Using your air fryer for veggie side dishes is a fast and delicious way to get your veggies in at any time of day! These air fryer green beans are so simple and will satisfy your craving for a flavorful roasted, salty veggie side that's done in 10 minutes.
We are HERE for for green bean season! Especially when this green little guys can perfectly roasted in an air fryer. While oven roasting is still something we do frequently, our air fryer has become our most used kitchen tool for cooking veggies in a quick, low-maintenance way.
Lately, it's been our go-to for using up our fresh CSA green beans. Air frying green beans transforms them into perfectly caramelized and crisped, delicious little beans. If you're looking for your next easy vegetable side dish, these are a must-try!
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Ingredients
- Fresh green beans - From your CSA, farmer's market, garden, or local store!
- Extra virgin olive oil - Fat carries nutrients and gives the best flavor.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional flavor finishers - flaky salt and lemon wedges
Substitutions & Variations
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Oven roasted - Even though these are air fryer green beans, you can totally oven fry your green beans for equally delicious results. Prepare and season the green beans all the same, but instead of air frying, preheat your oven and roast them on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
- Toss in vinaigrette - Vinaigrettes aren't just for salads! Toss these green beans in this simple lemon vinaigrette for a burst of flavor.
- Spices - Try a dash of garlic powder, seasoning salt, or an Italian herb seasoning for different flavors.
- Infused olive oil - Try an infused olive oil to coat the green beans for some extra flavor. You can make your own infused olive oil or buy some!
- Salad - Instead of using these green beans as a side dish, chop them up and add them to your next salad.
- Other Veggies - Once you try these green beans in your air fryer, I hope you're inspired to try other veggies. I highly recommend this easy air fryer squash recipe, and these herb roasted beets could easily be air fried instead of roasted. Yum!
How to Make Delicious Air Fryer Green Beans
Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees. If you use a Ninja Foodi like we do, this just means running it at 390 degrees for a few minutes while you prep.
Step 2: Wash and thoroughly dry your green beans. Making sure they're dry helps the olive oil to coat the green beans, which helps the spices stick!
Step 3: Trim the ends off the green beans. I like to do this by lining up a few on the cutting board, then slicing the tips off with a knife.
Step 4: Place the trimmed green beans in a large bowl, add olive oil, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the green beans and toss again (the olive oil helps the salt stick to all of them).
Step 4: Load those seasoned green beans up into your preheated air fryer in an even layer. If it's a small air fryer, you may need to do a couple batches.
Step 6: Air fry the green beans for 9-10 minutes.
Step 7: Serve as they are, or finish with a sprinkle of some flaky salt on top and a squeeze of lemon. So good!
Hint: Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the green beans in multiple batches. It's okay if some are touching and overlapping, but you want to avoid a mound of green beans, which will block the air circulation for beans in the center. For reference, I use a 5-quart Ninja Foodi air fryer.
Storage
Store any leftover green beans in an airtight container for up to five days in your fridge. To enjoy warm, reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes. Otherwise, these taste delicious as a snack or salad topping straight from the fridge!
Top Tip
Because air fryers vary, feel free to check your green beans at 7-8 minutes of cook time to see if they're crispy enough for your liking. If they're not done enough, you can leave them in for a bit longer as well. Pay close attention as delicate green beans can quickly turn from lightly crisped to overdone!
Did you make these air fryer green beans? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Green Beans
These air fryer green beans are the perfect way to get a simple, healthy veggie side dish on the table in only 15 minutes! Finish with a touch of flaky salt and squeeze of lemon for the ultimate flavor bomb.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Scant ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: flaky salt and lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees.
- Season green beans. Place the green beans in a large bowl and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and toss to ensure they're evenly coated.
- Air fry. Place the seasoned green beans in your air fryer in an even layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to air fry the beans in two batches. Air fry at 390 degrees for 8-10 minutes, then remove and serve immediately! Option to sprinkle a little flaky salt (I love Maldon flaky salt) and a squeeze of lemon before serving - highly recommend!
Notes
- Green beans: The final texture of these beans is like a perfectly roasted, lightly crisped bean. They're delicious, but they're not like french fries and they're not extra crunchy on the outside (because they're not breaded).
- Air fryer: We use a Ninja Foodi but any air fryer will work!
- Cook time: Because air fryers can vary, feel free to check your beans at 7 or 8 minutes to see if they're crisped to your liking, or add another minute if 9-10 minutes isn't enough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 152.2 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
FAQ
Yep! Place fully cooled green beans on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove them from the freezer and transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container, and freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to eat them, put them straight in the air fryer from frozen for about 12-15 minutes. Note, the texture of cooked frozen vegetables is always a little different than fresh because the water in the veggies has been frozen and then thawed.
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