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This air fryer asparagus recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make — it’s the fastest way to “roast” asparagus! Once you season the stalks, cooking asparagus in the air fryer is super quick, making it a great last-minute side dish to just about any healthy dinner. Oh, and did I mention you get the perfect crispness on the tips?
Ever since I got my air fryer, I’ve been making easy air fryer recipes a couple times a week! But if you want to make asparagus and don’t have an air fryer, you can make roasted asparagus, sauteed asparagus, or grilled asparagus, or bacon wrapped asparagus instead.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
- Light and bright taste
- Tender asparagus stalks with crispy tips
- Incredibly easy to make
- Takes less than 10 minutes
- Naturally low carb, keto, vegan, and gluten-free
- A faster alternative to roasted asparagus in the oven
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air fryer roasted asparagus, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Asparagus – Look for asparagus spears that are plump and firm, with closed tips. Snap off the woody stems.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor, or bottled for convenience.
- Spices – Garlic powder, sea salt & black pepper. Simple!
VARIATION: Add parmesan cheese!
Sprinkle the parmesan over the asparagus in the air fryer, right before cooking. If your asparagus is thicker and will take longer to cook, you can add it halfway through cooking instead, so the cheese doesn’t burn.
How To Cook Asparagus In The Air Fryer
This section shows step-by-step photos and details about cooking asparagus in the air fryer. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Trim. Remove the tough, woody ends of the asparagus. You can learn more about ways to trim asparagus in my roasted asparagus post.
- Season. In a shallow baking dish (or a large bowl), drizzle asparagus with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
TIP: Don’t forget to toss!
Moving the pieces around helps to fully coat and season each asparagus stalk.
- Air fry. Place asparagus stalks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary. Air fry until tender, browned, and crispy on the edges.
How Long To Cook Asparagus In The Air Fryer?
Wondering about cooking time for asparagus in the air fryer? It will vary based on size, but is typically less than half the time it would take in the oven!
| Asparagus Stalk Thickness | Air Frying Time |
|---|---|
| Thin | 3-6 minutes |
| Medium | 5-8 minutes |
| Thick | 7-10 minutes |
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover asparagus in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a hot skillet, a microwave, or the air fryer for a few minutes, until heated through.
- Freeze: You could freeze cooked asparagus, but I generally don’t recommend it. It tends to get mushy, though it could be okay to use in a soup or casserole.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Asparagus
This veggie cooks super fast in the air fryer, so I recommend a fast main dish to go along with it! Try these simple ideas that you can make quickly:
- Chicken – Cook it your favorite way! The staple methods in my family are air fryer chicken breast, crispy baked chicken drumsticks.
- Steak – This is a great option for a meal that feels fancy, but steak is actually one of the fastest main courses to make! Check my favorite methods for sirloin steak, filet mignon, or ribeye that produce a juicy result every time.
- Fish – There are few pairings more classic than fish and asparagus! This vegetable pairs perfectly with air fryer salmon or air fryer tilapia if you want to use the same appliance. If you’d rather use a different cooking method so that your main and side are ready at the same time, prepare baked haddock or broiled salmon first, pop it in the oven, then cook the asparagus in the air fryer.
- Brunch Staples – Asparagus is fabulous for brunch! Try it with a spinach quiche or steak and eggs. Don’t forget the hollandaise sauce!
- Salads – Toss air fryer asparagus into salads like strawberry spinach salad or spring mix salad.
More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
Making veggies in the air fryer is incredibly fast and easy! If you like this air fryer recipe for asparagus, you might also like some of these:
Recommended Tools
- Air Fryer – I’ve tried a few different air fryers and this one is my favorite!
- Shallow Baking Dish – Prep and serve the asparagus right in this dish.
Easy Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
Air Fryer Asparagus (Fast & Easy!)
Learn how to cook asparagus in the air fryer — it cooks in a few minutes. This crispy, tender, and EASY air fryer asparagus recipe makes a fast, healthy side dish.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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In a shallow baking dish, drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Move the pieces around to coat evenly.
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Working in batches if needed, arrange the asparagus in the air fryer in a single layer. Air fry for 5-8 minutes for medium thickness asparagus, 7-10 minutes for thick asparagus, or 3-6 minutes for thin asparagus, until the asparagus is tender, browned, and crispy on the edges.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 of entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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24 Comments
Jane
0This is the best recipe for asparagus ever. Easy to follow instructions, another opportunity to use my air fryer and absolutely delicious. Thanks so much.
Trevor
0Was looking for a side for my air fried chuck roast, and came upon this. Don’t like parmesan so, I changed it ups slightly. Sea salt, fresh ground pepper & lemon juice NO GARLIC POWDER (you’ll see why shortly!).
Otherwise as per your directions. HOWEVER I premade patties of unsalted butter with fresh minced garlic. On serving, a couple of the patties were placed on the asparagus, and with the patties that were also used with the chuck roast…….wow!
nah
0what temperature does the air fryer need to be set at????
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, The air fryer is set to 400 degrees F. You can find this in step #1 on the recipe card.
Shawn
0Am I missing what temp to set the air fryer to? If so I apologize. What temp do you cook the asparagus at?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Shawn, Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Barbara
0Do I then transfer the asparagus from the shallow baking dish into the basket in the airfryer?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barbara, Yes, you will want to transfer into the air fryer basket.
Lori J Moran
0Loved it! It was quick, easy and delish. Usually I will do asparagus on the grill, or steam them (boring). This was perfect. Highly recommend!
Jess
0This was fantastic. Just ate about a pound of asparagus by myself. 🤣 it was better than any other way I have prepared asparagus in my 38 years of existence. To think, I was about to throw the bunch I bought this weekend away because it never turns out good anyways😂😅
Charles
0This recipe is amazing! I have always baked my asparagus, which, don’t get me wrong, was delicious. When I tried this recipe, though, I was blown away by the flavor that the asparagus retained! I did what this recipe suggested and put the parmesan on halfway through cooking, and it came out perfect. I won’t ever cook asparagus any other way again.
Amy L Huntley
0These are so crispy and tender too. Cooked to perfection. The flavor is amazing too.
Laura
0I love air fryer asparagus!! So easy to make!
Shelby
0Asparagus is a popular side dish around here, love how quickly this came together!
Shari
0Wow I haven’t tried asparagus in our air fryer… we just got one for Christmas. This looks delicious and we love asparagus!
April
0This is the BEST way to cook asparagus! It comes out so tender and flavorful.
Toni
0This has been one of my favoite air fryer recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Donna Batrone
0Seriously this is the best and only way to make asparagus! Perfect every time!
Amy L Huntley
0These are perfectly cooked! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. So, flavorful too!
Kristyn
0Seriously the best!! The air fryer makes it super easy & it turns out delicious!!
Jenn
0Asparagus is my favorite vegetable and I love how the tips of the spears get a little crispy in the air fryer!
Eden
0So easy to make and turned out wonderful! I’ll be making it again for Easter dinner!
Allyson Zea
0One of my favorite side dishes in the air fryer!
Doris Layhe
0Asparagus is my favorite! I was so excited to make this and I am so happy I did, it was delicious! And so easy!