Description
Crispy air-fried green beans inspired by traditional Japanese tempura, coated in a crunchy panko crust and served with a tangy scallion-soy dipping sauce. This light and flavorful appetizer or side dish comes together quickly using the air fryer for a healthier alternative to deep frying.
Ingredients
Scale
Green Beans and Coating
- 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- Olive oil cooking spray
Sauce
- 1 scallion, very thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. mirin
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the Beans: In a large bowl, toss trimmed green beans with all-purpose flour until evenly coated. This light dusting helps the egg and panko sticking process.
- Set Up Breading Stations: In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs until blended. In another shallow bowl, break up panko bread crumbs by hand into smaller pieces to better adhere to the beans.
- Bread the Beans: Shake off any excess flour from the beans. Dip each bean into the beaten eggs, then coat thoroughly with panko crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs to ensure they stick well.
- Air Fry the Beans: Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange the coated beans in a single layer, leaving about 1/4 inch of space between each. Spray the beans lightly with cooking spray. Cook at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking, until the coating is golden brown and the beans are tender.
- Prepare the Dipping Sauce: While the beans cook, whisk together thinly sliced scallion, water, low-sodium soy sauce, mirin, and fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl to make the dipping sauce.
- Serve: Arrange the crispy air-fried green beans on a plate and serve alongside the scallion-soy dipping sauce for a delicious appetizer or side dish.
Notes
- Ensure beans are spaced out in a single layer in the air fryer for even cooking and crisping.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium levels moderate.
- For an even crispier coating, press panko firmly onto the beans and spray with cooking spray before air frying.
- Mirin can be substituted with a mixture of sugar and rice vinegar if unavailable.
- This recipe serves 4 to 6 people as an appetizer or side dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
