This easy guide teaches you how to cook green beans in an air fryer! After the quick 10-minute cook time, these Air Fryer Green Beans turn out to be delightfully crisp and blistered with the best savory flavors.

You’ll be smitten with making fried green beans in the air fryer! Just like my air fryer carrots recipe, the air fryer works its magic to create crunchy green beans with magnetizing charred tips. Best of all, it’s a hands-off way of cooking these snappy, crispy beans, so you’re left with more time to focus on the main dish and other side dishes. 

You don’t have to be a pro chef to learn how to cook green beans in an air fryer, either. Simply toss them in the seasonings you love, air fry for 10 minutes, then garnish and serve! It’s a quick and easy side dish that’s a cinch to throw together for weeknight dinners or extravagant holiday menus.

Recipe features

• The fastest and easiest way to make a classic green bean side dish.
• Using the air fryer leaves you with more room in the oven or on the stovetop for more important things, like parmesan chicken or cheesy cauliflower.
• Enjoy the air fryer fried green beans with all the mains or sides you can imagine! They pair well with almost everything.

Ingredients

Green beans – The star of this recipe, of course. Get your hands on the freshest, greenest beans you can find. They pop up in farmers’ markets and grocery stores throughout summer and early fall (AKA their peak seasons) but you can pretty much find them year-round in well-stocked grocery stores. You can also use the air fryer to cook French green beans, AKA haricots verts.

Simple seasonings – I used a blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to season the beans. If you want to get creative with the seasonings and flavors, check out the ideas in the Variations section below.

Parmesan cheese and lemon juice – The two best garnishes for air fried green beans are freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Again, use what you like, or check out the Variations section for more garnish ideas.

Instructions

Step 1: Season. Place the green beans in a large bowl and toss them with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.

Step 2: Air fry. Lay the seasoned green beans in the air fryer basket, then cook until crisp.

Step 3: Garnish, then serve. Transfer the fried green beans to a serving plate and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Tips and FAQs

• Wash the beans under running water before you get started. After drying, chop off the stems and woody ends from both ends of the beans.

Variations

• Play with the seasonings – Add some excitement to the green beans with seasonings like chili powder, basil, cumin, cayenne, or red pepper flakes.
• More garnish ideas – Flaky salt, slivered almonds, lemon wedges, lemon zest, chili oil, and fresh parsley would all work well as garnishes for the green beans.
• Bulk them up with add-ins – Mix-ins, like crispy bacon bits or pancetta, anchovies, roasted garlic, or caramelized onions, will help your green bean side dish stand out from the rest.

Serving suggestions

Green beans are a perfect vegetable not only because of their subtly sweet flavor and crisp bites but also because they’re delicious with everything. Enjoy them as a side dish with any meaty or vegetarian dinner, such as cajun shrimp alfredo, vegan stuffed peppers, steak bites, or creamy garlic chicken.

You can also incorporate the cooked green beans into other recipes, like garlic bacon pasta or chicken broccoli ziti. They give these dishes a pop of color and sneaky nutrients since they’re packed with vitamin C and calcium.

Can you air fry frozen green beans?

Fresh green beans are best for this recipe because the oil and seasonings stick better. You can make air fryer frozen green beans instead if that’s what you already have at home, but you may need to add another 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time.

How long do you air fry green beans?

The exact cooking time will vary on the thickness and length of your green beans, and how many beans are in the air fryer basket. In this recipe, one pound of green beans took between 8 to 10 minutes to cook to crispy, lightly charred perfection.

Storage

Refrigerator: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 or 5 days.

Freezer: The leftovers also freeze well for about 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat: Quickly reheat the beans in the air fryer until crisp again or zap them in the microwave. 

More easy air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Air Fryer Vegetables
• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!