Skip The Oven: Cook Your Green Beans This Way For A Weeknight Side In Half The Time

There are many pitfalls to cooking green beans, and overcooking them has to be top of this writer's list of culinary faux pas. Little did I know that the solution to my side order of limp legumes was just inches away on the countertop: the air fryer. Just when you thought this handy kitchen gadget's culinary resumé was full to bursting, we can confidently add "cooking green beans" to the list. An air fryer will get the job done in half the time the oven takes and eliminates the prospect of soggy veggies pooling water on your family's weeknight dinner plates.

If you're using fresh green beans, make sure to trim the ends off (known as "topping and tailing" in our house). Meanwhile, canned ones will need draining well, while frozen veggies — yes, the air fryer works for those too — require a quick dig through the pile to make sure you're not cooking any stray woody stems.

Don't think you can then fling your green beans into the air fryer willy-nilly, though; you need to be a bit organized. They should only be done in a single layer at a time with as little overlap as possible to prevent your beans from going soggy, so be prepared to cook them in batches. In less than 10 minutes per round, you'll have a crispy, tasty side for your meal, and that's still faster than the oven!

One of the reasons I love green beans is they're one of the few veggies – or legumes, if you prefer — whose nutritional profile gets better when they're cooked, and that includes in the air fryer. Not everyone preheats this appliance, but we think it's essential for fast, delicious results. That said, ditch the parchment paper — contact with the hot plate is crucial! Set your machine to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and after around 5 minutes, you should be good to drop in the veggies. They will start to cook instantly, so when you shake them, look for just a little browning on the long edges as a sign they're done. If they're soft, they're ready to eat!

Green beans taste amazing straight out of the air fryer, but they are also a great delivery device for flavor. Dry coatings, like breadcrumbs or flour, are best added before they go in the air fryer. When they caramelize, those crispy bits become a delicious counterpoint to the beans' soft, fleshy interior, and trust us, those veggies will vanish faster than French fries.

You can also coat your raw beans in a blend of olive oil and spices or herbs or keep it simple with a cheeky squeeze of lemon or a little grated cheese before cooking, too. If you prefer to amp up flavor after your green beans are cooked, a drizzle of dressing or a yogurt and hot sauce-based dip will take them to the next level. Whatever you choose, your speedy green beans are best eaten there and then, but if your fridge is home to any leftover legumes, they are delectable when reheated in the air fryer.