These Crispy Green Bean Fries are oven-baked (or air fried!), kid-friendly, and made for dunking in a quick honey mustard sauce. Perfect as an after-school snack, appetizer, or fun veggie side. And yes, they’re freezer-friendly too!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
My kids are all about anything with a crunchy coating (think Baked Zucchini Slices or Italian Asparagus Sticks), so I should’ve known they’d love these too. And the honey mustard dipping sauce? Chloe happily dunked every last bean… and then tried to drink the dip. No judgment!
Here’s why this recipe has become a family favorite:
- Kid-approved veggie snack: Even picky eaters go back for seconds.
- Healthier than fried: No deep frying needed! Make these in the oven or your air fryer!
- Crispy and flavorful: Thanks to a golden panko coating these are irresistibly crunchy! Love crispy snacks? Try my Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas or Crispy Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts.
- Perfect for dipping: Whether it’s with your favorite dip or my sweet, tangy honey mustard recipe that’s below! You can’t go wrong.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch now, freeze and bake later when you need a quick and healthy snack!
The Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these crispy green beans:
- Whole wheat panko or breadcrumbs: Adds that perfectly crunchy coating with a little extra fiber. Can’t find whole wheat? No stress! Regular panko is fine.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt and garlic powder gives the coating delicious flavor in every bite.
- Eggs: Helps the breading stick.
- Flour: The first step to a perfectly crisp crust.
- Fresh green beans: Trimmed into 2–3 inch pieces for easy snacking.
- Cooking spray: A light spritz helps everything bake up golden.
*See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.*
Variations and Substitutions
- Egg-free: Substitute buttermilk in place of the eggs if you need!
- Go gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour.
- Try a different dip: Homemade Ranch, your favorite BBQ sauce, or sriracha mayo would be delicious.
- Switch the veggie: This works great with asparagus, snap peas, or zucchini sticks.
- Add a kick: Mix a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika into the breadcrumbs.
How to Make Crispy Green Bean Fries
Step 1: Create your breading station.
Mix the panko, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Place the flour in another bowl. Make an assembly line with the 3 bowls. First, dip a green bean into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating the bean evenly. Repeating with the remainder of the beans.
Step 2: Arrange and Spray.
- Air Fryer: Place the coated green beans in the air fryer basket in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Spritz lightly with oil.
- Oven: Arrange the coated green beans on a baking sheet (or on a wire rack set over the sheet) so they’re not touching. Lightly spray with oil.
Step 3: Bake or Air Fry.
- Air Fryer: Set to 400°F and air fry for 6-8 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
- Oven: Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Tips and Tricks
- Dry the Beans: Make sure the beans are dry before coating them with the breading. Use a paper towel if needed!
- Use a wire rack (for baking): If you have the option, this really helps air circulate for even crispiness. Spritz the rack with oil so the beans don’t stick!
- Don’t skip the spray: It gives the breading that golden crunch.
- Space them out: Crowding leads to soggy beans. Give them room!
- Freezer tip: After breading, freeze the beans on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to a month. Bake or air fry straight from frozen, just add 2-3 extra minutes to the cooking time.
FAQs
Fresh is best for maximum crunch, but if using frozen, thaw and pat dry really well first!
These crispy green beans pair well with tons of main dishes (or as an appetizer on their own)! Try them with a juicy burger, a piece of Marinated Chicken or with fish like Simple Broiled Salmon or Miso Marinated Fish.
Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for a few minutes to crisp them back up!
More Green Bean Recipes
Crispy green bean fries are a fun way to eat your veggies and shake up snack time. Serve them as an appetizer or stash a batch in the freezer. They’re always a hit! And don’t skip the honey mustard dip! Let me know what you think — leave a comment and rating below!
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Crispy Green Bean Fries with Honey Mustard Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat panko or breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 pound fresh green beans , cut into bite size pieces (about 2-3 inches long)
- cooking oil spray
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup mustard (yellow or Dijon)
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Air Fryer Method:
- Mix the panko, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Place the flour in another bowl.
- Make an assembly line with the three bowls, first dipping the green beans into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating the beans evenly and repeating with the remainder of the beans.
- Set air fryer to 400°F. Place the green beans in the air fryer basket in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Spray with oil and air fry for 6–8 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, make the honey mustard by combining mustard and honey in a bowl. Serve green bean fries with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Oven Method:
- Preheat oven to 450°F and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. If you have a wire rack, you can put that above your baking sheet for extra crispiness.
- Mix the panko, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Place the flour in another bowl.
- Make an assembly line with the three bowls, first dipping the green beans into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating the beans evenly and repeating with the remainder of the beans.
- Place all of the coated green beans on the baking sheet (or on a rack above a baking sheet.) Arrange beans so that they’re not touching, spray with oil and bake for 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden.
- Make the sauce. Combine the honey and mustard in a bowl and stir well. Serve beans with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for a few minutes to crisp them back up!
- Freezer tip: After breading, freeze the beans on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to a month. Bake or air fry straight from frozen, just add 2-3 extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Dry the Beans: Make sure the beans are dry before coating them with the breading. Use a paper towel if needed!
- Use a wire rack (for baking): If you have the option, this really helps air circulate for even crispiness. Spritz the rack with oil so the beans don’t stick!
- Don’t skip the spray: It gives the breading that golden crunch.
- Space them out: Crowding leads to soggy beans. Give them room!
Where did you pick up whole wheat Panko crumbs?
I recently discovered your blog/website as I was searching for ways to get my 2.5 yo to eat more vegetables and other healthy options and this was one of the first recipes I tried. It has been a hit with my 2.5 yo, even though she tells us she hates green beans!
These are so delicious and my 1.5 year old ate them up. For the dip, I used maple syrup instead of honey and it was tasty.
I liked it but my kids didn’t :o(
*looked
Is there any way we can get a program for this? My little beans looks pathetic last night! Even with double coating them I just couldn’t get the bread crumbs to STAY on! Of the ones I did cook they were very yummy, I’d just like to get a whole batch 🙂
These were awesome – you’d never know there were actually green veggies underneath that breading! The whole family enjoyed them! Thank you! 🙂