Food and Recipes Appetizers Green Bean Fries With Spicy Dipping Sauce 5.0 (1) 1 Review Meet your new favorite party appetizer. By Jasmine Smith Updated on October 13, 2023 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 6 You won't have to convince anyone to eat their green beans when you put these crispy green bean fries on the dinner table. Enrobed in an easy beer batter (you can also use club soda to keep these kid-friendly), these tempura-style green beans are a tasty stand-in for French fries, and are amazing with this easy, smoky secret sauce. In under 25 minutes of active time with just a few pantry staples, you'll have a hot batch of fried green beans ready for the whole family to enjoy. Don't let the process intimidate you; once you try a beer batter coating on green beans, you'll be repeating the same technique with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, and more. Why Beer Batter Makes the Crispiest Coating Beer doesn't just add great flavor to the coating for these green bean fries—it also provides lift for the batter. The bubbles in the carbonated beer escape from the batter during frying, leaving behind an ultra-crispy coating. This same technique works well with any carbonated beverage, so feel free to swap out the beer for non-alcoholic beer, club soda, or other bubbly beverages. Beer also makes the batter slightly more acidic, limiting the formation of gluten which could make for a rubbery result when using other types of batters. Ingredients for Green Bean Fries with Spicy Dipping Sauce Pantry staples make up the bulk of this recipe. To make these fries with spicy dipping sauce, you'll need: For the sauce: Mayonnaise, ketchup, and hot sauce.For coating the green beans: All-purpose flour, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, egg, and light beer.For frying: Vegetable oil, and fresh green pole beans. How To Make Green Bean Fries With Spicy Dipping Sauce This easy side is quick to make and can turn a weeknight meal into a party. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started: Step 1. Make dipping sauce: Stir to combine mayonnaise, ketchup, and hot sauce; cover and refrigerate.Step 2. Make batter: Whisk together flour, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Add egg and whisk in beer until fully combined.Step 3. Heat up oil: Heat oil in a large pot to 360°F.Step 4. Fry green beans: Use tongs to dip green beans one at a time into batter, frying in batches until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Serve with dipping sauce. What To Serve With Green Bean Fries These green bean fries are the perfect side dish for any number of meals, from weeknight classics to barbecue staples. Use as a replacement for French fries, or serve them up as a hearty appetizer. How To Store and Reheat Leftover Green Bean Fries Store leftover green bean fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in an air fryer or oven until hot and crispy. More Vegetable Fries Recipes You'll Love Vegetable fries are a satisfying side that you won't feel guilty about devouring: Curried Okra Shoestring Fries Baked Zucchini Fries Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Fried Zucchini Straws Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse. Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. ketchup 1 Tbsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco) 1 cup (about 4 1/4 oz.) all-purpose flour 2 tsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups (about 12 oz.) cold light beer (such as Miller High Life) Vegetable oil 12 oz. fresh green pole beans, trimmed Directions Make dipping sauce: Stir together mayonnaise, ketchup, and hot sauce in a small bowl until well combined. Store, covered, in refrigerator until ready to serve. Make batter: Whisk together flour, salt, paprika, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add egg to bowl, and gradually whisk in beer until fully combined. (Batter may be slightly lumpy.) Heat up oil: Add oil to a large Dutch oven, filling to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium until oil reaches 360°F, about 10 minutes. Fry green beans: Working in 3 batches, use tongs to dip green beans, 1 at a time, into batter, fully coating each green bean. Remove each green bean from batter, letting excess batter drain from green beans into bowl. Carefully add green beans, 1 at a time, to hot oil in Dutch oven, and cook, undisturbed, until crust is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer cooked green beans to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb excess oil. (Allow oil to return to 360°F between batches.) Discard any remaining oil and batter. Serve with mayonnaise mixture. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use this batter on other types of vegetables? Beer batter makes a great coating for a variety of vegetables, from cauliflower and mushrooms to broccoli or asparagus. Can I use a different oil for frying? Swap the vegetable oil with peanut, canola, or your favorite oil for frying. If I don't want it to be spicy, how else can I season the dipping sauce? If you aren't in the mood for something spicy, you could also season the dipping sauce with pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard, or substitute with ranch or another dipping sauce you prefer. Can I make these green bean fries gluten-free? To make a gluten-free batter, replace the all-purpose flour with rice flour or your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Rate It Print Additional reporting by Katie Rosenhouse Katie Rosenhouse Follow us Katie Rosenhouse is a pastry chef and food writer with over 15 years of experience in the culinary arts. She's worked as a pastry chef in some of the finest restaurants in New York City, as a culinary instructor, and as a recipe developer. learn more