Air Fryer Asparagus

Make perfectly roasted, crisp and tender Air Fryer Asparagus in just 15 minutes! This tasty and healthy veggie side dish is simply seasoned and coated with fresh grated parmesan cheese, and cooks up fast and easy in the air fryer.

New to Air Frying? Make sure to check out my detailed post on How To Use An Air Fryer!

Easy Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan Cheese

If you’ve never made roasted asparagus in your air fryer, I have only one question. What are you waiting for?! Let me tell you, it’s been a game changer for fast, easy weeknight dinners. Air fryer asparagus comes out perfectly tender and crisp every time, and it’s ready in minutes. I love this version that’s simply seasoned and coated in a crispy layer of fresh parmesan cheese. It’s a huge hit with the family and friends, too.

Air fryer asparagus makes the best veggie side for just about any main dish you can dream up. The flavors are on point, the crisp texture is amazing, and you can switch it up with so many easy variations! Honestly, what’s not to love?

Why Use the Air Fryer?

There are so many reasons to give air frying a go. If you check out my detailed post if you have any questions about what air fryer is best! This air fryer asparagus is:

• Quick: If you’re short on time and craving the flavor and texture of oven roasted asparagus, the air fryer is your best friend! Air frying is a quick and simple method when compared to the oven or stove top.
• Easy to Season: You can easily swap out the seasonings in this air fryer recipe for any spices you prefer. It’s a perfect way to reinvent asparagus with loads of simple, yet delicious customizations. 
• Perfectly Tender-Crisp: Air fryer asparagus achieves that perfectly fried, crisp texture on the outside while staying juicy and tender on the inside, minus the extra oils of deep frying.
• Versatile: Fry these up for an easy veggie side dish, or to add onto your favorite meals and recipes. Crispy asparagus even makes a great healthy snack for dipping!

What You’ll Need

This recipe for air fryer asparagus comes together quickly and with minimal ingredients, making it one of my favorite easy side dishes to cook up on a weeknight. Below is an overview of the basic ingredients, with the detailed amounts included in the recipe card further on:

• Asparagus: You’ll need about one pound of trimmed asparagus for 4 servings. Look for asparagus spears that are firm and straight, with a small bit of white at the bottom of the stem. They can be thin or thick, just keep in mind that thicker spears will take longer to cook. You’ll need to trim the ends before you cook them, see below for pointers!
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil, or another cooking oil like avocado oil.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Parmesan Cheese: Fresh grated parmesan cheese gives air fried asparagus all kinds of delicious flavor and even a bit of crunch as it cooks. Of course, you can easily make this recipe dairy-free without the cheese – roasted asparagus tastes great with simple salt and pepper, too!
• Optional Garnish: You can choose to leave your crispy asparagus with parmesan as is, or give the spears a squeeze of fresh lemon, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, or add crushed red pepper flakes for garnish.

How to Trim Asparagus 

If you’ve ever cooked with asparagus before, or if you haven’t, you’ll notice that the end of the asparagus spear is especially tough and woody. This fibrous, chewy bit is the part that needs to be trimmed off. There are two easy ways to do it:

• With a Knife: Use a sharp knife and find where the white (or brown) ends fade into the green of the spear, and cut the ends off.
• With Your Hands: You can also snap the woody ends off using your fingers. Find the point between the white and green of the stalk where it softens, and then snap off the hard end. 

How to Roast Asparagus in the Air Fryer

Roasting asparagus in the air fryer is super fast and easy, with just two steps! The exact cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears, so keep a close eye, especially if you’re working with thinner spears. Follow these steps for air fried perfection:

Season: Season your washed and trimmed asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder and parmesan. Give them a toss or stir to coat, then arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the air fryer.

Cook: Air fry the spears at 400°F for about 9 minutes. Once they’re done, remove the asparagus from the air fryer basket, garnish, and serve!

Tips for Success

Here are some tips for the best results when roasting asparagus in the air fryer:

• Remove the Hard Ends: Don’t forget to cut or snap off the woody ends before you cook your asparagus. If the whole spear is tough or stringy after cooking, this could be a sign that the asparagus is overcooked.
• Pay Attention to the Size: On that note, the cooking time may vary a bit depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Thinner spears tend to cook up quicker, sometimes even in half the time! So take note of the spear size and adjust the frying time as needed.
• Adapt to Your Air Fryer: If you’re using a smaller air fryer, you may need to increase the cooking time or work in batches. On the other hand, if you’re roasting asparagus in a larger fryer, it will need less time. I use a toaster oven styler air fryer and sometimes I need to add a bit more time. In any case, it’s a good idea to start checking the asparagus after the 5 minute mark, to make sure they’re cooking up nicely.

Variation Ideas

This crispy asparagus recipe can be changed up in all sorts of flavor variations. Here are some options to try:

• Add Herbs: Freshen up the asparagus with fresh chopped parsley, dill, basil, mint or thyme. 
• Different Seasoning: Try different seasonings like paprika, red pepper flakes, onion powder, Italian seasoning blend, lemon and herb, and others.
• Lemon: Zest a lemon over top for a burst of citrus flavor.
• Balsamic: Drizzle your spears with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before tossing and roasting.
• Spicy: Make spicy asparagus with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or drizzle of Sriracha hot sauce. 
• Asian-Inspired: Coat your asparagus with soy sauce, honey, garlic, or teriyaki sauce. You could also use sesame oil in place of olive oil, and sprinkle on sesame seeds.
• Add Bacon: Crumble cooked bacon overtop for a nice smokey and salty addition.

Serving Suggestions

For casual weeknight dinners to holiday meals, there aren’t many opportunities where this air fryer asparagus doesn’t shine! Here are just some of my favorite ways to serve it:

• Serve your asparagus topped with homemade hollandaise sauce.
• Asparagus makes a perfect side dish for Oven Baked Chicken Legs, Slow Cooker Beef Tips, and Skillet Balsamic Garlic Chicken.  
• Make a simple meal with Instant Pot Butter Rice and your choice of beef, chicken, or seafood main. 
• Chop up your air fryer asparagus to go in salads or pasta dishes. I love this crispy asparagus in my Easy Lemon Shrimp Orzo or Crab Alfredo.
• Snack on asparagus spears dipped in Homemade Ranch Dressing. 

How to Store Air-Fried Asparagus

Leftover asparagus can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it cool before storing in a container. To reheat roasted asparagus, just pop it back into the air fryer at 375ºF for three minutes or so, until it’s warmed through.

Can I Freeze This?

I don’t recommend freezing asparagus, unless you plan on using the thawed leftovers maybe in a soup or casserole. This is because they tend to become mushy when they defrost. Luckily, the air fryer makes freshly roasted asparagus a breeze!

More Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes

• Easy Squash Casserole
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Southwestern Quinoa Salad
• Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Mushrooms
• Southwestern Cobb Salad Recipe

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