These super easy Air Fryer Green Beans are the best! Healthy, crispy, without any oil! Air fried green beans are a perfect vegetable side dish for any weeknight dinner or for meal prep! Fresh whole green beans with your choice of seasoning, cooked to perfection in just about 10 minutes! This simple recipe is gluten-free, vegan, paleo, keto, and kid-friendly!
Who doesn't love a super easy recipe that turns vegetables into the most perfect and delicious side dish everyone will love? Even the pickiest of eaters will devour these air fryer green beans! Let the air fryer work its magic on your bunch of whole fresh green beans; just season to taste and you'll be eating them like candy! There's no oil needed and this side dish is perfect for any dietary need!
Why You'll Love This Easy Green Bean Recipe
The air fryer is always the quickest way to roast up some fresh veggies and make them perfectly crispy without any oil! This highly customizable recipe is perfect for any occasion and adaptable to any serving size you need! Plus, green beans are naturally fit for any diet! They're:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan & Vegetarian
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
- Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
- Oil-Free + Sugar-Free
- Kid-Friendly
- Customizable Seasonings
- A Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Essential
- Simple Side Dish, Addition to Salads or Bowls, even a Snack
- Great For Potlucks & Holiday Gatherings to Feed a Crowd
Are Green Beans A Vegetable or Legume?
Green beans are legumes, they're not vegetables. They're not beans either. Legumes are plants that bear fruit that grow in pods. Think, asparagus beans, soybeans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. Beans are seeds from specific types of plants. So while all beans are legumes, not all legumes are beans. The "fruit" of a green bean (what people think of as the bean) is grown and encased in the surrounding pod, thus making it a legume!
How Healthy Are Green Beans?
With only about 30 calories per cup, green beans are chockful of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K. They're rich in folic acid and fiber. They're also a great source of calcium, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, and potassium!
Other Fast Facts
- There are over 130 varieties of green beans (the unripe, young fruit of a plant)
- String beans are the common long green bean we all know and love
- They're loaded with chlorophyll which may help fight cancer
- They're great for fertility, pregnancy, bone health, and fighting depression
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Whole Fresh Green Beans: I used 16 oz of fresh raw green beans in this recipe. No need to cut them, but remove any heard stems you see.
- Seasonings: I used black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can season and flavor these green legumes however your heart desires!
What Spices Go Well With Green Beans?
If you need some more flavor inspiration, try these simple spice combinations!
- Chili Powder to make them spicy
- Curry Powder to make them fragrant and lively
- Nutritional Yeast to give them a nice cheesy kick
- Dried Italian Herbs to compliment just about any dish you serve them with
- Asian Flavors like sesame seeds, coconut aminos, and ginger
- Go-To All-Purpose Seasoning because you just can't go wrong
- Lemon Juice or Citrus Zest for some bright flavor
Can You Air Fry Canned or Frozen Green Beans?
While not ideal since you may end up with less crispy beans, it can be done.
- For Frozen: You can thaw the beans out on paper towels to absorb the excess liquid before air frying as instructed and add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Or you can place them frozen in the air fryer, fry for a few (5-6) minutes, toss the basket, and fry again until the frost is gone. Toss them in seasoning, and give them one last fry in the air fryer to crisp further.
- For Canned: Since these beans are already very cooked, you'll want to let them drain out on paper towels and heat them at a lower temperature in the air fryer. The beans will remain soft, not crisp. (Note: Any time you buy canned vegetables, make sure to choose no-salt-added or low sodium varieties).
How To Air Fry Green Beans
- Rinse and dry your green beans, remove any hard stems.
- Toss your beans with the seasonings of choice.
- Place your first batch of green beans in a single layer in the air fryer basket (the number of batches depends on the size of your air fryer).
- Air fry at 400°F for 8-12 minutes depending on how crispy you want them!
How Long Do You Air Fry Green Beans?
If you want softer, more tender green beans, cook them for about 8 minutes. If you want crispier, charred on the edges, roasted green beans cook them longer for about 2-4 minutes. I've also tested this recipe using a temperature of 380°F for 8 minutes, toss the beans, and air fried at 400°F for another 4-5 minutes if you want more control.
Do You Need To Cut Them Before Cooking?
There's no need to cut fresh green beans! If you want a more kid-friendly vegetable or a small size for a certain dish you'll be using them for, go ahead and cut the beans in half, thirds, or quarters!
How Long Do They Last?
Whether you want to meal prep a batch for lunches, dinners, and snacks throughout the week or you just need to store some leftovers, your crispy air-fried green beans will last in the fridge for up to 7 days when stored in an airtight container.
