Simple 15-Minute Air Fryer Green Beans

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 5 minutes of prep, and up to 10 minutes of cooking.

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When it comes to easy veggie sides and using up garden produce, an air fryer is a game-changer! A few summers ago, we started making more air fryer veggies to use up farmers market and CSA veggies, and we've never looked back. While we love easy air fryer squash and simple air fryer parsnips in winter months, our summer favorite has quickly become air fryer green beans-just toss, air fry, and in less than 15 minutes, you have caramelized, lightly crisped green beans-no oven needed.

In peak Midwest summer (green bean season for us!), we love serving them with grilled chicken, smoky turkey burgers, or salmon for a healthy dinner. If you need a no-fuss way to use up fresh green beans... let's make them in the air fryer!

Key Ingredients & Notes

• Fresh green beans - From your CSA, farmer's market, garden, or local store!
• Seasonings - We'll keep it pretty basic with olive oil, salt, and pepper for cooking, but finishing these green beans with flaky salt and lemon wedges is delicious! Freshly shredded parmesan is always tasty too.

Please see recipe card for full instructions.

Variations

• Oven roasted - Even though these are air fryer green beans, you can totally roast them in your oven for the same results (air fryers are a mini convection oven, after all). 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.

How to Make Delicious Air Fryer Green Beans

Step 1: If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat at 390 degrees for a few minutes while you prep the beans. 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 2: 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 3: 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. Air fry the green beans for 9-10 minutes at 390 degrees, tossing and checking for doneness halfway through.

Then you're done! Yum! If you'd like, squeeze on some lemon and sprinkle on some flaky salt, then serve 'em up with your favorite protein.

Air Fryer Note: I use a 5-quart Ninja Foodi air fryer, and depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the green beans in multiple batches or check at minute 7-8. It's okay if some are touching and overlapping, but you want to avoid a tall mound of green beans, which will block the air circulation for beans in the center.