Air Fryer Green Beans with Pesto

These quick and easy Air Fryer Green Beans with Pesto are the perfect side dish for any weeknight dinner or weekend dinner party. Whip up a quick Arugula Walnut Pesto while the beans cook, then finish with more arugula and Parmesan cheese.

While it’s no secret that I love cooking with dried beans (just type ‘beans’ in the search bar!), I also love fresh green beans. They’re delicious in this Zesty Green Bean Casserole with homemade mushroom sauce and so tasty steamed with butter and dill.

However, I find that cooking any vegetable (including green beans) in an air fryer is a game changer!

Air Fryer Green Beans with Pesto

These air fryer green beans aren’t your everyday green beans. They are bound to become one of your favourite air fryer recipes. If you already love beans, then I probably don’t have to convince you to try this great green bean recipe.

I’m speaking to the people that won’t make eye contact while passing on the green beans at the dinner table. You are the people who need give this recipe a try.

These green beans are tender without being mushy, crispy without being dry, and have a nice chewy texture without being tough. They taste amazing simply seasoned with salt and pepper. However a quick toss in pesto brings them up to a whole new level of flavour.

Cooking Vegetables in An Air Fryer

When you cook vegetables in an air fryer, you are essentially roasting them in a tiny hot convection oven. This appliance does not ‘fry with air’ as the name implies, nor does it make your dinner healthier. What it does is cooks the vegetables at a very high temperature in a small oven with great air circulation.

Air fryer veggies cook quickly and maintain a moist interior while the outside becomes golden and crispy. Now, not all veggies need to get crispy (like peas for example). You can control the depth of colour/doneness by adjusting both cooking time and the temperature on your air fryer.

Not all air fryers are consistent with temperatures, air circulation, etc. Getting to know your air fryer is crucial to successful air fryer green beans. For example, these beans were in a 375 F Cosori (basket air fryer for 7 minutes. They are fully cooked with slightly crispy ends which is how I like them.

You may like them less crispy (cook at a lower temperature) or prefer fully crispy green beans (use a higher temperature setting). The great thing is that it’s so easy to check on vegetables while they are cooking in an air fryer. Just pop the drawer open and give one a squeeze. Or, steal one and bite it once it cools down.

There are so many reasons to cook vegetables in an air fryer:

1. It’s quick. This dish is ready in under 10 minutes!
2. Handsfree cooking. Enough said.
3. No spitting oil frying pan mess to clean up.
4. The big oven is freed up for roasts, etc.
5. You don’t have to turn on the full size oven to roast vegetables. This is especially handy in smaller households.
6. My husband loves using the air fryer so there’s less cooking for me to do (this is one reason specific to me!).

Ingredients for Air Fryer Green Beans with Pesto

Other than the ingredients for the Arugula Walnut Pesto, you’ll need fresh green beans and extra baby arugula and Parmesan cheese for finishing.

• Green Beans
• Baby Arugula
• Fresh Basil
• Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
• Lemon
• Walnuts
• Garlic
• Sea salt
• Olive Oil

Choose fresh green beans that are firm and full. They shouldn’t have any spots or feel hollow. This recipe would also work with asparagus!

Baby arugula is in the pesto and used as a final garnish. Choose baby arugula that has a bright green colour and crisp (not limp) leaves. Baby arugula has a light peppery flavour but it isn’t as spicy as fully grown arugula. Substitute with carrot greens, if you prefer.

You don’t have to use Parmesan Reggiano cheese. You can use any aged dry Italian cheese including Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano.

I prefer using walnuts in pesto in place of pine nuts, mostly because they are cheaper but still give the pesto a nice nutty flavour. You can use other nuts such as almonds, pistachios, or even sunflower seeds.

Use a bright and fresh tasting extra virgin olive oil to keep this pesto tasting fresh.

How to Make Pesto in a Food Processor

While authentic Italian pesto is made using a mortar and pestle, you can also make it in a food processor. I use the small food processor bowl on my Cusinart processor as it is the perfect size. Place the walnuts, basil, 2 cups baby arugula, sea salt, lemon zest and juice into the small food processor bowl.

Process the ingredients together until they are finely chopped. Keep the motor running and drizzle in 4-6 tablespoons olive oil in through the chute.

How to Cook Green Beans in An Air Fryer

Wash and trim the green beans. Place them in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then toss the beans to coat.

Preheat a basket style air fryer to 375 F. Place the beans in a single layer in the air fryer basket then air fry green beans for 7-8 minutes. Toss the beans halfway through the total cook time.

Remove beans from the air fryer and place back in the large bowl. Add two tablespoons pesto and toss to coat.

To serve the air fried green beans: Arrange beans on a platter. Top with remaining baby arugula and use a potato peeler or large grater to add Parmesan cheese. I like to serve them with oven roasted chicken or quick and easy Air Fryer Cod for a completely delicious meal.

If you make this Air Fryer Green Beans with Pesto recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making! Thank you so much for reading my blog.