How to Make Fried Green Beans: Air Fryer Green Beans Recipe

Fried green beans, or green bean fries, are green beans that are breaded or coated in batter and then air-fried, pan-fried, or deep-fried until they’re golden-brown and crispy. You can serve them as a side dish or with ranch dressing as an appetizer.

You can also replace French fries with fried green beans. Unlike French fries, which have a soft and almost fluffy interior, fried green beans retain an element of crunch.

Even though green beans, also called string beans, are considered a vegetable and are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, fried green beans are packed with carbohydrates and calories.

Safety is important when frying in hot oil. Fried green beans are an easy side dish but still require close attention. Here are some tips for making pan-frying or deep-frying crispy fried green beans:

1. 1. Practice the method of “mise en place.” A French phrase meaning “everything in its place,” mise en place is an important practice in cooking and baking, but especially in frying, since things must move very quickly. Have paper towels next to your frying vessel, like a deep-fryer or Dutch oven, for absorbing excess oil. Keep salt and pepper nearby, as well as any utensils you may need during the frying process, so that when the green beans are ready to come out of the oil, you are ready, too.
2. 2. Dry your green beans after blanching. When you are blanching green beans in preparation for traditional frying, you submerge them in boiling water for no more than three minutes, then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Water and hot oil are dangerous to mix (it can cause a scalding splatter), so it’s crucial to thoroughly dry your blanched green beans before breading them and eventually frying them. The drying process will also allow your breading or batter to actually stick to the green beans. This is also why you might want to stay away from frozen green beans, as they contain a lot of excess water.
3. 3. Heat your oil appropriately. If your oil temperature is too low, when you add the green beans, they will sink to the bottom and absorb oil until the oil comes up to temperature, which is when they’ll begin to fry. This will cause your fried green beans to be greasy and will overcook them before they can crisp up.
4. 4. Choose the right oil. For deep-frying, you’ll want to use an oil with a high smoke point, meaning the oil can be heated to a high heat before it starts to smoke and eventually catch fire. For deep-frying, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil work best. For pan-frying, you can use olive oil since you’re not using much of it, but note that it will add a stronger flavor to the end result.
5. 5. Prepare your seasonings. Season your fried green beans with additional salt and black pepper as soon as they come out of the oil because this is when seasonings will adhere best to the crispy exterior. If you’re using other seasonings like Parmesan cheese or a powdered seasoning blend with garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper, these can be added to your breading mixture or tossed with the green beans after they’ve fried and while they’re still hot.

Air fryer green beans don’t require hot oil. However, you still want to make sure your green beans are as dry as possible, so they can get nice and crispy.

Crispy green bean fries can be eaten on their own or dunked into a dip or sauce. Here are five dip options:

• Dressings: Ranch dressing, with its creamy, tangy flavor, is a popular choice, but you might also enjoy other cream-based dressings with your fried green beans.
• Chip dips: Dips that are usually paired with potato chips, such as french onion dip or sour cream dip, can also complement fried green beans.
• Sauces: Good sauces to serve alongside green bean fries include barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha. For an even more interesting flavor profile, try a mix of sriracha and either sour cream, mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt.
• Mustards: There are sweet mustards and spicy mustards and everything in between. Try honey mustard or horseradish mustard with your green bean fries, depending on your preferences.