Air-Fryer Asparagus

Our air-fryer asparagus recipe takes nearly no time at all to prepare. The asparagus comes out delightfully crisp, slightly browned on the outside and slightly tender on the inside.

It’s hard to beat asparagus as a side dish. Whether roasted with olive oil or sauteed in garlic butter, it pairs well with meats like bacon-wrapped filet mignon and lean proteins like grilled salmon. But have you ever cooked this beloved garden veggie in an air fryer? For perfectly tender-crisp asparagus, this is the way to go.

Here’s one more air-fryer vegetable recipe to add to your list of favorites.

Ingredients for Air-Fryer Asparagus

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• Lemon zest: Take your air-fried asparagus to restaurant-level quality with a sprinkling of lemon zest. A little can go a long way, so use sparingly, lest you’ll end up with super-tart spears.
• Olive oil: A high-quality olive oil will shine in this simple dish.
• Asparagus: When buying asparagus to air-fry, make sure the bunch isn’t limp or mushy. Faded white bottoms are fine—you’ll cut those off—but the rest of the spears should be vibrant green.

Directions

Step 1: Coat the asparagus

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Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Chop the woody ends off the asparagus, then add them to the bowl. Toss the spears in the zesty dressing until they’re evenly coated.

Step 2: Cook the asparagus

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Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the greased tray of your air-fryer basket. (You’ll have to work in batches so the spears have room to cook evenly.) Cook until the spears are tender and lightly browned, four to six minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to finish them off. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe Variations

• Make air-fryer asparagus vegan-friendly: You can make this air-fryer asparagus recipe more vegan-friendly by omitting the mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese for a vegan mayonnaise (or other plant-based spread) and vegan cheese like Violife Parmesan.
• Wrap the spears in bacon: For a beautiful presentation and an extra crispy crunch, air-fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus is the move. Wrap the asparagus in strips of bacon before placing in the air fryer. You can skip the lemon zest if you don’t want to mix the citrusy flavor with savory bacon.
• Drizzle the asparagus with hollandaise: Asparagus for breakfast will totally change your perception of this green crunchy vegetable. Pair it with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce over a toasted English muffin.

How to Store Air-Fryer Asparagus

Airy-fryer asparagus can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. When it’s time to reheat the asparagus, you can warm it in the air fryer again.

Air-Fryer Asparagus Tips

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Why isn’t my asparagus crispy?

Limp asparagus is a sign of overcooking. Because spears vary in size, it’s best to figure out how many minutes to air fry the spears based on their thickness. The thinner the spear, the fewer minutes it should cook. For a thicker spear, you might have to air-fry for longer than six minutes.

How much asparagus do I need to trim off?

The woody ends are the only part that should be trimmed off. Rather than snapping the bottoms off and risking wasting much of the fresh green spear, simply cut the spears about two inches from the bottom or wherever they begin to lose their color.