Easy air fryer green beans are done in just a few minutes and taste completely amazing! If your kids don’t like green beans, try making them in the air fryer instead and see if they change their minds. They get a yummy roasted flavor and are still a bit firm on the inside, instead of getting soft and mushy.
Why I Love Air Fryer Green Beans
My story is the classic Mom story: kids that only want chicken nuggets and french fries for dinner but I can only take them eating that kind of garbage on an occasional basis. I am constantly trying to work more vegetables into their daily diet. However, my adorable children often reject those efforts, much to my dismay.
When I began preparing vegetables in the air fryer, a lot of veggies that they refused to eat quickly became acceptable. Even air fryer brussel sprouts became a favorite…and that veggie often earns the top spot on the “Most Hated Vegetable” list.
These yummy air fryer green beans won over my children instantly. They loved the roasted flavor on the outside and that they still had some firmness on the inside. One way to make my kids hate vegetables is by making them mushy and soft all the way through.
Air Fryer Green Beans Ingredients
The beauty of this recipe is that it includes only simple, whole ingredients. Yet, they come together in such a delicious way you wonder what the “secret ingredient” in the recipe is! The answer is the air fryer.
Fresh, whole green beans
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
How to Make Green Beans in the Air Fryer
Once you make this recipe, you’ll wonder why you make any vegetable in any other piece of kitchen equipment besides the air fryer!
Time needed: 15 minutes
How to Make Green Beans in the Air Fryer
Clean and trim the fresh green beans.
Throw away any beans that are shriveled or mushy. Trim both ends off of all the beans and put them into a large bowl
Add oil and seasoning to the green beans.
Simply toss them with tongs until all the beans are covered with olive oil and seasonings.
Transfer the beans to the basket of your air fryer and cook in three short batches of time, shaking well between each batch so they will evenly roast.
Serve
You can add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top, or a drizzle of sriracha, or a sprinkle of toasted almonds before serving.
Green Beans FAQs
How long do green beans take to cook?
The time varies depending on the size of the green beans and where you are cooking them. Fresh green beans that are a standard length of about 4 inches and 1/4 inch in thickness will take about 9 minutes in an air fryer, 12 minutes on the stove, and 6 minutes in the microwave.
How do you make crispy green beans?
If you want crispy green beans on the outside, you will need some oil and very high heat. You want to coat the outside of the beans with oil and seasoning before roasting them in a very hot oven or air fryer until they are brown and crispy on the outside. You’ll want to use 425 degrees and shake the beans around in the basket or pan a few times as they roast.
Also, be sure to not crowd the beans while they roast. Otherwise, the beans will steam instead of roast and get crisp on the surface. It’s better to do multiple small batches of green beans instead of one large one.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make a bigger batch of air fryer green beans?
Yes. If you want more than 12 ounces of green beans, you can certainly make more. However, be sure you cook them in multiple batches in the air fryer or they won’t roast properly. There needs to be enough space for the heat to move around the green beans inside the fryer.
Can I use regular oil instead of olive oil?
Yes, if you prefer a more neutral flavored oil, go for it! I prefer the flavor of extra virgin olive oil in such a simple recipe for air fryer green beans but I know not everyone like that flavor profile. You can easily substitute vegetable oil or canola oil in this recipe with great results.
How to tell when the green beans are done?
First, you have to determine what you define as “done.” For me, I want a bit of firmness still on the inside of the green beans so there is a bit of bite when I eat them. You might like them a bit softer on the inside.
The best way to tell if the green beans are done is to remove one and bite into it. You want them to be just a bit firmer than you like because they will continue to cook from the residual heat after you remove them from the air fryer.
Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe Variation
Being a home cook provides endless opportunities to experiment with recipes, personalizing them to your tastes and creativity. Any of the following variations would be great spin-offs of this recipe for air fryer green beans.
Add cheese to the finished green beans once they come out of the air fryer. My favorite is freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but a crumbled Feta or blue cheese would also be delicious.
Add cooked bacon to the basket during the last few minutes of roasting time in the air fryer for a bit of smokiness and protein to this side dish.
Add spice to the finished green beans once they come out of the air fryer. If you like a more Asian-flavored heat, go for a squeeze of sriracha sauce. Or, add some red pepper flakes in with the seasonings and roast them with that addition.
Asian Air Fryer Green Beans would be delicious by adding a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil over the top of the finished beans and then a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
Looking for More Great Side Dish Recipes?
Air Fryer Brussel SproutsOven Roasted Baby PotatoesGarlic Roasted Asparagus
An easy side dish recipe idea when you need something quick, delicious, and healthy!
Total Time:14 minutes
Yield:4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
12 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Combine trimmed green beans with the oil and seasoning in a large bowl. Toss to coat the beans completely.
Transfer to the air fryer basket and cook at 370 degrees for 3 minutes.
Remove the basket and shake it well. Cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove the basket and shake it one more time. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until beans are the softness you prefer.
Notes
Variations:
Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the finished beans.
For Asian flavors, drizzle a bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds on the finished beans.
For spicy, add red pepper flakes with the seasonings.
Add chopped onion with the green beans.
Drizzle balsamic syrup over the top of the finished beans
If you like your beans with a bit of char on them, increase the temperature to 425 degrees and keep everything else the same in the recipe.
Author:Carole Jones
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:9 minutes
Category:Side Dish
Method:Air Fryer
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:1/4
Calories:55
Sugar:3 g
Sodium:6 mg
Fat:2 g
Saturated Fat:1 g
Unsaturated Fat:0 g
Trans Fat:0 g
Carbohydrates:7 g
Fiber:3 g
Protein:2 g
Cholesterol:12 mg
Carole Jones
Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.
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