because they are harvested earlier in the season. If you’re using haricot verts, halve the cooking time: for air fryer haricot verts, that means cooking them for 3-5 minutes rather than 7-9.
- If using frozen green beans: Cook frozen green beans for up to 11-12 minutes at 375°F. No need to thaw them beforehand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
