This Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe is a super easy way to prepare this spring vegetable and have the spears come out crispy on the edges and tender on the inside. Simply season with oil, salt, and pepper, and air fry for 8-10 minutes.
While steaming is a great option for asparagus, making asparagus in the air fryer is a simple way to switch it up. Air frying asparagus brings out a wonderful flavor in the vegetable, the tips taste like popcorn to me! Just grind on liberal amounts of pepper and a good sprinkling of salt along with a tad of oil and you are good to go.
Pair with air fryer chicken thighs or air fryer T-bone steak for a simple protein.
I made my asparagus in the Ninja Foodi Deluxe, but any brand of air fryer will work for this asparagus recipe.
Ingredients
- fresh asparagus: Either skinny or thick asparagus spears can be used, most people have a preference. Go with whatever yours is. I used a medium thickness, and the cook time reflects that. If you have very thin or very thick spears, you may need to adjust the cook time up or down by a minute or two.
- olive oil: Avocado oil works well too.
- salt and pepper: Lots of it. This is the only true seasoning for the vegetable, so flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper are a must.
How to air fry asparagus in the Ninja Foodi
Trim asparagus to remove the woody part on the end. You can do this by breaking it off with your hands or by using a knife and cutting approximately 2 inches off of the bottom.
Place trimmed asparagus spears in a dish and pour olive oil, salt, and pepper over top. Toss with your hands to coat.
Place as an even, single layer in the air fryer basket. You may have to work in stages, depending on how much you are making and the size of the device.
Set temperature to 390 degrees F and 8 minutes of cook time. Shake basket or use tongs to flip spears at the halfway point to ensure they are evenly cooked.
Recipe Tip
When cooking asparagus in an air fryer, the one thing you want to do is make sure they are in the air fryer basket in a single layer for even cooking. This ensures that they will all be cooked through and no parts are left tough.
Additional ways to season asparagus
Asparagus is lovely on its own with just a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. But if you want to take it up a notch, here are some asparagus seasoning ideas.
- garlic: Either fresh, minced garlic or garlic powder.
- red pepper flakes. Use these in addition to the black pepper or as a replacement.
- grated parmesan cheese: You can grate it on at the beginning for a crispier cheese topping, or after cooking to melt it on top right before serving.
- lemon juice: A squeeze of a lemon wedge adds a bit of brightness.
- bacon: Wrap up each spear with a slice of bacon and cook until crispy. This makes for such a nice, low carb side dish that feels fancy but takes very little work. Just up the cook time to about 12-15 minutes total, depending on how crispy you like your bacon.
What to serve with air fryer roasted asparagus
This veggie is so simply seasoned, it will pair well with just about anything. We particularly love it with baked salmon and rice pilaf or something as simple as pan seared chicken sausage.
Other dishes to pair with asparagus are venison backstrap, garlic chicken thighs, and french onion baked chicken.
more air fryer recipes
Recipe FAQs
You bet! Cooking asparagus in the air fryer gives the same effect as roasted asparagus, but without having to turn on your oven. It cooks up in less than 10 minutes and comes out perfectly cooked with crispy edges.
Totally! You use very little oil and can season with as little salt as you would like. Asparagus itself is high in fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Yes, you can. The result may be a little drier and the edges less brown, but it will still cook up just fine.
Air Fryer Asparagus (Ninja Foodi)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Trim asparagus to remove the woody part on the end. You can do this by breaking it off with your hands or by using a knife and cutting approximately 2 inches off of the bottom.
- Place trimmed asparagus spears in a dish and pour olive oil, salt, and pepper over top. Toss with your hands to coat.
- Place as an even, single layer in the air fryer basket. You may have to work in stages, depending on how much you are making and the size of the device.
- Set temperature to 390 degrees F and 8 minutes of cook time. Shake basket or use tongs to flip spears at the halfway point to ensure they are evenly cooked.
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