The Best Air Fryer Green Beans

I’ve dubbed these the best air fryer green beans because you’ll be hard pressed to find a more flavorful way to prepare a healthy side dish with only 3 core ingredients. Not to mention, they’re incredibly easy to make and can be in and out of the air fryer in about 10 minutes.

So be sure to bookmark this recipe for when you’re short on time and need something to elevate your main dish!

The Best Green Beans Seasoning

The recipe calls for Trader Joe’s citrusy garlic seasoning (pictured below) but don’t worry, you can make these air fried green beans without it. Looking at the label, the primary ingredients are garlic, onion powder, lime and lemon oil, lime juice, salt, red and black pepper, cumin, coriander, and a few herbs. I’m betting you could get by with a dash of garlic powder and onion powder, some salt and pepper, and a little fresh lemon and/or lime juice.

My air fryer Greek potatoes are a good example of mixing lemon juice with olive oil and other seasoning blends before air frying. The key is to preserve any remaining liquid in the mixing bowl for tossing after air frying instead of dumping everything straight in the basket. You can also save the lemon and lime juice or zest for adding to the green beans after air frying.

Don’t overthink the seasoning. My recipe for air fryer green beans has a little twist at the end that will take them up a notch regardless of seasoning.

I also cheated with pre-trimmed green beans from Trader Joe’s, because fresh green beans in an air fryer is the way to go. If you have a bushel of green beans, here’s an easy way to trim them.

How to Air Fry Green Beans

I used an 8-quart Instant Pot Duo Crisp for air frying. Eight minutes at 400ºF, shaking around the five-minute mark, seemed to do the trick for my test batches. The size of your air fryer basket will affect cook time. You may want to reduce the time by a few minutes for larger baskets or extend a few minutes for smaller air fryers. Shaking an extra time is also a good idea for smaller baskets.

P.S. If you have one, you’ll want to check out my other Instant Pot Duo Crisp recipes where you’ll find other air fried veggies like brussels sprouts and butternut squash.

What to Look for in Cooked Green Beans

You’re looking for your green beans to be a bright, vibrant green with slight blistering or charring in places, especially around the ends. See the photo below for an example. They should be crisp-tender, neither soft and mushy (overcooked) nor too crisp (undercooked).

Serving the Air Fried Green Beans

The recipe calls for an optional tablespoon of butter, but I’d highly recommend using it. Once you toss the cooked green beans in the butter all the seasoning and oils bind to the green beans and the flavors really shine through.

You’ll also want to salt and pepper to taste here. And if you’re using the Trader Joe’s seasoning, you can add another dash or two of that.

And for a finishing touch, some freshly grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano really elevates the air fryer green beans to another level. I served mine with some fresh lemon juice, but adding some fresh lemon or lime zest would also be a nice touch. Have fun!

Side note: You could also add some grated parmesan for crispy air fried green beans.

As for what to pair your green beans with, here’s a handful of Kinda Healthy Recipes that first came to mind:

• air fryer steak bites (you could throw the green beans in while the steak bites rest after cooking)
• Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
• BBQ smoked chicken thighs
• garlic parmesan air fryer chicken tenders
• sriracha BBQ baked chicken meatballs
• spicy baked chicken thighs
• low carb cheeseburger skillet

The possibilities are endless. I’d love to hear what you end up serving with your air fryer green beans. Let me know in the comments and if you try this recipe and love it, I’d appreciate a recipe review!