Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be a challenge. With four kids, the odds were against me that I would have a family of veggie-lovers and sure enough, my younger son turned his nose up at almost all green foods during his first year of life and hasn’t wavered in his anti-vegetable palate in the 12 years since. Of course, I make him eat vegetables anyway, but I’m always on a quest to find a vegetable recipe he will willingly eat so that he doesn’t dread all of our meals together.
A Healthier Version Of Fried Green Beans
I saw a recipe for fried green beans when I was searching for appetizer ideas and it seemed right up his alley since he is a big fan of fried food. However, deep frying the green beans kind of negated the health benefits in my mind so I set out to come up with a version that was just as crispy, but that was baked instead of fried. I was really happy with how these crispy baked green beans turned out, and more importantly, my son really liked them.
A couple of important notes before you make these crispy baked green beans:
- Make the recipe as directed (in batches) to avoid mixing in too much egg with the bread crumbs, which will prevent the breading from sticking to the green beans.
- My family really likes Italian food so I used Italian Style Panko and lots of garlic. You can swap out ranch seasoning for the garlic, salt, and pepper if you prefer.
- My veggie-hating son also dislikes parmesan so I did not include it in this recipe, but I think it would be amazing! If you make it with parmesan, please let me know how you like it.
๐ Recipe
Crispy Baked Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz bag frozen whole green beans thawed (or 3 cups fresh green beans, washed and trimmed)
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place beaten eggs in a medium, shallow bowl.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and then place half of the mixture in a separate bowl.
- Dip each green bean in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumb mixture to coat. When bread crumb mixture in the first bowl begins to clump excessively, set it aside and finish coating using the second bowl.
- Lay green beans in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 425ยฐ for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Broil for 1-2 minutes to get a deep golden brown color and extra crispy texture.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope it helps you and your family learn to enjoy eating vegetables.
Definitely trying this sneaky veggie recipe this weekend.
Oh wow, these look good and so moreish! I think I would have to make a double batch x
I hope you like them! They have been a big hit in our house and I’m tickled that my picky eater is finally eating something green without a fight. If you do double the recipe, make sure to do the bread crumb mixture in batches. I didn’t divide it the first time I made them and when I was halfway through the green beans, the bread crumbs were a giant clump and wouldn’t cling to the beans anymore.
It would avoid clumping if you poured the breading on the green beans on parchment paper maybe. This recipe looks delicious!
Thanks for the tip!