Crispy Fried Green Beans (Easy Crowd-Pleasing Recipe)
These crispy fried green beans are a quick and easy snack, appetizer or side that both adults and kids will love. They are crunchy on the outside while tender, juicy but still slightly firm on the inside.
If you’re craving something fried but a bit healthier, this fried green beans recipe is a great option. We didn’t know fried green beans could be so crispy and fun to eat until we tried Charles Phan’s version from his cookbook. While his recipe was delicious, the coating felt a bit too thick for us. We wanted something lighter, something that wouldn’t feel too heavy so that we could eat more.
So we decided to use our go-to frying batter for vegetables. This lighter coating gives you all the crunch without feeling weighed down. It’s now one of our favorite ways to prepare green beans besides in stir-fries and salads. We think it could easily become a hit at your table too! You can quickly fry a large batch in about 20 minutes.
Keep the Batter Cold
My batter is a simple mix of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. I like to season it with a pinch of salt and pepper, but feel free to adjust it to your liking. You can easily add garlic powder or any other spices to give it your own twist.
To achieve a thin, light, airy, and crispy coating, use iced cold water when mixing the batter. I also keep a small ice cube in the batter while Iโm working to ensure it stays cold throughout the frying process.
Frying Tips
Here are a few additional frying tips for this crispy fried green beans recipe. Make sure to use a generous amount of oil enough to deep fry the beans and give it time to heat up properly. I use my All-Clad fry pan, which provides a spacious surface for frying, with about 1.5 inches of oil.
The green beans fry up very quickly, and youโll know the oil is at the perfect temperature when they float to the surface as soon as theyโre added. If the oil is too cool, the beans will absorb too much oil, resulting in a soggy, greasy texture – definitely not what weโre going for.
How to Serve
There are plenty of delicious ways to serve these crispy fried green beans. For example, you may serve them with a variety of dipping sauces like garlic aioli, spicy mayo, ranch, honey mustard, or sweet chili sauce for extra flavor. They also make a great addition to a finger food spread. Arrange them alongside wings, sliders, or mozzarella sticks for a perfect game day or party platter. Alternatively, you can serve them as a side dish with grilled or roasted meats like chicken, steak, duck, or pork chops, for a lighter and healthier option instead of traditional fries.
As for us, we like to keep things quick and simple. After frying, we sprinkle more salt and pepper, then top them with chopped scallions and crispy fried garlic bits (made by frying minced garlic briefly in the same oil after the green beans). To mix things up, we also sprinkle ground Sichuan pepper or sansho pepper for a subtle heat and citrusy kick. I look forward to hearing how you serve yours.
โญ๏ธ Iโd love to hear what you think about the dish, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you have tried it. New recipes are added every week so letโs connect onย Facebook,ย Youtube,ย Pinterestย andย Instagramย for the latest updates.ย You can find my collection ofย Vietnamese recipesย here.
Crispy Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 1.6 oz all-purpose flour (45g, about โ cup)
- 1.2 oz cornstarch (33g, about ยผ cup)
- ยผ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt (plus more to sprinkle after frying)
- black pepper
- ยฝ cup ice water
- 1 lb trimmed green beans, cleaned and patted dry
Instructions
- Add oil to a fry pan (or pot) which is appropriate for deep-frying over medium heat. You will need about 1.5 inches of oil. Heat the oil until 370โ.
- While heating the oil, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then add the ice water (it is best to leave a small ice cube in the water) and mix to form a smooth batter.
- Once the oil is ready, add green beans to the batter in batches. Add them to the oil and fry until golden. They are very quick to fry, about 40 seconds. You can fry just a few at the beginning to get used to the timing. Between batches, skim the crumbs in the oil.
- Transfer to a rack to drain excess oil. Sprinkle more salt and pepper and serve right away with your favorite sauces.
