One of my favorite uses for the air fryer is roasted vegetables. Thin green beans, often labeled as Haricot verts or French cut green beans are especially delicious. There’s no pre-steaming or blanching required here. Green beans are tossed simply in olive oil, salt and pepper and in just a few minutes they turn lightly browned and perfectly cooked. The air fryer is a great size for side-dish sized recipes like vegetables and these are done in 10 minutes, which is pretty doable for just about any meal! Give these air fried green beans a try next time you need a quick and easy crowd-pleasing side dish!
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
- Green Beans – you can use this method for any style of green beans, but my favorite are “french green beans” as pictured below. They are thinner and quick cooking.
- Olive Oil – you may use any oil of choice. Avocado oil works great as well.
- Salt and Black Pepper – I suggest kosher salt for most cooking needs. If you are substituting a fine salt like table salt, you will want to decrease it a bit from what is called for. You can always add more to taste. These beans are also very adaptable to other seasonings. We like to add lemon pepper sometimes, or garlic powder, or even some chili flakes.
- Air Fryer – If you don’t own an air fryer yet, I genuinely love having one! I’ve had 2 different brands and enjoyed them both. This Power XL one is great for larger capacities, and this Instant Pot brand was the highest rated and recommended by America’s Test Kitchen.
Instructions for Air Fried Green Beans
Preparation for these air fried green beans takes less than 2 minutes!
- Wash green beans, and if necessary (or desired), trim off tips if part of the stem is still attached. A pair of clean scissors works great for this task!
- Drizzle green beans with olive oil, or oil of choice.
- Sprinkle green beans with salt and pepper, or any other seasonings, if desired.
- Cook green beans in the air fryer at 400°F, shaking to turn once during cooking. You can cook according to preference. I like to take them out when they start turning golden and browned in spots, at about 8-10 minutes. Thinner beans will cook quicker than fatter beans. If you like your beans a little more crisp on the inside, you might like to take them out after 6-7 minutes. The result is soft tender beans, evenly cooked throughout. It’s an incredibly quick and easy side dish that doesn’t require heating up the oven for such a short cook time! These make a great side dish for just about any meal.
Storing and Other Tips
- These beans are best made fresh! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
- Feel free to experiment with adding other seasonings like seasoning salt, onion, or garlic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! Asparagus would be great. Even young broccoli or snap peas would probably work really well.
I have never tried this method with frozen beans. If you’d like to try it, I recommend thawing your beans in a bowl of water for a few minutes before patting dry and mixing with oil and salt and pepper.
You can follow the same method for preparing your beans and cook in a 400°F oven until brown and crispy. The cooking time on this will vary based on the size of your beans, so start with about 10 minutes and keep a close eye on them after that!
Air Fryer Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb french style thin green beans
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher sale
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400℉.
- Place green beans in a bowl and add olive oil (I use 2 tablespoons, but if you'd like to use less, just make sure you have enough to have them coated.)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Place in air fryer and spread beans out into an even layer.
- All air fryers are different, but I suggest cooking for 6-8 minutes for soft green beans that get browned and slightly crisp on the outside, and 8-10 for a crisper bite. Give them a shake about half way through cooking and that's a good time to check.
Notes
- These beans are best made fresh! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
- Feel free to experiment with adding other seasonings like seasoning salt, onion, or garlic.
Questions & Reviews
You’re really saving me some time here. This time of year the grandmother start bringing me green beans and okra but I never thought about using the air fryer till today. This year is going to be so easy
These air fryer green beans from Our Best Bites look absolutely delicious! I love how simple and quick they are to make, perfect for a side dish any night of the week. The addition of olive oil, salt, and pepper gives them a nice flavor, but I also appreciate your suggestion of adding other seasonings like lemon pepper or garlic powder for some variety.