Asparagus is one of my very favorite vegetables. It is so easy to prepare, and it takes very little seasoning or effort to turn it into a fantastic side dish. In this Air Fryer Asparagus recipe, we are taking this versatile vegetable and making it even easier. Free up your oven by making this fast side right on the countertop in your air fryer.
How to Cook Asparagus in Air Fryer
This is just a brief overview of this fast recipe. For all the times, temperatures, and measurements, make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe.
Varying Cooking Times for Asparagus
You will notice when you shop for asparagus that it will vary a great deal in thickness. The asparagus you see here is unusually thin. It took only about 4 minutes to cook. On the other hand, I’ve had much thicker asparagus that takes closer to 8 minutes. You will want to change the cooking time based on how thick it is, keeping in mind that 6 minutes is perfect for the average asparagus spear.
Picking out Asparagus
There are a few things to look for when you are shopping for asparagus at the grocery store or farmer’s market.
Look for a bunch that has relatively the same thickness of asparagus – it will be easier for it to all cook evenly. Pick a bunch in which all of the stems look thick and plump. If they have wrinkles or dimples in the skin, skip that one. Grab an asparagus bunch that has tight buds at the top and tops that are fresh looking and not wilted.
Storing Fresh Asparagus
If you are making this later in the week and need to store your asparagus, you will want to follow these steps:
Prepping Asparagus
When it is time to make your asparagus in the air fryer, take the asparagus stalks out of the refrigerator and give it a quick rinse. Now you want to snap off the rough woody ends. If you bend the asparagus as seen below, it will tell you exactly where it should be snapped off. Once you snap one, you can line it up with the rest of the asparagus, and cut the rest of the bottoms.
Seasonings
You will notice that I went really light with the seasonings in this recipe. I love the taste of asparagus, so I think that it needs very little, and I love the garlic salt on these. That being said, there are so many ideas that you could go with to change this up. Here are a few of my own seasoning blends that I think would be delicious with these. Just keep in mind that you want to go easy with them.
Everything Bagel Seasoning Cajun Seasoning Italian Seasoning Grill Seasoning
Or, you can go with the peanut butter to asparagus’ jelly and just squeeze some fresh lemon juice on them after they come out of the air fryer. That would also be delicious.
Variations
In addition to the different seasonings listed above, you could change up this recipe in a number of different ways.
Add cheese: Like with my roasted green beans, these would be fantastic with a little sprinkling of finely grated Parmesan cheese at the end just before serving. Use fresh herbs: Asparagus are a delightful summer side dish. Grab some fresh herbs from your garden to garnish these at the end. Parsley, basil or even fresh dill would be delicious on these. Toss in some lemon: Like with my oven roasted asparagus, lemon zest and asparagus go together perfectly. Zest a little over these after they are done cooking.
Leftovers
Leftover asparagus can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. These are delicious cold, but you could also use your air fryer to reheat them. I also love chopping up cooked asparagus, and tossing it in a salad. That would be a perfect way to use up leftovers of this delicious recipe.
Other Great Ways to Make Asparagus
Oven Roasted Asparagus Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
If you make this air fryer asparagus recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
