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This air fryer green bean casserole has the traditional flavor profile; it’s rich and creamy with a crunchy onion topping. This easy, festive side dish whips up in a matter of minutes without canned cream of mushroom soup, and is a classic part of a holiday turkey dinner!
I find that green bean casserole is one of the most polarizing Thanksgiving side dishes. There are two main camps: 1) I love it and it’s not a holiday dinner without it, or 2) please don’t put that on my plate. I’m in a minority third camp; I’ll eat it once, but I don’t care much for it as reheated as leftovers. (I think this might just be the only Thanksgiving food that I don’t like as leftovers, lol!)
The beauty of making an air fryer version of this iconic holiday side dish is that it’s much smaller. If you’re feeding four people, you’ll have the perfect amount! And if the oven is full, having air fryer side dish options saves the day. I made this green bean casserole along with my boneless turkey breast roast and stuffing in the air fryer!
What Makes This Recipe a Winner
- If Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete in your family without green bean casserole but you don’t have an oven to work with, you can use the air fryer! The casserole comes out perfect.
- For those of you who don’t love the canned cream of mushroom soup, I make this version without it. We use a combination of cream cheese and half and half for a rich, creamy texture. However, if you refer the canned cream soup version, I give instructions on how to keep it classic!
- This is a no-fuss, quick and easy side dish. We use frozen green beans here, so there’s no chopping or pre-cooking needed.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Frozen cut green beans – I like to use “cut” frozen green beans, which are just beans that are trimmed and cut into about 1-inch pieces. Frozen green beans are the easiest option here, but you can use use fresh green beans. If you’re using frozen, thaw them and drain well (really well! Otherwise, you run the risk of a soggy casserole). I give instructions in the recipe card below if you want to use fresh green beans instead of frozen.
- Half and half – Instead of using whole milk, half and half adds richness and helps thicken the casserole’s creamy sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory depth of flavor. The traditional green bean casserole recipe calls for soy sauce, but here we swap it out for Worcestershire sauce for even more umami flavor.
- Garlic powder – For mild garlic flavor.
- Salt and black pepper – Because we don’t use cream of mushroom soup (which is quite salty), here we add a little bit of salt and black pepper to make sure our casserole isn’t bland.
- Fried onions – Use French’s Crispy Fried Onions (they’re usually in the canned aisle or boxed side dish aisle at the grocery store). This adds deliciously rich, savory onion flavor and crunchy texture to the casserole.
- Cream cheese – Instead of cream of mushroom soup, we use cream cheese for creamy texture and to thicken the casserole.
How to Make Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole
- Add the beans, half and half, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, 1/4 cup fried onions (reserving 3/4 cup for topping), and cream cheese to a large bowl.
- Toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a 6-cup oven-safe gratin dish (or two 3-cup oven-safe gratin dishes) and cover with foil.
- Preheat an air fryer to 350F. Add the casserole, and air fry for 25 minutes. Remove the cover on the green bean casserole and give it a stir.
- Spread the remaining 3/4 cup of fried onions evenly on top.
- Return to the air fryer to brown the onions, about 5 minutes.
Storage & Reheating
Once it’s cool, you can store this casserole covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and reheat in a 350F preheated oven or air fryer until warm.
Tips For Success
- If you prefer to make this casserole the traditional way with a can of cream of mushroom soup, it’s easy to do. Omit the half and half, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cream cheese. Use 1 (10.5-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
- Cook this casserole covered for the first 25 minutes. After that, remove the foil, give it a stir, add the fried onion topping, and cook until the top is browned, about 5 minutes more. Don’t cook this casserole uncovered the whole time or you run the risk of it being dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oven-safe dishes are typically safe in an air fryer. Stainless steel, cast-iron, and ceramic casserole dishes or pans are good options. Glass is another good option, just make sure the dish is oven-safe, made of tempered glass, and free of cracks.
Oh, friends. Technically, yes, but please don’t. Canned green beans are mushy and taste like the can!
Frozen green beans work well here, and all you have to do is thaw and drain them. However, you can also use fresh green beans, even though they’re a little more work.
To use fresh green beans in this casserole, rinse the beans, trim off the stem ends, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and blanch them. To blanch green beans, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. (Don’t overcook the beans or your casserole will be mushy!) Drain the beans, add them to a large bowl with ice water to stop the cooking, and then drain them again. Now they’re ready to use!
No one likes a soupy, soggy, watery, or mushy green bean casserole! The good news is, this problem is easy to avoid. A liquidy green bean casserole is likely due to one of two problems: 1) your green beans were over-cooked or under-drained, and/or 2) you added too much liquid (such as milk).
If you’re using frozen green beans, thaw them, and then drain them well. To drain them, put them in a colander or fine mesh sieve, and firmly press down with a spoon to get rid of as much liquid as possible (they hold a lot of water!). And if you’re using fresh blanched green beans, make sure not to over-cook them (2 minutes is good).
Here we use half and half instead of milk, which helps thicken this casserole. Make sure to measure the half and half so you don’t add too much. (I don’t know about you, but when I “eyeball it” I tend to be a little heavy-handed, which can cause a green bean casserole disaster here!)
More Easy Green Bean Side Dish Recipes
- Fasolka Szparagowa (Polish Green Beans with Buttery Breadcrumb Topping)
- Green Beans with Garlic and Golden Raisins
- Spring Mix and Roasted Green Bean Salad with Maple Miso Dressing
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Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole Recipe (No Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup)
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Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen cut green beans thawed and drained (see Notes)
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup French's Crispy Fried Onions divided into 1/4 cup + 3/4 cup
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Add the beans, half and half, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, 1/4 cup fried onions (reserving 3/4 cup for topping), and cream cheese to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a 6-cup oven-safe gratin dish (or two 3-cup oven-safe gratin dishes) and cover with foil.
- Preheat an air fryer to 350F. Add the casserole, and air fry for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover on the green bean casserole, give it a stir, and spread the remaining 3/4 cup of fried onions evenly on top. Return to the air fryer to brown the onions, about 5 minutes.
Notes
- To Make This With Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup: If you prefer to make this casserole the traditional way with a can of cream of mushroom soup, it’s easy to do. Omit the half and half, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cream cheese. Use 1 (10.5-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
- Draining Frozen Green Beans: If you’re using frozen green beans, thaw them, and then drain them well. To drain them, put them in a colander or fine mesh sieve, and firmly press down with a spoon to get rid of as much liquid as possible (they hold a lot of water!).
- To Use Fresh Green Beans Instead of Frozen: Rinse the beans, trim off the stem ends, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and blanch them. To blanch green beans, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. (Don’t overcook the beans or your casserole will be mushy!) Drain the beans, add them to a large bowl with ice water to stop the cooking, and then drain them again. Now they’re ready to use!
- Storage and Reheating: Once it’s cool, you can store this casserole covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and reheat in a 350F preheated oven or air fryer until warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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