Crispy air fryer green beans are a delicious vegan appetizer that’s perfect for parties, Game Day, or anytime you crave a healthy snack that feels decadent.
Coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs and air-fried to perfection, they make a crispy, tender finger food that goes beautifully with spicy chili crisp dipping sauce.
(Don’t have an air fryer? No worries! Optional pan frying instructions are included.)
Growing up, green beans were my favorite vegetable. No question.
However, even though my parents grew green beans in their garden, as a kid, I greatly preferred them poured out of a can. I most enjoyed them covered in butter, or laden with cream of mushroom soup, Thanksgiving casserole-style.
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I discovered how much more versatile green beans could be!
Fresh green beans are delicious roasted, grilled, steamed, pickled, or breaded and air fried, like in the crispy green beans recipe I’m sharing today.
When coated in batter and seasoned panko, these tempting green beans can be a side dish, or they can be the star of an appetizer platter.
Cooked in the air fryer, green beans get beautifully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They are seasoned with paprika, basil, granulated onion, and granulated garlic for a mouthwatering appetizer that pops with flavor.
Pair air fryer green beans with a delicious vegan dipping sauce. (Creamy chili crisp dipping sauce is my fave!) Then enjoy them on their own, or serve them as a side dish alongside a sandwich or wrap.
By the way, while they cook up beautifully crisp in the air fryer, if you’d prefer, they can be shallow fried in a skillet instead. (Pan frying instructions are in the notes section of the recipe card.)
In this recipe:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Green beans: Choose fresh, thick beans that are firm and vibrant with uniform green color.
Kitchen staples: All-purpose flour and baking powder. Baking powder helps with lightness, crispiness, and browning in the breading.
Panko breadcrumbs: For the crispiest coating, I recommend Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs.
If necessary, you can replace panko with standard breadcrumbs. Just read the ingredient label to be sure they’re vegan.
Seasonings: Dried basil, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and pepper.
Oil: For air frying or pan frying, I recommend a neutral-flavored, high heat oil like avocado oil. For air frying, spray form works best.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Remove stems from clean, dry green beans. Then make a breading station. To start, put cornstarch on one plate.
2. Then in a bowl, make a batter that’s the consistency of waffle batter by combining:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Water
3. On another dinner plate, combine:
- Panko bread crumbs
- Dried basil
- Paprika
- Granulated garlic
- Granulated onion
- Salt
- Pepper
Tip: Once panko gets damp, it doesn’t adhere well. So I recommend using just half the amount of the panko and seasonings listed in the ingredients. Then once you run out, add the remaining half. This keeps all of it from getting damp too early.
4. Now it’s time to start breading. Toss each of the green beans in cornstarch to coat it, and tap off any excess.
Remember: When breading, use one hand for wet & one for dry. By always dipping one hand into the wet batter and the other into the dry panko, you will have less mess & clean up while you bread the green beans.
5. Dip each green bean into the thick batter, and tap off the excess. Then dredge each bean in the panko mixture, until fully coated on all over.
6. As you finish each one, put the breaded green beans on a clean, dry plate.
7. Once all of the green beans are breaded, put them into the air fryer basket in a single shallow layer, being careful not to overcrowd.
Tip: You’ll need to cook the breaded green beans in batches. When air fryer baskets are over-filled the air can’t flow as well, and the green beans don’t brown as nicely or quickly.
Spray with oil and air fry at 360 degrees for 6 minutes (or until fully browned), stopping once to carefully flip & spray any parts that aren’t browned.
Remember: Every air fryer runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own air fryer. Adjust as needed.
8. Once they’re browned all over, remove the fried green beans from the air fryer basket, sprinkle with salt, and serve with dipping sauce.
Optional pan frying instructions
If you’d prefer, these breaded green beans can be fried in a skillet instead.
Bring a skillet to a medium high heat with about a half inch of avocado oil or other high heat oil.
Fry breaded green beans for about 5 minutes. Flip when they are golden brown on one side, and keep frying until brown all over.
Then move to a towel-lined plate to drain. Finish with a pinch of salt.
Make it your own
You can make this fried appetizer your own by varying the ingredients.
Vary the seasonings: Replace the dried basil, paprika, granulated garlic, and granulated onion with any of the following:
- Italian seasoning
- Cajun seasoning salt
- Fox Point seasoning
- Onion salt
- Your favorite seasoning salt
- Add nutritional yeast flakes for cheesy flavor
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for spicy heat
Make it oil-free: If you’re air frying, you can omit the oil. The green beans won’t brown as nicely, but they will still be crispy.
