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Looking for a quick 15-minute side dish? These air fryer green beans are tender, slightly crispy, and loaded with garlic. Made entirely in the air fryer with just 5 ingredients, this healthy side dish pairs well with any meal!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- A great last-minute side dish. If you’re still in need of a side dish after focusing on the main meal, these green beans are just perfect. They come together in less than 15 minutes with only 5 simple ingredients.
- Garlicky and peppery. Say goodbye to bland green beans! Here, green beans are tossed with olive oil, plenty of garlic, salt, and black pepper and finished with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley.
- Tender and slightly crispy. Air frying yields green beans that are tender on the inside and crispy on the edges. Just a heads up, be aware that green beans cooked in an air fryer will likely turn out slightly drier and chewier than if you were to boil or steam them. The good news is that air frying is much faster, and air-fried green beans still taste delicious!
🫛 Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make garlic green beans:
- Fresh green beans – Pick the freshest green beans for optimal flavor. They must be firm with a vibrant green color and smooth skin. They should also snap when you bend them. If you see signs of mold or creases, the green beans are probably not fresh anymore.
- Oil – I went with olive oil but any oil will work. Alternatively, you can also use melted vegan butter.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for a pungent and piquant aroma.
- Salt and pepper – To season. Regarding the pepper, you can use black pepper, white pepper, or crushed peppercorn if you want a floral aroma.
🥣 How to Make It
Prepare the green beans
- Clean the green beans. Start soaking the green beans in cold water for 2-3 minutes. Clean them well to remove any dirt, and drain them well. Transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to remove the remaining moisture.
- Cut off the stems. Using your hands or a small knife, cut off the stems of the green beans and discard them.
- Toss with oil. Transfer the green beans to a mixing bowl and pour olive oil. Toss to coat the green beans with the oil.
- Season. Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and toss again to coat.
Air Fry
- Preheat your air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Add the green beans to the basket. Arrange the green beans in an even layer in the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some of them overlap.
- Air fry. Finally, air fry for 7-8 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket once halfway through baking. If you want the green beans slightly caramelized, air fry for another 1-2 minutes.
📔 Tips
- Pat the green beans dry. After rinsing the green beans, ensure you are patting them dry completely. This will allow the oil and seasonings to coat them evenly.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. To prevent uneven cooking, it is important to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some green beans overlap, but they should be arranged into a single layer. I recommend air frying in two batches if you are planning to double the recipe.
- Check doneness. Since all brands of air fryers yield slightly different results, I recommend checking the doneness of the green beans after 6 minutes. If they are still firm, cook for another 2 minutes and check again.
- Do not omit the oil. Oil or melted butter is essential to achieve a crispy texture. It also brings richness, enhancing the overall flavor.
🌶️ Variations
If you are looking for some variations to try, here are a few ideas:
- Make it spicy: Add chili powder or half of a finely chopped Thai chili pepper.
- Make it sweet: Drizzle with a teaspoon of maple syrup for a sweet and salty side dish!
- Infuse with spices: Sprinkle with a generous pinch of cumin, garam masala, paprika, or five-spice.
- Add dried herbs: For a herby, more rustic flavor, add dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, or your favorite Italian seasoning mix.
🍗 What to Serve It With
These air fryer green beans will perfectly accompany vegan meatloaf, vegetable Wellington, or vegan chicken!
❄️ Storing and Reheating
- To store: You can store these green beans in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Please keep them in an airtight container or plate covered with plastic wrap.
- To reheat: You can sauté them in a pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or use the reheat function of your air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
💬 FAQ
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes, frozen green beans will work. Thaw on the counter for 1 hour and pat them dry before using.
How do I know when the green beans are done?
Green beans should be tender on the inside and slightly caramelized and crispy on the outside.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Considering how quickly this recipe comes together, I do not recommend making it ahead of time. While reheated green beans taste great, they taste better if served immediately after air frying.
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Air Fryer Green Beans
Looking for a quick 15-minute side dish? These air fryer green beans are tender, slightly crispy, and loaded with garlic. Made entirely in the air fryer with just 5 ingredients, this healthy side dish pairs well with any meal!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Prepare the green beans
- Clean the green beans. Start soaking the green beans in cold water for 2-3 minutes. Clean them well to remove any dirt, and drain them well. Transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to remove the remaining moisture.
- Cut off the stems. Using your hands or a small knife, cut off the stems of the green beans and discard them.
- Toss with oil. Transfer the green beans to a mixing bowl and pour olive oil. Toss to coat the green beans with the oil. Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and toss again to coat.
Air Fry
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Add the green beans to the basket. Arrange the green beans in an even layer in the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some of them overlap.
- Air fry. Finally, air fry for 7-8 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket once halfway through baking. If you want the green beans slightly caramelized, air fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Transfer the cooked green beans to a serving plate, add the chopped parsley, and toss to combine.
- You can store these green beans in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Please keep them in an airtight container or plate covered with plastic wrap.
Notes
- Pat the green beans dry. After rinsing the green beans, ensure you are patting them dry completely. This will allow the oil and seasonings to coat them evenly.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. To prevent uneven cooking, it is important to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some green beans overlap, but they should be arranged into a single layer. I recommend air frying in two batches if you are planning to double the recipe.
- Check doneness. Since all brands of air fryers yield slightly different results, I recommend checking the doneness of the green beans after 6 minutes. If they are still firm, cook for another 2 minutes and check again.
- Do not omit the oil. Oil or melted butter is essential to achieve a crispy texture. It also brings richness, enhancing the overall flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 99 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.1 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 293 mg | Potassium: 29 mg | Fiber: 4.4 g | Sugar: 1.4 g | Calcium: 64 mg | Iron: 1 mg
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About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Leave a Comment
Excellent side dish. I just tried it. Thanhk you for sharing!
Thanks for your feedback Emy!
I usually like Thomas’ stuff, but this was inedible. I threw it all away. The green beans had a tough texture, and the garlic got bitter in this process. I think I will use this idea, but just do them in a pan on the stove for better control on when to add the garlic (towards the end). My green beans were smaller and younger looking than the pic, so maybe it just sucked the life out of them. But, we won’t make this again as written.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like this recipe! Although I am really surprised the result was “inedible” and the garlic got bitter, as I never had that happen. Maybe your green beans were way too small, hence the cooking time should have been adjusted.
Are you sure you didn’t burn your green beans by cooking them for over 8 minutes? I followed the recipe, and they tasted so good. Didn’t have any problem like you said.
I got an air fryer as a Christmas gift this year and was so excited to try making something good with the veggies I got in the fridge. This recipe tasted so good, sure, the green beans don’t have the same taste as when we cook them on the stove. But I do love how easy it is to prepare my dish. For people who don’t want to spend much time cooking like me, it’s the perfect choice.
Thank you for the recipe, Thomas!
Glad you liked it Julia! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
I was wondering what to cook with my new air fryer and found your blog. One word to say about this recipe: Amazing! I’m gonna try your other air fryer recipes soon.
I’m glad you liked it Lin! Thanks for your feedback and rating 🙂