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Introduce an easy side dish to your dinner menu with these Air Fryer Green Beans. They're made with only 4 ingredients in a few steps.

This recipe was originally published January 30, 2020. It was updated with new photos, blog post information, and recipe refinements on March 23, 2021.

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Elevate your side dish game with these Air Fried Green Beans. With just 4 ingredients, 3 steps, and less than 25 minutes you will have a quickly disappearing and healthy side dish the whole family will love.

If I told you green beans could be good enough to be a snack would you believe me?

I know. I wouldn't believe me either.

But then, the other night, high off my new addiction to air frying everything, I threw some green beans in my new Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp and had my whole world turned upside down.

With just olive oil, salt, lemon juice and less than 20 minutes in the air fryer, Chris and I had a side dish that we started snacking on while the rest of the meal finished up.

And before you know it, that snacking turned into the highlight of the meal.

A highlight with a unique naturally sweet flavor, that was delightfully juicy and perfectly seasoned, and that had a lemon finish that I just couldn't quit with.

Basically, a snack so good that it stood no chance of hanging around for leftovers.

So I went ahead and doubled the recipe for you. 'Cause friends don't let friends run out of snacks or leftovers, right?

Here at Mae's Menu, we have a variety of readers: those who are more experienced in the kitchen and want to zip straight through to the recipe and those who want to learn more about the dish, potential substitutions, and more.

To skip straight to the recipe, just click "Jump to Recipe" at the top left of this post. To browse the post quickly, just click the headings in the table of contents below.

These air fried green beans are...

• Fresh
• Nutty
• Naturally sweet
• Gluten-free
• Healthy
• Easy to make
• Ready in a few steps

Whether you're enjoying these green bean fries as a side dish or snack, you're sure to be delighted by how easy and flavorful they are!

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Recipe ingredients:

• Green Beans - the fresher the green beans, the better, because all their natural flavor will be on display!
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Lemon juice - fresh lemon juice is best, but bottled also works!

Recipe substitutions:

• Oil - you can use avocado oil or even refined coconut oil in place of olive oil
• Lemon juice - red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar can substitute for lemon juice

How to make green beans in the air fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
2. Toss the green beans with olive oil and salt until combined.
3. Add the green beans to the air fryer and fry for 11-13 minutes, tossing every 4 minutes, or until the beans are blistered.
4. Pour the green beans into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and gently toss. Serve hot!

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Recipes pro-tips:

• Preheat the air fryer - adding the green beans into a hot air fryer means they can start cooking immediately and cook evenly; just 2-3 minutes of air frying (with the basket or tray inside) does the trick!
• Use fresh green beans - the fresher and sweeter the flavor of the green beans, the better this dish tastes! With farm-fresh beans, you may even call these veggies green bean fries and snack on them straight out of the fryer!
• Shake the beans throughout the cooking time - this ensures that the beans cook evenly
• Use a generous amount of lemon juice - a touch of acid makes all the difference in this recipe. It brings out the flavors of the beans without overpowering them. So, don't skimp on the lemon juice!

Serving suggestions:

Air fryer green beans so go well with a variety of dishes. Here are some of my favorites:

• Bourbon Glazed Salmon
• Hamburgers
• Turkey Sloppy Joes
• Instant Pot Risotto
• Healthy Macaroni and Cheese
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Pork Tenderloin

Other air fryer green bean seasoning options:

Add some variety to your air fried green beans by changing up the seasoning combination. Below are some of my favorite combinations. Add the dried seasonings in with the salt and substitute the vinegar, if listed, for the lemon juice.

• ½ teaspoon Herbs De Provence + white balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning + balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme + lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon + lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon Cajun Seasoning + lemon juice

How to double this recipe:

You can easily double this recipe to make up to 8 servings of green beans. Here's how:

1. Double all the ingredients.
2. Follow the recipe directions as listed, air frying the green beans for 17-19 minutes, shaking or tossing the beans every 4 minutes.
3. Toss the beans with lemon juice and serve!

Storage directions:

Green beans are best enjoyed fresh, but leftover air fryer green beans will last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They do not freeze well.

Reheat on medium heat in the microwave at 30-45 second intervals, or until the beans are heated through.

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula or metal tongs
• Measuring spoons
• Air fryer: I love this one!
• Lemon press (optional)

Check out my other delicious air fryer recipes!

• Air Fryer Smashed Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
• Air Fryer Zucchini
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips

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