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Fried Green Beans - Dinner at the Zoo

These fried green beans are beer battered string beans deep fried to golden brown perfection. Serve with ranch dip for a unique and unexpected appetizer!

I love to serve hot appetizers when I’m entertaining, some of my favorites include fried ravioli, crab rangoon and these amazingly delicious green beans.

A sheet pan of fried green beans garnished with chopped parsley.

My local burger restaurant serves fried green beans as an alternative to traditional french fries. I was skeptical at first, but once I tried these green beans, I couldn’t get over how delicious they are! This homemade version takes just minutes to whip up and is the ultimate party snack.

Fried Green Beans Ingredients

The ingredients in this recipe include green beans, flour, beer, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oil and parsley.

Green beans on a sheet pan.

How do you make fried green beans?

Wash and cut the green beans then lightly coat them with flour. The flour helps the batter stick to the green beans and makes for a more uniform coating. Next, make a batter by combining beer, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Dip the green beans in the batter and immediately fry them in hot oil. You can fry about 9-10 green beans at a time. Each batch of green beans should take 3-4 minutes. Remove the green beans from the oil when they are golden brown. Sprinkle the green beans with parsley and serve them hot.

Green beans coated in flour on a pan.

Tips for the perfect dish

  • Fried green beans are best when served warm immediately after being cooked. However, they can be refrigerated and reheated. You can reheat them and crisp them up in a toaster oven or a conventional oven.
  • Fried green beans are great for an appetizer platter with other fantastic snacks like potato wedges or jalapeno poppers.
  • For some extra spice, mix some cayenne pepper into the batter.
  • I like to use fresh parsley to garnish the green beans, but you can use other herbs such as dill, green onions or basil.
  • When you fry the green beans, keep the batter close to the oil so that you can easily transfer the battered green beans into the oil.
A hand dipping green beans into beer batter.

Recipe FAQs

What beer should I use for beer batter?

The beer should be a lighter colored beer. Use a lager if you want a mild flavored batter to let the green beans really shine. Use a lighter colored ale if you want a more complex tasting batter. I used a Belgian style wheat ale. The Belgian style wheat ale made for a delicious batter that was flavorful and golden when fried.

How do you prepare fresh green beans?

To get your green beans ready for the fryer, all you need to do is give them a good wash, then trim off the stem end. The fastest way to trim off the stem end is to line up a handful of green beans, then cut the stems off all at once. It makes prep time go a lot faster.

Do you blanch green beans before frying them?

You do not need to blanch green beans before you fry them, as they will cook to tender when immersed in the hot oil.

A plate of fried green beans served with ranch dip.

Flavor Variations

While this recipe is fabulous as-is, you can customize some of the flavors to suit your tastes.

  • Seasonings: Feel free to add extra seasonings to the batter such as hot sauce, chili powder, Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning.
  • Vegetables: No green beans on hand? This batter will work with other tender vegetables such as small broccoli florets, asparagus or even small mushrooms.

What to serve with fried green beans

Fried green beans are great on their own, but I think they’re even better with a creamy dip on the side.

  • Ranch: Use your favorite homemade or store bought ranch dressing.
  • Chipotle Sauce: Puree 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 1 canned chipotle pepper, 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder.
  • Garlic Aioli: Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

You can’t go wrong with these green beans. While they make for a fabulous party snack, you can also serve them as a side dish alongside a hamburger or grilled chicken. However you serve them, these green beans are sure to be a hit!

More great appetizer recipes

A sheet pan of fried green beans garnished with chopped parsley.

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Fried Green Beans

These fried green beans are beer battered string beans deep fried to golden brown perfection. Serve with ranch dip for a unique and unexpected appetizer!

Instructions

  • Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees F.

  • Coat the green beans in 1/2 cup flour, shaking off any excess.

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining cup of flour, beer, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

  • Coat each green bean in batter, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl.

  • Fry 8-10 green beans at a time until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

  • Repeat the process with the remaining green beans.

  • Sprinkle with parsley, then serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Fried green beans are best when served warm immediately after being cooked. However, they can be refrigerated and reheated. You can reheat them and crisp them up in a toaster oven or a conventional oven.
  2. When you fry the green beans, keep the batter close to the oil so that you can easily transfer the battered green beans into the oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 10.1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2.3mg

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