Cooking greens beans in the air fryer makes for the perfect easy vegetable side! Perfectly tender, flavorful, and easy to make. This quick side dish is perfect to throw together on a busy weeknight and uses just 3 basic ingredients.
This is truly the easiest and tastiest way to make green beans. Perfectly tender and super quick to make, these green beans are a great way to add veggies to any meal on a busy weeknight. Done in about 10 minutes (start to finish), these green beans are an amazing vegetable side dish with steak, chicken, crispy tofu, meatloaf, seafood, or even risotto. A simple side dish that only takes 3 ingredients and can fit into almost any eating style.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this Air Fryer Green Bean recipe with frozen green beans?
You sure can! Toss the frozen green beans with oil and salt, just as you would fresh. Place in air fryer and cook at 400℉ for 9-13 minutes, shaking the basket after 7 minutes of cooking and watching closely for the remainder of the cook time.
If you are using cut frozen green beans versus long ones, you may need a shorter cook time and I suggest watching the beans closely after 5 minutes for doneness.
Can these green beans be made ahead of time?
I prefer them cooked and enjoyed fresh, but you can make these Air Fryer Green Beans as part of meal prep and store them in an air tight container in you fridge for about 3 days.
Do I have to use oil when making these green beans?
I know it seems counterintuitive to add oil to an air fryer recipe, but in my personal experience, you need to have a little oil to get that lovely texture and flavor.
If you prefer to reduce the oil in this Air Fryer Green Bean recipe, you can use 1/2 a tablespoon or a few sprays of cooking oil in place of the recommended 1 tablespoon. However, the results may vary in flavor and outside texture of the green beans.
Which air fryer is best for this recipe?
There are so many different air fryers on the market. After a ton of research and talking to my other food blogging pals, I settled on THIS air fryer. It has been wonderful, is perfect for our small family, and I recommend it frequently. If you are looking for an air fryer that can accommodate more elements of a meal or can cook larger batches, I suggest getting THIS ONE.
How to trim fresh green beans?
Trimming fresh green beans can be done pretty quickly!
- Grab a handful of fresh green beans and make sure they are all going lengthwise on your cutting board.
- Use the palm of your hand or the edge of your knife to line up the ends of the green beans.
- Use your knife to cut off the ends in one slice.
- Flip the stack of beans, line up the other side of the beans with your hand or knife, and trim.
- Continue until all beans have been trimmed.
Time saving hack: Buy pre-trimmed green beans. Most grocery stores carry pre- trimmed beans in the refrigeration section of the produce area. Grab a bag of those to keep on hand in your fridge to make this easy vegetable side even easier!
Other green bean recipes to add to your rotation
Green beans are a super versatile veggie that can be enjoyed as a simple side dish or be added to so many other recipes to make them deliciously veggie-loaded.
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Teriyaki Sheet Pan Salmon with Vegetables
- Chicken Piccata Stir-Fry
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
- Chickpea Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
- Sheet Pan Orange Tofu & Veggies
- Healthier Tater Tot Casserole (with veggies)
- Lentil Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
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Air Fryer Green Beans
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans washed, dried and end trimmed
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Place clean green beans in a large bowl. Drizzle oil over the green beans and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.
- Add the green beans to the basket of your air fryer and cook at 400º F for 7-10 minutes, depending on how tender you like your beans.
- After 5 minutes of cooking, remove the basket and give it a gentle shake to toss the beans around. This will help them to evenly cook. After the 7 minutes of cooking time are up, taste a bean to see if it cooked to your preference. If you like your green beans a bit softer, continue cooking for an additional minute or two, keeping a close eye on the beans for the rest of the cooking time. They should be a vibrant green when done.
- Remove the green beans from your air fryer immediately when cooked to your liking and enjoy warm. Sprinkle with a little pepper or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Grab a handful of fresh green beans and make sure they are all going lengthwise on your cutting board.
- Use the palm of your hand or the edge of your knife to line up the ends of the green beans.
- Use your knife to cut off the ends in one slice.
- Flip the stack of beans, line up the other side of the beans with your hand or knife, and trim.
- Continue until all beans have been trimmed.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
How would you cook these in an GE oven with a built in air fryer? Do I need to purchase a basket?
Hi Marie! I have never used an oven with a built in air fryer, so I am not sure what tweaks you would need to make to the method of this recipe for your appliance. I would think a basket would be helpful for helping circulate the heat under the asparagus for even cooking, but again. that is just a guess!