How To Freeze
You can freeze your cooked veggies in a Ziplock freezer bag for 8-9 months.
How To Reheat and Recrisp Leftovers
Cold, leftover green beans are a perfectly delicious and safe snack to eat straight from the fridge and in make-ahead lunches, bowls, and salads! However, if you'd like warm and crispy beans again follow these tips!
- From the fridge: Toss your green beans back into the air fryer and fry at 375°F for about 4-5 minutes.
- From the freezer: Add them frozen to the air fryer and fry at 375°F for 7-8 minutes, toss halfway through if they were frozen together.
- If you happen to be roasting something in the oven, throw these green beans on a pan to roast up for a few minutes and get crispy again! Works like a charm, cold or frozen!
Final Tips & Suggestions
- Make sure your green beans have plenty of room when being air-fried. This will prevent them from gett soggy or too chewy. Batches!
- You can add high-quality olive oil or vegan butter after you've cooked your green beans if you want to! You'll have much more control over the amount used.
- How to make green beans taste good? #1 Air Fry, #2 Seasonings! Don't be scared to flavor these veggies up and experiment with different flavor combos!
- If using frozen or canned beans, make sure you make them as dry as possible. You don't want excess liquid in your air fryer, otherwise, the air fryer won't be able to do its job!
Usage & Serving Ideas
- As a filler or base for buddha bowls, grain bowls, or hearty salads
- A simple side to a baked pasta dinner like ziti or mac and cheese
- A healthy french fry replacement for veggie burgers or sandwiches
- With roasted proteins like chicken or fish
- The easiest potluck side for holidays, parties, and gatherings
- Grab these crispy green beans as a healthy afternoon snack or even with a dip
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes:
- Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes
- Air Fryer Vegan Calamari
- Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Okra
- Air Fryer Snow Peas
- Air Fryer Sugar Snap Peas
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Carrots
Air Fryer Green Beans
These super easy Air Fryer Green Beans are the best! Healthy, crispy, without any oil! Air fried green beans are a perfect vegetable side dish for any weeknight dinner or for meal prep. Fresh whole green beans with your choice of seasoning, cooked to perfection in just about 10 minutes! This simple recipe is gluten-free, vegan, paleo, keto, and kid-friendly!
- Prep Time: 2 Minutes
- Cook Time: 8 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 16 oz Fresh Whole Green Beans
Seasonings:*
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- Rinse and dry your green beans. Pinch off any hard stems you see and add the green beans to a bowl.
- Add your chosen seasonings to the bowl of green beans and toss to coat.
- Place about half the green beans in a single layer with plenty of breathing room in your air fryer basket (you may need to do more or fewer batches depending on the size of your air fryer).
- Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook the beans for 8-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. For tender green beans stop at 8 minutes, for crispier beans stop at 12 minutes.
Notes
Seasonings: These are suggestions. You can use any seasonings you'd like, in the amounts you'd like. Adjust everything to taste.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for about 7 days.
Freeze in a Ziplock freezer bag for 8-9 months.
Reheat from the fridge by tossing your green beans back into the air fryer and fry at 375°F for about 4-5 minutes. From the freezer, you can add them frozen to the air fryer and fry at 375°F for 7-8 minutes, toss halfway through if they were frozen together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-4 Ounces
If you're like me, you will go crazy for those charred tips. O, delicious! If you thought veggies couldn't be candy, think again! I promise, even the pickiest of eaters will devour these crispy air fryer green beans!
So tell me:
+ What is your favorite way to serve green beans? I mean, there's always this green bean casserole too!
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Tammy Foley
How to do keep to one’s you cook in the first round warm until serving? I’m worried if I put them in a warm oven they will over cook or become Mushy.
Rebecca Pytell
They don't get mushy in the oven... they get even crispier and charred. Maybe you need a bigger air fryer if you have a problem?
Donna
An Air Fryer is on my Christmas wish list and I can't wait to try out recipes just like this one! Pinned!
Rebecca Pytell
Hope you get one asap!
Liz
Oh yum! Love a good green bean recipe! Plus that you can make in the air fryer!
Rebecca Pytell
Yup, that's the whole recipe, lol!
Kathy
Oh, this is super! I love my air fryer, for one, and I don't love veggies, but I think I could go fo this! I also pinned at phase2fitness!
Rebecca Pytell
Everyone will love green beans with this easy cooking method!
Kevin
I love making these healthy snacks. I use my oven in the past, but my airfryer is now my go to kitchen gadget. These green beans chips are health and very tasty.
Rebecca Pytell
They do basically turn into chips!