Introduce a new healthy side dish (or snack!) to your dinner menu with these Air Fryer Green Beans with Lemon. They’re healthy, vegan, and take only 3 steps to make!

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Elevate your green bean side dish game with these Air Fried Green Beans with Lemon. 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?

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These Air Fryer Green Beans with Lemon are…

• Naturally sweet
• Lightly nutty
• Delicately citrusy
• Salty Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Low-carb
• A healthy side dish
• Even a perfect snack
• … and something I just can’t get enough of

More than just a healthy side dish recipe, the salt, fat, and acid in this dish makes these veggies a delicious and well-balanced snack almost any time of day.

What ingredients are in these air fried greenbeans?

Green Beans – the fresher the green beans, the better, because all their natural flavor will be on display! I love making these green beans with fresh beans from the farmers market.

Olive oil – we will only need a little bit of olive oil, but you’ll want a decent level extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. A good olive oil will work to only step up the flavor of this dish.

Salt – the right amount of salt enhances the flavor of so many foods, especially vegetables. I recommend a nice sea salt or a flaky salt

Lemon juice – the brightness of lemon brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of the green beans!

Recipe substitutions

Green beans –it feels silly to talk about this green bean recipe without green beans, but you can also make this with zucchini and broccoli! Just just the zucchini into 1/2-1″ cubes and the broccoli into smaller florets and check the veggies periodically throughout the cooking time and cook until they’re golden and brown.

Oil – you also can use avocado oil or even refined coconut oil in place of the olive oil in this recipe.

Lemon juice – if you don’t have lemon juice or want to try something else, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar are also delicious on this recipe!

How do air fryers work?

Air fryers work by rapidly circulating hot air around whatever they are cooking. Doing so allows them to fry the food and get them nice and crispy without using a lot of oil or grease.

How do I preheat my air fryer?

To preheat your air fryer, close the air fryer lid or door with the basket still in the air fryer. Turn on the air fryer to the desired temperature and let preheat for the amount of time your recipe says.

Can you open an air fryer when it’s cooking?

Yes! You can open an air fryer when it’s cooking. Some models of air fryers even pause when the door or lid is open. Just make sure to use oven mitts when grabbing the air fryer basket if you open up the air fryer to adjust or shake it.

What veggies can you cook in an air fryer?

You can cook so many different veggies in an air fryer! In this recipe, we’ll be cooking air fryer green beans but I also love air frying brussels sprouts, sweet potato fries, broccoli, french fries, and more!

How do you make Air Fryer Green Beans?

First: Preheat the air fryer and toss the green beans with olive oil and salt.

Second: Add the green beans to the air fryer basket and fry for 17-19 minutes, tossing every 4 minutes, or until the beans are a deeper green & blistered around the edges.

Third: Move the green beans into a large serving bowl, sprinkle the lemon juice over the beans, toss the beans until covered with lemon juice, and sprinkle with any additional salt, to season.

At what temperature do you air fry green beans?

You will be air frying these green beans at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the best air fryer to use for this recipe?

I absolutely love my Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp. It has a great air fryer feature with a basket and a rack component as well as a pressure cooker feature. It’s a bit more pricey, but I love having one appliance on my counter instead of two.

If you don’t want a pressure cooker component, this Ninja Foodi Air Fryer is also amazing.

What do you serve air fryer green beans with?

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

• Bourbon Glazed Salmon
• Turkey Sloppy Joes
• Instant Pot Risotto
• Healthy Macaroni and Cheese
• Hamburgers
• Cuban Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers
• Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken and Rice

How long do air fryer green beans last?

Leftover air fryer green beans will last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

What else can you season green beans with?

You can season your green beans with so many seasonings. Here are some of my favorite ones. Just season with 1/2-3/4 teaspoons of whichever you choose.

• Herbs De Provence
• Italian Seasoning
• Thyme
• Tarragon
• Cajun Seasoning

Check out my other delicious healthy vegetable recipes:

• Air Fryer Smashed Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
• Honey Glazed Turmeric Carrots
• Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips
• Healthy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Figs & Manchego Cheese
• Sauteed Yellow Squash & Zucchini
• Basil Pesto Spaghetti Squash Recipe
• Lacinato Kale Salad with Butternut Squash
• Roasted Cauliflower & Cabbage Salad
• Chickpea & Grilled Corn Salad with Roasted Garlic Salad Dressing

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Yield: 8 servings

Air Fryer Green Beans with Lemon (Healthy & Vegan!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Crunchy, flavorful, and addictive green beans made with less than 4 ingredients and ready in less than 25 minutes.

These beans are healthy, vegan, and low carb. I recommend 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt before frying the beans and season with the additional 1/4 teaspoon salt after tossing the fried beans with lemon, if desired.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 lbs green beans, washed & trimmed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, toss the beans in the olive oil until they are evenly covered with oil.

3. Sprinkle the beans with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss further until the salt evenly covers all the beans.

4. Add the beans to the air fryer basket and air fry for 17-19 minutes, shaking the beans every 4 minutes, or until the beans are blistered and browning around the edges,

5. Pour the beans into a large serving bowl and squeeze or pour the lemon juice over the beans. Toss the beans until they're covered with the lemon juice and season with up to an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste.

Notes

1. Store the leftover green beans covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat green beans in the microwave at medium heat for about 1-2 minutes per serving.

2. If your air fryer doesn't fit 2 pounds of green beans or you don't need that many, air fry the beans in 2 portions, checking them for doneness around 14-15 minutes and adding any extra time in 1-2 minute intervals, if needed.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 70Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 200mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 2g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.