Green Bean Fries (keto + low carb)
These easy Green Bean Fries are the perfect crispy, salty snack! Bake or air fry this gluten-free side dish for a versatile, low-carb meal.
Green Bean fries are a lighter alternative to French fries and are similar to zucchini fries. They are perfectly crispy on the outside, but beautifully tender and full of flavor on the inside. The gluten-free parmesan coating gives them a fantastic flavor and crunchy texture you are going to love!
While it’s delicious and fun to dip, it’s also a pretty healthy snack! You get tons of vitamins and minerals from the green beans, and we chose a coating that crisps up without adding a ton of carbs to keep your blood sugar in check. It even works great for a party appetizer. You can dredge the vegetables in the egg wash and coat it in the almond flour mixture hours before the party, store in the fridge, then cook fresh when you are ready!
Ingredients for Green Bean Fries
These green bean French fries come together with minimal ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Fresh green beans – Do not use frozen. They have too much moisture, and the coating will fall right off.
- Egg and Ranch dressing – This is the wet mixture we use to help the breading stick. I have not used any egg substitutes. Feel free to use homemade ranch dressing or store-bought (low-carb or dairy-free versions work great, too!)
- Almond flour, Parmesan cheese, and Seasonings – For spices, I used garlic salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, but you could replace those with your favorite all-purpose blend. For the parmesan, the grated version in the green can from the grocery store works perfectly as it is very fine and sticks well! While I have not tried this with all-purpose flour (we keep it gluten-free here), I do believe it would work if gluten is not an issue for you.
- Optional: To help you get the best, crispiest coating, I highly recommend using a spray oil right before cooking. This isn’t entirely necessary, but it helps the coating stay on and brings out a wonderfully golden brown color and crunchy texture.
How to Make Green Bean Fries (2 Ways!)
This easy low-carb side dish is so easy; you only need a couple shallow bowls for your dredging station and a plate or baking sheet. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Coat your green beans
Mix your egg and ranch mixture in one shallow bowl and your almond flour, parmesan, and seasonings in another. Use one hand (your “wet” hand) to roll your washed green beans in the egg wash, gently shaking to remove any excess liquid. Transfer to the flour mixture and use your other hand (your “dry” hand) to gently press the parmesan coating onto the veggie. Place your coated green beans on a baking sheet or plate.
Cook your green bean fries
If you are air frying these, allow your machine to preheat to 390 degrees F for 3 minutes. Place as many of the coated green beans into the air fryer as you can while still keeping them in a single layer without overcrowding. Spray with oil, then cook about 5 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through the cooking time to help all sides get nice and crisp.
If you are baking these, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place your coated green beans on a baking sheet (keeping them in a single layer with a bit of space between each) and spray with oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they reach your preferred texture.
What to serve with crispy green beans?
Serve these with your favorite dip (ours is this Chuy’s Jalapeno Ranch copycat). If you love an appetizer dinner like we do, these are great with some Keto Pizza Bagels, Stuffed Mushrooms, or Jalapeno Poppers for a fun movie night! If you need a super kid-friendly meal, try them with Keto Chicken Nuggets or Tenders! We also like them with these Big Mac Wraps for a quick dinner or with Buffalo Wings on game night.
Storage Instructions
Cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. To get them crisp again, reheat in the air fryer basket at 375 degrees F for 3-5 minutes. If you close fries in a container while they are still warm, the remaining heat will create condensation, turning the crispy coating into a soggy mess.
If you need to prep them ahead of time, go ahead and coat them in the parmesan flour mixture, then store in the fridge on a plate or large pan. When ready to eat, cook and serve immediately.
FAQs for Green Bean Fries
The net carb count for these crispy green bean fries is about 5.6, according to my nutrition calculator. However, that is assuming that all of the almond flour breading is used, which it usually isn’t. There is normally a bit of the breading mix left over, so in reality these are probably a bit lower, but I am going to quote the high end of the spectrum.
Each method has their pros and cons. The air fryer gets them crispier and cooks them faster, but you likely will have to work in batches as most air fryers are small. The oven can cook a large batch (or 2) at once, but the fries don’t get quite as crispy because there is less air flow. Pick your method based on what works best for you!
No, you will not get the same crispy texture from frozen. Frozen vegetables contain a ton of moisture, making it difficult for the coating to stick. Also, most frozen veggies have been partially cooked, meaning they won’t come out quite as crisp as fresh green beans would.
Yes, cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. To get them crisp, reheat in the air fryer at 375 degrees F for 3-5 minutes. If you close fries in a container while they are still warm, the remaining heat will create condensation, turning the crispy coating into a soggy mess.
Tips for Making Green Bean French Fries
- If making in an air fryer: This recipe is for one pound of green beans and in my 4 quart air fryer I need to split it into 2-3 batches to allow for enough room for them to get crispy. I do turn my oven on warm to keep them warm between batches so this isn’t a huge deal, but worth noting.
- If making in the oven: You can easily double or triple this recipe if you are making a big batch, like for low-carb game day food.
More Low-Carb Appetizers:
- Keto Zucchini Fries
- Keto Pepperoni Pizza Bites
- Keto Jalapeño Popper Taquitos
- Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Mini Pizza Snacks
Get the Recipe: Easy Green Bean Fries (keto + low carb)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of green beans, ends trimmed if needed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of low-carb ranch dressing, jalapeño ranch dressing or mayonnaise
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Set up your breading station by setting up two shallow bowls and a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or sprayed well with cooking spray.
- In the first bowl, combine the egg and the ranch dressing, mix until completely combined
- In the second bowl, combine the almond flour, spices and paremsan, mix well.
- Roll the green bean in the egg then the almond flour crust and place on the pan.
- Lightly spray the breaded fries with cooking spray to help crisp them.
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until the green beans reach your desired tenderness.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat your machine according to the directions at 390 degrees F.
- When hot, add in as many green beans as you comfortably can without over crowding.
- Spray with cooking spray to help crisp.
- Cook 5 minutes, shaking the basket half way through cooking to move them around.
These were lovely! Thank you so much for posting, : )
How do I print a copy of the recipe? Thank you!