Beer Battered Sexy Green Beans with Cool and Spicy Ranch
I called them sexy green beans and I stand by it. There is nothing boring about a fresh green bean dipped in a light beer batter, fried until shatteringly crispy, and dunked into a cool and spicy vegan ranch. This is bar food done right and it happens to be completely plant based.
The beer batter is key. The carbonation keeps it light and airy instead of dense and doughy. Use whatever vegan beer you have on hand — a light lager works great but honestly most beers will do the job. The ranch has a kick from fresh jalapeño and hot sauce that balances perfectly against the crispy batter.
Ingredients
For the green beans:
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cold vegan beer
Oil for frying
For the cool and spicy ranch:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 jalapeño, finely minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the ranch first so the flavors have time to come together. Whisk all ranch ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 375°F.
Whisk together flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour in the cold beer and whisk until just combined. Don't overmix — a few lumps are fine.
Working in batches, dip green beans into the batter letting any excess drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil.
Fry for 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and hit with a pinch of salt immediately.
Serve hot alongside the chilled spicy ranch.
The colder the beer the better the batter. Stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes before mixing if you want maximum crispiness. And don't crowd the pan — fry in small batches or the temperature drops and you get soggy instead of crispy.
Hungry for more plant-based inspiration? Head back to Vegan Good Eats for more creative vegan recipes straight from the kitchen.
The beer batter is key. The carbonation keeps it light and airy instead of dense and doughy. Use whatever vegan beer you have on hand — a light lager works great but honestly most beers will do the job. The ranch has a kick from fresh jalapeño and hot sauce that balances perfectly against the crispy batter.
Ingredients
For the green beans:
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cold vegan beer
Oil for frying
For the cool and spicy ranch:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 jalapeño, finely minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the ranch first so the flavors have time to come together. Whisk all ranch ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 375°F.
Whisk together flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour in the cold beer and whisk until just combined. Don't overmix — a few lumps are fine.
Working in batches, dip green beans into the batter letting any excess drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil.
Fry for 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and hit with a pinch of salt immediately.
Serve hot alongside the chilled spicy ranch.
The colder the beer the better the batter. Stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes before mixing if you want maximum crispiness. And don't crowd the pan — fry in small batches or the temperature drops and you get soggy instead of crispy.
Hungry for more plant-based inspiration? Head back to Vegan Good Eats for more creative vegan recipes straight from the kitchen.