Make it gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, and replace standard panko with gluten-free panko.
Dipping sauce recommendations
While you can enjoy this vegan green beans appetizer all on its own, it’s infinitely more fun with a dipping sauce.
Here are a variety of egg-free & dairy-free dipping sauce options:
- Spicy chili crisp dipping sauce (My preferred choice for this dish!)
- Creamy onion & garlic dressing
- Vegan sriracha mayonnaise
- Vegan ranch dressing
- Lemon garlic aioli
- Cocktail sauce
- Vegan honey mustard
Storage and reheating instructions
Store leftovers in the fridge in a covered container. They will keep for 3 or 4 days.
Reheat them in the air fryer. Air fry at 360 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, stopping once to gently flip halfway through.
Once reheated, they’re just as good as they were fresh. In fact, maybe better. With that second air frying, they get even browner and crispier.
You could easily make the fried green beans ahead of time for a gathering. Then just plan to reheat in the air fryer once guests arrive. A terrific time saver!
Serving ideas
Air fryer green beans can be an appetizer or side dish for a larger meal.
Enjoy them as a side dish for any of these sandwiches or wraps:
FAQ
For spicier air fried green beans, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Or serve them with a spicy dipping sauce like vegan chili crisp dipping sauce or vegan sriracha mayo.
Yes! Air fryer green beans don’t brown as nicely without oil, but they will still be crispy and delicious.
After refrigerating, the green beans and panko breadcrumb coating will soften. So be sure to air fry them long enough to crisp up again.
To reheat, I recommend air frying at 360 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes or until perfectly crispy.
Yes, loads of them! Check out this round-up of 50 vegan air fryer recipes for even more ideas.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Crispy air fryer green beans
Ingredients
- 6 ounces green beans Roughly 30 green beans
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 6 to 8 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs divided, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil divided, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon paprika divided, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic divided, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion divided, plus more if necessary
- Dash of pepper
- Avocado oil oil spray for air frying or regular oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Wash green beans in a colander. Then pour them onto a clean kitchen towel to blot dry. (They bread more easily when dry.) Remove stems from green beans. Then set aside.
- Now it's time to make a breading station with a medium-sized shallow bowl and 3 plates. (The final plate is for holding the breaded green beans as they're prepared.)
- On one dinner plate, put cornstarch.
- In the bowl, use a fork or whisk to combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, and 6 Tablespoons of water. After the batter is mixed, slowly add 1 or 2 more Tablespoons of water, as needed, until it has the thickness of waffle batter. The panko breading sticks a little better if the batter is on the thick side with no lumps.
- On another dinner plate, combine ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon granulated onion, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper.(For the panko part of the breading station, I recommend just putting half the amount of breadcrumbs & seasonings in the ingredients list, because panko doesn't stick well once it gets wet. So it's better to just use half, finish it, and then add the second half once you run out. If at any point the panko gets too wet and isn't sticking, throw the panko mixture away and start over.)
- One at a time, toss each green bean in cornstarch, and tap off any excess. Then dip it into the batter and fully coat it. Tap off any excess batter. Then dredge it in the panko breadcrumb mixture until it's fully covered. (For less mess when breading, use one hand for wet & one for dry. By always dipping one hand into the wet batter and the other into the dry panko, you will have less mess & clean up while you bread the green beans.)As you finish each one, set the breaded green bean on the separate final plate.When you run out of seasoned panko, add the remaining ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon granulated onion, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper to the breadcrumb mixture plate. Then continue breading until all of the green beans are coated. (If you run out of panko mixture again, add more panko and seasonings as needed.)
- Put the breaded green beans into the air fryer basket in a single shallow layer. Be careful not to overcrowd, or they won't brown as nicely. (You'll likely need to work in batches. Be aware that subsequent batches may cook faster, because the air fryer is hot.) Lightly spritz the green beans with oil. Air fry at 360 degrees for 6 minutes, stopping once at about 4 minutes to carefully flip the beans with a spatula. Spray any white parts with oil, and continue air frying until brown all over. Remember that air fryers vary. You may need to cook slightly longer or shorter, depending on your machine. (Prefer to pan fry? See the notes section of the recipe card for instructions.)
- Remove the browned green beans from air fryer and finish with another pinch of salt. Serve with spicy vegan chili crisp dipping sauce or your preferred sauce.
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