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Air Fryer Green Beans are a fast 20-minute vegan and gluten free side dish perfect for a busy weeknight or your holiday menu! Enjoy them served simply roasted or topped with toasted almonds and lemon juice.
Super Crispy Green Beans
When I start planning holiday menus, it can be so easy to fill up on decadent (and delicious) dishes like Bacon Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes, stuffing and Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie. Of course, those are must-haves on any Thanksgiving or Christmas menu. But let’s not leave out the green stuff. My favorite way to add a light, healthy and vegetarian-friendly side dish to my holiday table is with green beans. They’re in season and always popular.
And when you make them in an air fryer, you don’t have to sacrifice a stovetop burner or space in the oven! This is the best fast and flavorful way to make green beans for holiday entertaining.
Of course, you can make this easy side dish all year long! You don’t even have to dress them up. They are just as delicious served simply seasoned with salt and pepper. I love serving them with Honey Mustard Chicken Bites for a family meal on busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this quick air fryer recipe:
- Green beans. Trim the stem ends before you start cooking.
- Olive oil. You can use a different cooking oil if you prefer.
- Sliced almonds. These are optional but add a nice crunch to the dish.
- Lemon. Also optional, but it’s delicious to brighten up the dish.
How to Make Air Fryer Green Beans
This is a straightforward recipe that comes together in less than 20 minutes. Here’s how to do it:
Prepare for cooking: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Prep the green beans by washing and trimming the ends.
Season the green beans: Toss the green beans with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Cook: Air fry the green beans for 7 minutes. Then add the almonds if you’re using them, and toss everything together. Air fry for another 3 to 5 minutes. The beans are done when they’re crisp-tender and the nuts are golden.
Serve: Transfer the dish to a serving plate and toss with lemon juice if you like. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making crispy green beans in the air fryer:
- Choose green beans that are of similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- Tossing the green beans halfway through ensures that they get crisp on all sides.
- You only need to remove the stem end of the green beans, not the pointy tip.
- Use raw almonds, as they’ll get toasted in the air fryer.
How Long To Air Fry Green Beans
I find that in my air fryer, green beans reach the perfect crisp-tender texture after about 10 minutes. Of course, all air fryers differ, so it’s important to check your beans as they cook. Toss the green beans after 7 minutes. If they’re already quite crisp, you may only need another minute to finish cooking. If not, you may need another 5 to 8 minutes.
Storage
These green beans are best enjoyed fresh out of the air fryer. But you can pack leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to four days.
Can I Freeze Cooked Green Beans?
You can freeze cooked green beans. Just note that they won’t have the same snappy texture when they’ve been defrosted. To freeze this dish, let the green beans cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months.
when you’re ready to serve, defrost the green beans in the fridge overnight. Reheat them in the air fryer, microwave or on the stove in a saucepan until heated through.
What Air Fryer Should I Use?
This is such a simple air fryer recipe that it will work in any model you have, as long as you pay attention to the cooking time. However, I use and recommend the COSORI Air Fryer Max XL. It is large enough to fit plenty of food inside, so you won’t always have to work in batches. And I like the basket models because it is easy to shake everything around part of the way through the cooking time so that it all cooks evenly.
COSORI Air Fryer Max XL(100 Recipes) Digital Hot Oven Cooker, One Touch Screen with 13 Cooking Functions, Preheat and Shake Reminder, 5.8 QT, Black
Then use it to make more veggies like:
- Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Parmesan Crusted Air Fryer Asparagus
- Bacon Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Tender-crisp Air Fryer Zucchini
Air Fryer Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans , washed and ends snipped off
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup sliced almonds , optional
- Lemon , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Wash and dry the green beans thoroughly and snip off the ends.
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper, being sure to coat it thoroughly. Place the beans in the air fryer basket.
- Cook in the air fryer at 380°F for 7 minutes. Open the air fryer, sprinkle the almonds over the green beans, if using, and toss gently. Cook at 380°F for another 3-5 minutes or until the green beans are crisp-tender, or your desired doneness (and the almonds are toasted, if using them).
- Remove from the air fryer. Serve as-is or squeeze the juice from a couple of lemon wedges over the green beans and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of lemon zest, if desired.
Did you make this?
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