The Best Way To Prep Frozen Green Beans For The Air Fryer

It used to be that having a double oven and a food processor meant you had a well-stocked kitchen, but these days there are an endless number of appliances on the market that claim they can make you into a gourmet chef. Pasta makers, programmable pressure cookers, and sous vide machines (to name just a few) are now sold in chain stores and fancy kitchen shops and making their way into households. 

Probably not a day goes by when someone tells you you must get an air fryer, but you question whether you need another gadget taking up your precious counter space just to make crispy chicken wings! Apologies in advance for evangelizing for the device, but the hype is justified because the truth is that an air fryer does much more than that. And if you're not already a convert, you will soon be singing the praises of what it can do to your once-ordinary vegetables.

According to Kitchn, an air fryer works by quickly circulating extremely hot air on the surface of the food and, using little to no oil, makes everything in the basket crispy and brown. A vegetable greatly enhanced by the air fryer is green beans, which even works wonders with frozen ones, making it an excellent option for those needing a time-saving cooking method. 

There aren't many instructions to prep simply because making frozen green beans is a fast, easy process when you do it in an air fryer. Clean Eating Kitchen advises heating the device to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, placing the frozen beans into the basket, setting it for 7 minutes, and after tossing them, cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes until browned. 

Kitchn advises you don't need to add seasoning to the frozen beans; just air fry, without thawing, in 5-minute increments, making sure you drain any water, and once tender, toss with your favorite seasonings. Any leftovers can be reheated in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm (per Everyday Family Cooking). And unlike using the microwave to reheat, which often makes them soggy, the beans stay crisp and flavorful.

There are advantages to cooking frozen beans in the air fryer beyond the convenience and delicious crispy texture. Frozen beans are just as nutritious as fresh ones since they are harvested when perfectly ripe and flash-frozen to preserve the vitamins (via MJ and Hungryman). This Healthy Kitchen recommends seasoning the beans with lemon juice (and zest, if you like) as it provides a "citrusy, tangy flavor and replaces the need for olive oil or cooking spray in order to keep this dish low in calories and low fat."

Taking beans straight from the freezer to cook them in the air fryer means you always have a healthy vegetable on hand.