Fried green beans seem like they are all the rage right now, and for good reason! They can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or snack. Fried green beans are a great low-carb alternative to regular fries and they are even healthier when made in the air fryer. No deep frying needed to get these crispy, golden green bean fries!

Ingredients

Green Beans – Use FRESH green beans for this recipe. Be sure to get beans that are nice and green and have a good “snap” to them. Frozen green beans will not work. Flour – Flour will lightly coat the green beans and give the egg something to stick toEggs – Beat the eggs well so they can coat the green beans and make it easier for the breadcrumbs to adhere to the beans.Panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are lighter than regular breadcrumbs, making a better texture for the coatingSeasonings – Salt, pepper, and paprika are really all you need to season the breadcrumbs. If you are looking for even more flavor you can add parmesan cheese, garlic powder, chili powder, or any other spices you prefer.Cooking Spray – This helps get that perfect, golden, crispy coating and also helps the breadcrumbs stick to the beans. 

Steps for Making Air Fryer Green Beans

Rinse green beans and snap off the stems. Lightly shake off excess water (they don’t need to be totally dry)Dredge each individual bean with flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the bean in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture until well coated.Place the coated green beans in the bottom of the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray generously with cooking oil spray or olive oil cooking spray.Air fry for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. If you want a darker coating, cook an additional minute or two at 400 degrees. Serve immediately. They are by far the best when they are served hot.

The Quick and Easy Way

The above way of preparing the green beans is definitely the way to go if you want a nice, even coating. Each bean will turn out just right and will be perfect for presentation. However, if you are just whipping up a quick snack for yourself and don’t care as much about the presentation, there is an easier, faster way. This way is much better if you are preparing a large amount. I call it the “shake and bake” method. Here’s what you do:

Rinse the green beans, snap off the stems, and pat dry. Place beans in a Ziplock bag and add flour. Seal the bag making sure there is still lots of air inside. You want the bag to be puffy. Shake until beans are well coated in flour. Discard all excess flour from the bag.Beat eggs and add them to the bag. Gently move the beans around until coated. Try not to handle too much so you don’t rub off the flour coating. Combine breadcrumb mixture and place in a large bowl or deep baking dish. Place beans in a single layer over the breadcrumbs and then gently toss the beans around in the bowl until well coated. Try to not let the beans clump together. Keep them as spread out as you can. Continue with steps 3-5 in the method above to air fry. 

Tips for Air Frying Green Beans

Use fresh green beans – the fresher the betterUse cooking spray to evenly coat the green beans in oil. This will ensure a light, even coating. Know that all air fryers are different. The times suggested work well for the basket air fryer that I tested them in but they can vary depending on size and brand. The first time you make this recipe, keep an eye on your green beans

Oven Methods: Convection Cooking or Baking

Even though an air fryer is just a small convection oven, when using an actual convection oven, the cooking time will vary. I tried this recipe in my large convection oven and found that I needed to raise both the time and temperature. I baked them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees in my convection oven and 10 minutes at 425 degrees in my regular oven. We did a taste test and concluded that air fried in a basket tasted the best, followed by convection oven, followed by the conventional oven. 

Best Dips for Fried Green Beans

Green beans are fine on their own but they taste the best with a good dip! Here are some of our favorite dips for fried green beans:

Storing and Re-Heating the Leftovers

Refrigerated and reheated green beans will not taste as good as when they are first made fresh, but if you must store and re-heat it can be done. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and then re-heat in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes. 

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