An easy air fryer asparagus recipe that results in perfectly roasted, tender asparagus!
A delicious and healthy vegetable side dish that's on the table in under 10 minutes!
This is the recipe I turn to when asparagus is in season, and I want a quick and easy vegetable side for dinner.
Cooking asparagus in the air fryer produces wonderfully tender stems and crispy spears. The kids absolutely love it too!
Check out my eBook⭐Easy Air Fryer Recipes⭐ which includes 20 straightforward and easy-to-follow recipes for your air fryer. You'll be a pro at air fryer cooking in no time! Don't miss out, get your copy today!
👩🍳 Love air fryer sides? Try my crispy air fryer broccoli!
Jump to:
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best air fryer asparagus recipe!
- Quick and easy vegetable side.
- Perfectly roasted in the air fryer.
- Healthier than oven-roasted asparagus.
- Goes well with so many different meals.
- 4 simple ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients
- Asparagus - use young tender asparagus with thin stems. Thick woody stemed asparagus is best avoided!
- Olive Oil - a light olive oil is best.
- Seasoning - sea salt and black pepper.
🥄 Equipment
Which air fryer? I use the Ninja Foodi 5.8 litre Grill and Air Fryer with 4 customisable cooking functions including air fry, roast, bake, and dehydrate!
What is an air fryer?
Air fryers are small(ish) kitchen appliances that operate like a convection oven—except in a smaller, more concentrated space.
The air is circulated at a high temperature and evenly around the food, which makes the food cook more quickly than in a conventional oven and helps give foods a crispy coating without the need for lots of oil and fat.
🔪 How to cook asparagus in air fryer
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat your air fryer to 200c (400F).
Two: Wash the asparagus under cold running water to remove any dirt, then remove the woody stems with a sharp knife (remove around 3cm at the base of the stem). Pat dry.
Three: Drizzle the olive oil over the spears (it's best to do this on a baking tray), and use your hands to make sure that each spear is well coated in oil.
Four: Place the asparagus in your air fryer in a single layer. Use tongs to turn the spears after 5 minutes, then start checking to see if they are cooked after 7 minutes (you don't want them to burn!). Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
💭 Top tips
- Make sure you preheat your air fryer so it's up to temperature before adding the asparagus. This ensures a beautifully tender stem and crispy top.
- Use thin stemmed asparagus so it cooks evenly in under 10 minutes.
- Try to make sure the asparagus is in a single layer in the air fryer basket, so the hot air can circulate around each spear.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Air fryer asparagus goes so well with so many different dishes. Try it as a healthy veggie side dish to air fryer whole chicken, paprika chicken pasta, slow cooker sausage casserole, air fryer chicken breasts, or slow cooker roast beef!
In the summer months, I often serve it up with creamy creme fraiche chicken and Parmentier potatoes, for an easy al fresco dinner!
Check out my easy air fryer recipes for more inspiration!
📖 Variations
Vary the seasonings - here are a few ideas!
- Grated Parmesan
- Soy Sauce
- Lemon Juice
- Salted Butter
- Hollandaise Sauce
- Smoked Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
- Pomegranate Molasses
🥡 Storage
- To Store. The air-fried asparagus will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. You can either reheat in the microwave or, to retain its crispy texture, reheat in your air fryer for a few minutes at 200c.
- To Freeze. Air fryer asparagus is not suitable for freezing.
❓ FAQs
Pop it back in your air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 200c (400F), which will allow it to crisp up again.
Yes because it uses less oil than regular roasted asparagus. You'll need just 1 teaspoon of oil for 250g of asparagus!
The woody ends of asparagus are tough, so they taste best when trimmed. Use a sharp knife to cut off the bottoms, or alternatively snap the ends off with your hands. You'll need to take off about 3cm.
😋 More air fryer sides
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Parsnips
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan
- Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Radishes
You might also like my stir-fried garlic green beans!
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g Asparagus
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°c (400F).
- Wash the asparagus under cold running water to remove any dirt, then remove the woody stems with a sharp knife (remove around 3cm at the base of the stem). Pat dry.250 g Asparagus
- Drizzle the olive oil over the spears (it's best to do this on a baking tray), and use your hands to make sure that each spear is well coated in oil1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Place the asparagus in your air fryer in a single layer. Use tongs to turn the spears after 5 minutes, then start checking to see if they are cooked after 7 minutes (you don't want them to burn!). Season with salt and pepper, and serve.¼ teaspoon Salt, ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
Notes
- Make sure you preheat your air fryer so it's up to temperature before adding the asparagus. This ensures a beautifully tender stem and crispy top.
- Use thin stemmed asparagus so it cooks evenly in under 10 minutes.
- Try to make sure the asparagus is in a single layer in the air fryer basket, so the hot air can circulate around each spear.
- Grated Parmesan
- Soy Sauce
- Lemon Juice
- Salted Butter
- Hollandaise Sauce
- Smoked Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
- Pomegranate Molasses
- To Store. The air fried asparagus will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. You can either reheat in microwave or, to retain it's crispy texture, reheat in your air fryer for a few minutes at 200c.
- To Freeze. Air fryer asparagus is not suitable for freezing
Glynis
Wrapped them in prosciutto ham ... delicious Beth! Thank you for your inspirations!