Air Fryer Asparagus is perfectly crisp, delicious, and done in just 5 minutes. The perfect easy veggie side dish to add to a busy weeknight dinner.
Air fryer recipes are rapidly becoming my favorite for getting delicious and easy veggies on the table when dinner needs to happen fast. Because that dang meal always seems to sneak up on me!
This Air Fryer Asparagus not only makes adding a veggie to dinner fast, but it’s oh-so delicious. Perfectly crisp, wildly easy, and super fast to make. This asparagus goes beautifully as a side dish with burgers, steak, chicken, fish, tofu, or whatever else you are cooking up. Simple for air fryer newbies to make, there’s enough to serve 4, and uses just 3 ingredients. This simple side dish is perfect to make regardless of your eating style since it is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy-free, Paleo, and everything in between.
What you’ll need for Air Fryer Asparagus
Asparagus – Fresh asparagus works best for this recipe
Oil – Avocado or olive oil
Salt – use as much (or as little) as you prefer to use in you cooking!
Check out How to Store Asparagus (so it stays fresh!) for my tried-and-true tips and tricks.
Tips and tricks
- Be sure to trim the ends off your asparagus. Fresh asparagus typically comes with tough, woody ends. To trim this off, hold the bottom of one stalk of asparagus between two hands and bend it until it breaks. You can do this with each individual stalk of asparagus if you like or you can use a knife and cutting board to trim the rest of your asparagus faster. To do that: arrange the rest of your asparagus on your cutting board so that the tops are evenly lined up. Use your trimmed asparagus stalk as a guide and lay it next to the rest of your asparagus on the cutting board, with its tip flush with the rest of the stalks. Where the end of your “guide asparagus” stops is where you should cut the rest of your asparagus.
- If cooking more than one bunch, cook in two batches. Especially if you are using a smaller air fryer.
- If you prefer crispier asparagus with a touch of char, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Be aware of the size of your asparagus. Mother Nature doesn’t do anything uniform, so take note of how thick your asparagus stalks are. If they are on the thinner side, you might need to only cook your asparagus for 3 minutes. If the stalks are thicker, you might need to cook them for close to 7 minutes.
Suggested seasonings that go well with asparagus
This air fryer asparagus recipe is simple, delicious, and can truly be a jumping off point for you. Feel free to add different seasonings or toppings into the mix so that if fits your desired taste preference! Here are some tried-and-true seasonings that go well with asparagus…
- butter. Just melt a little to drizzle over the top once the asparagus is done cooking.
- cayenne. Great for a little heat! Sprinkle some over the fresh asparagus when you add the salt before cooking.
- cheese. Basically any kind. I love grating a little Parmesan over my air fryer asparagus right before serving.
- dill. Add a little to the mix when you add the salt.
- garlic. Add fresh or granulated garlic to the asparagus before cooking.
- lemon. Squeeze a little over cooked asparagus for a boost of brightness.
Suggested air fryer
This post contains affiliate links.
There are so many different air fryers out there! So, if you are feeling overwhelmed when buying one, you are in good company. I spent MONTHS researching and asking fellow food blogging friends for recommendations. I finally settled on the Ninja 4-Quart air fryer for our family of 3. It is perfect for making one batch of this Air Fryer Asparagus and many other air fryer recipes.
If you have a larger family, my best friend (who has a family of 5) swears by the Ninja 8-Quart air fryer. It has 2 baskets that can cook at two different temps if needed, or lets you do a double batch of this air fryer asparagus at the same time.
Other delicious veggie air fryer recipes to add to your menu
- Carrot Fries (Oven or Air Fryer)
- Cauliflower Tots (Baked or Air Fryer)
- Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
- Air Fryer Green Beans
Did you try this air fryer recipe and now you’re hungry for more?
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5-Minute Air Fryer Asparagus
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- While your air fryer heats up, wash and dry the asparagus. Patting the asparagus as dry as possible will help it crisp up. Wet asparagus will still cook, but will be less crispy.
- Trim the ends off of the asparagus and place them in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the asparagus with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to evenly coat.
- Place asparagus in your heated air fryer, pushing it down so that none of the tips are sticking up. Cook for 5 minutes, shaking the basket at the 3 minute mark.If your asparagus is thin, start closely watching them at the 3 minute mark to make sure they don't burn. If your asparagus stalks are thicker, you may need to add 1-2 additional minutes to the cooking time.
- Once cook time is up, remove asparagus from air fryer immediately and enjoy warm.
Notes
Tips and tricks
- Be sure to trim the ends off your asparagus. Fresh asparagus typically comes with tough, woody ends. To trim this off, hold the bottom of one stalk of asparagus between two hands and bend it until it breaks. You can do this with each individual stalk of asparagus if you like or you can use a knife and cutting board to trim the rest of your asparagus faster. To do that: arrange the rest of your asparagus on your cutting board so that the tops are evenly lined up. Use your trimmed asparagus stalk as a guide and lay it next to the rest of your asparagus on the cutting board, with its tip flush with the rest of the stalks. Where the end of your “guide asparagus” stops is where you should cut the rest of your asparagus.
- If cooking more than one bunch, cook in two batches. Especially if you are using a smaller air fryer.
- If you prefer crispier asparagus with a touch of char, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Be aware of the size of your asparagus. Mother Nature doesn’t do anything uniform, so take note of how thick your asparagus stalks are. If they are on the thinner side, you might need to only cook your asparagus for 3 minutes. If the stalks are thicker, you might need to cook them for close to 7 minutes.
Suggested seasonings that go well with asparagus
This Air Fryer Asparagus recipe is simple, delicious, and can truly be a jumping off point for you. Feel free to add different seasonings or toppings into the mix so that if fits your desired taste preference! Here are some tried-and-true seasonings that go well with asparagus…- butter. Just melt a little to drizzle over the top once the asparagus is done cooking.
- cayenne. Great for a little heat! Sprinkle some over the fresh asparagus when you add the salt before cooking.
- cheese. Basically any kind. I love grating a little Parmesan over my air fryer asparagus right before serving.
- dill. Add a little to the mix when you add the salt.
- garlic. Add fresh or granulated garlic to the asparagus before cooking.
- lemon. Squeeze a little over cooked asparagus for a boost of brightness.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
Perfect every time.