What’s the best way to cook frozen green beans? I think it’s this frozen green beans air fryer recipe! A healthy alternative to breaded frozen green beans, these seasoned green beans require only 3 ingredients. Simply pick up a bag of frozen green beans at Walmart, Aldi, Trader Joe’s or another store and you’re ready to cook. Get the air fryer time and temp here for this easy air fryer recipe!
Want to know how to make frozen green beans taste good? Then you’re going to love today’s air fryer frozen green beans recipe.
These air fryer frozen string beans could not be easier. There’s no thawing, because you do not have to thaw frozen green beans before cooking. Additionally, unlike making saute green beans in a skillet, air frying is pretty hands off.
You can use Birds eye, store brand, or your favorite brand of frozen green beans for this recipe. Tempura battered or breaded green beans, such as PF Chang’s, may have a shorter air frying time and not require adding cooking oil. (Speaking of crispy green bean fries, have you tried my air fryer green bean fries yet? YUM)
I’m a fan of the plain frozen green beans because they can be used in so many ways. Sprinkle on some bacon, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic, Italian seasoning... The possibilities are endless!
If you need some easy side dish ideas that will help you eat more veggies, I hope you try this recipe. It will make getting dinner on the table on weeknights a little easier.
Jump to:
- 🥘 Frozen Green Beans in Air Fryer Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Cook Frozen Green Beans in an Air Fryer
- ⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
- 🌡️ Do frozen green beans go bad?
- 😋 How to Use Frozen Green Beans
- 📋 Frozen Green Beans Nutrition
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👨🏾🍳 More Vegetable Air Fryer Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🥘 Frozen Green Beans in Air Fryer Ingredients
To make frozen green beans in the air fryer, you need the following ingredients:
- Thin green beans (frozen)
- Olive oil (or another cooking oil)
- Seasoning (I used Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning)
Quantities of ingredients are located in the recipe card at the end of the article!
The green beans I used were thin and uncut. Sometimes they are labeled haricots verts or French green beans instead. Thick cut green beans may brown less in the air fryer.
I developed this recipe in a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. The Ninja Foodi, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryers can also work. However, keep in mind that cooking times may vary between air fryer brands.
Since my air fryer has a large capacity, I was able to cook 1 lb (454 g) of green beans at once on the two trays. If your air fryer basket is small, you may need to split this recipe into two batches. You will also need to reduce the total cooking time.
Check the food early whenever you try a new air fryer recipe. It's the best way to have perfect results every time.
🔪 How to Cook Frozen Green Beans in an Air Fryer
To make frozen green beans, dump them in a large bowl. (Yes, no defrosting needed!) Drizzle on the oil, and sprinkle with seasoning.
Give the green beans a good stir, then distribute them on two air fryer trays. It’s ok if there is some overlapping.
⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to air fry frozen green beans? What temperature to air fry frozen beef and broccoli? Air fry frozen green beans for a total of 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C).
Begin by air frying the green beans for 12 minutes. Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and air fry 6-8 more minutes.
I didn’t flip the green beans over when I switched the position of the air fryer trays. However, the green beans on the edges of the trays did get more browned. For more even browning, you might want to move beans on the edges of the trays to the middle and vice versa.
🌡️ Do frozen green beans go bad?
Cooked frozen green beans can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. I don’t recommend refreezing cooked green beans for the best texture.
Frozen green beans that have thawed can be refrozen. However, any green beans that have been left out of the fridge or freezer for more than two hours should be thrown out.
😋 How to Use Frozen Green Beans
What to do with frozen green beans? You can use frozen green beans in casseroles, soups, stews, cook them with ham hocks, or use them as a side dish. If you’re making this air fryer side dish recipe, here's what to serve with frozen green beans:
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
- Roast Beef in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia
📋 Frozen Green Beans Nutrition
Here is the nutrition information for frozen green beans (plain) without oil or seasonings. Information given is per ¾ cup serving:
- Calories: 25
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0 grams
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 5 grams (2% DV)
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Added Sugar: 0 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Vitamin A: 17% DV
- Vitamin C: 5% DV
- Iron: 2% DV
- Calcium: 4% DV
Frozen green beans are a low calorie, keto, low carb, vegan, gluten free, plant based food. Nearly everyone can enjoy green beans.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Green beans are a non-starchy vegetable that are low calorie. Most of the calories in this recipe are coming from the oil, not the green beans. I do consider green beans good for weight loss, as they provide a lot of fiber and fluid volume to help keep you full.
Are frozen green beans healthy?
A really common question is whether fresh green beans are healthier than frozen green beans. If we’re talking about nutritive value, frozen green beans are often frozen at peak ripeness. They lose fewer nutrients than fresh green beans may during packaging and transport.
Another advantage of frozen green beans is that they tend to be less expensive than fresh. If using frozen fruits and veggie helps you to afford more produce, that’s a great thing IMVHO.
The one disadvantage of frozen green beans is that they may have breading and salty or sugary sauces added. If you buy plain frozen green beans and season them yourself, this isn’t an issue. Having some good ways to cook frozen green beans can help improve their texture and make them taste more like fresh green beans.
Are frozen green beans better than canned?
Canned green beans are typically the cheapest green beans of the bunch, but often have a lot of sodium added. You can reduce the sodium in canned green beans by draining and rinsing them well.
Whether frozen or canned green beans are better depends on what your needs are. If you like canned green beans and they’re a better fit for your budget, they may be the best choice for you. If you don’t like the texture and flavor of canned green beans, perhaps frozen is best to help you eat your veggies.
FAQs
You can make air fryer frozen breaded green beans easily! Cook a small batch in 8-10 minutes at 400F (200C), flipping halfway through cooking time. Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.
Yes, you can steam green beans until tender and warm. It will only take a couple of minutes. Keep in mind that steamed green beans won’t get brown or crispy.
I typically like to add frozen green beans to crockpot recipes during the final 30-60 minutes of cooking. Adding them at the end of cooking time helps stop them from turning to mush in soups and other dishes.
Make oven roasted frozen green beans by first mixing the beans with oil and seasonings. Spread the frozen green beans out on a baking sheet and bake at 450F (232C) for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
To microwave frozen green beans, place them in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl with a paper towel, and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
Frozen green beans are usually blanched (plunged in boiling water, then ice water) before freezing. This helps with the preservation of their color and flavor. Frozen green beans are not usually fully cooked.
👨🏾🍳 More Vegetable Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for more air fryer recipes for vegetables? Try these:
Also, don’t miss the entire collection of Air Fryer Recipes!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Frozen Green Beans (Air Fryer Time and Temp)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen green beans
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Dump the frozen green beans in a large bowl. (Yes, no defrosting needed!) Drizzle on the oil, and sprinkle with seasoning.
- Give the green beans a good stir, then distribute them on two air fryer trays. It’s ok if there is some overlapping.
- Air fry the green beans for 12 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and air fry 6-8 more minutes.
- The green beans on the edges of the trays will get more browned. For more even browning, you might want to move beans on the edges of the trays to the middle and vice versa. (Or skip it like I do, it's up to you.)
Lily says
These were super simple, quick, and easy to make. It's a perfect recipe for when you aren't sure what to do for a side when grilling meats or kabobs. Also, it's very versatile and easy to doctor up. Thanks for the recipe!
Summer Yule says
Hi Lily, I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback 😀