Crispy Butter Beans
This healthy Butter Beans snack recipe is the only way you can get me to eat butter beans. I never liked butter beans, but when you bake them or air fry them they get crispy and make the perfect snack! Even my daughter, who hates beans, loved them! The air fryer is amazing at getting foods super crispy, but if you don’t have one, you can make them in the oven—they just don’t come out as crispy but they still taste good. The same goes for my Air Fryer Chickpeas, which also make a great healthy snack.
What’s the difference between a butter bean and a lima bean?
Nothing! Butter beans and lima beans are often confused, but they are the same type of bean but with a different name.
Butter Bean Ingredients
Butter Beans: Drain one can of beans, reserving the liquid for the sauce. Pat the beans dry so they crisp up better. Olive Oil: Toss the beans with oil so the spices stick to them. Salt: I used two types of salt: kosher to season the beans before cooking and coarse sea salt to finish them off before serving. Spices: Onion powder and smoked paprika improve the flavor.
Lemon-Herb Green Sauce Ingredients
Herbs: Parsley and mint give this green sauce its vibrant color and fresh taste. Lemon: Zest one lemon and then juice it for acidity and brightness. Red Chili Flakes for a little spice Onion powder for a zesty onion flavor Salt seasons the dip and melds the ingredients together. Olive Oil improves the texture and flavor. Liquid: Use a third cup of the bean liquid to thin the dip and achieve the desired consistency.
How to Air Fry Butter Beans
You can make them in the air fryer or oven. See full recipe in recipe card below.
No Air Fryer? No Problem!
These butter beans don’t come out as crispy in the oven, but if you don’t have an air fryer, preheat the oven to 400°F. Be sure your beans are very dry (it helps if you leave them on the counter a few hours before baking. Transfer the beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer (You may need to use more than one pan or bake in batches), and bake for 20 to 28 minutes or until the beans are crisp and golden.
Variations
Beans: Swap canned butter beans with canned gigante beans. Any other bean will get too small when cooked and won’t be “dippable.” Spices: Switch up the spices and use cumin, chili powder, or garlic powder. Seasoning: Use different spice blends, like steak, Cajun, or ranch seasoning. Citrus: Substitute the lemon with lime. Spice adverse? Omit the chili flakes.
Storage
Store puffed beans in an airtight container for a week. If they get soggy, air fry them for a few minutes to crisp them up.
More Air Fryer Snacks You’ll Love
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Nuggets Air Fryer Bacon-Burger Bites Air Fryer French Fries High-Protein Egg Bagels Air Fryer Tostones
