Crisp, tender, and packed with flavor—learn how to air fry asparagus perfectly every time! With a few simple tricks (like choosing the right spears and seasoning at the right time), you’ll get restaurant-quality results in minutes.
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Why You’ll Love This Air Fried Asparagus
Let’s face it—nobody wants soggy asparagus. And the struggle to get that perfect balance of tender and crispy? Real. But with your air fryer, it’s a breeze. I’ve tested this recipe many times to guarantee you get golden, crispy tips and tender stalks every time. No guessing, no soggy bits—just perfect asparagus, fast. Plus it’s a healthy, low-carb side dish that goes with everything. Toss with parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, or a drizzle of balsamic. Boom—next-level deliciousness in minutes.
Foolproof Tips for Crispy, Perfect Asparagus
- Thick vs Thin Asparagus: Thicker spears hold up better in the air fryer. If using thin asparagus, reduce the time.
- Dry it well: Any moisture left on the spears = steaming instead of crisping. Pat those spears dry!
- Season after cooking (sometimes): Want extra crunch? Add parmesan or flaky salt after air frying.
- Shake it up: A quick toss halfway through ensures even crispiness on all sides.
This air fry asparagus will be your new side dish—fast, easy, and delicious! Try it out.
Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Asparagus – Go for asparagus that is not too skinny, but not super thick either, but if all you can find is super skinny or super thick, adjust the timing accordingly.
- Herbs & Spices – We will use kosher salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
- Oil – Just a bit to help those seasonings stick to the asparagus spears, I used Avocado oil, but you can use Olive oil or your favorite.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Fresh grated is best for this recipe, it adds a bit of flavor to the dish!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Recommended Equipment
There are many great air fryers out there, use your favorite, here are a few I recommend.
- Cosori Air Fryer is the next up, a dedicated air fryer with a larger square basket.
- Ninja Foodi Air Fryer & Indoor Grill — a nice wide and easy-to-operate air fryer. What I made these French toast sticks in.
- My favorite Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (it does it all!), love, love this air fryer, countertop oven.
How to Air Fry Asparagus
Step 1 | Trim and rinse the asparagus
Cut off about 1 – 2 inches of the white bottom of the asparagus stalks, rinse stalks and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees. This is the air fryer I used, I love the nice large air fryer basket on it!
Step 2 | Prep & Air Fry Asparagus
Lay asparagus out on a small sheet pan or a piece of foil or parchment paper. In a small bowl mix together oil, salt, garlic and parsley, stir to combine.
Drizzle the infused oil mixture over the asparagus, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roll gently to coat all pieces.
Transfer the asparagus to the air fryer basket (do it in batches if you cannot fit all asparagus in one layer). Air fry asparagus at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until they are just browning up to a golden brown.
Sprinkle with a little extra grated parmesan and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the top. Serve immediately.
Fresh Tip | Don’t overcrowd the air fryer tray. Keep the asparagus to one layer so they get adequate circulation of hot air, and crisp on the outside. If necessary cook in several batches.
How long to Air Fry Asparagus?
Depending on the thickness of your asparagus, it should only take about 7 minutes in the air fryer, as long as you have the asparagus in a single layer.
Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe Variations
- Use Fresh garlic | 1-2 cloves of pressed or minced garlic would be delicious in place of the garlic powder.
- Balsamic Asparagus Recipe | Drizzle the air fryer asparagus with parmesan with a little balsamic vinegar or even better, balsamic glaze or reduction, try my friend Chellie’s recipe here!
- Try different cheeses | In place of or in addition to use Pecorino Romano cheese, Gruyere or any hard strong cheese would be a good substitute.
- Kick it Up | Sprinkle asparagus with red pepper flakes!
Asparagus Air Fryer Tips
- When purchasing asparagus, make sure it is firm and plump, not limp; the tips should be tightly closed.
- Trim the white portion of the asparagus ends off, between 1-2 inches, this part of the asparagus is typically tough and woody.
- After rinsing asparagus be sure to pat it dry, so that the oil mixture will stick.
Air Fryer Frozen Asparagus
Cannot get your hands on fresh asparagus? Then use frozen!
Since frozen asparagus has already been trimmed and blanched, it shouldn’t take as long.
Do not thaw ahead of time, simply toss the frozen asparagus in the seasoned oil mixture, sprinkle with cheese and air fry at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh asparagus will last from 3-5 days in the crisper drawer. To extend the life of fresh asparagus, place unwashed asparagus bunch in a jar with a little water, ends down. Your asparagus should last up to 10 days refrigerated.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and trim the asparagus as stated above. Once boiling, pop trimmed asparagus stalks in the boiling water for 2-4 minutes (depending on the thickness of the stalk). This is called blanching, which will preserve the bright green color and texture when freezing.
Using a slotted spoon remove asparagus from the boiling water and place in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let it sit in the ice water for 2-4 minutes, then remove to a paper towel lined tray and pat dry, then allow to dry completely.
Once dried and cooled, place in a single layer on a tray and freeze for one hour until firm, then transfer frozen asparagus stalks to a labeled airtight baggie, squeezing out any extra air. Freeze up to one year.
No need to defrost frozen asparagus, simple use in recipes as planned. Frozen asparagus is great in casseroles, stir fry, stews and pasta dishes.
If making as a side dish, pop in a hot pan with a little oil and pan fry until cooked through.
With its high fiber content, asparagus can cause gas (flatulence) and stomach upset in some people. But before you omit it from your diet, give it a try, it’s so good for you!
High in Vitamin C and Vitamin K an essential nutrient involved in blood clotting and bone health, as well as high in folate, an essential nutrient for healthy pregnancies.
Asparagus also possesses small amounts of other micronutrients, including iron, zinc and riboflavin.
When asparagus is digested, asparagusic acid gets broken down into sulfur containing byproducts. Sulfur, in general, is not very pleasant to smell. When you pee, the sulfur byproducts evaporate almost immediately, causing you to smell that unpleasant scent. (Source)
I always have to remind myself of this fact after I enjoy roasted asparagus, it amazes me how quickly it can pass through your system to your urine. 🙂 But each time I eat it, I am reminded by how healthy asparagus is for you!
Serving Air Fried Asparagus
- Enjoy as a side dish to London Broil or this sheet pan Maple Balsamic Chicken.
- Chop up this air fryer asparagus recipe and toss in this bow-tie pasta dish or any pasta dish.
- Use leftover asparagus in your favorite casseroles, try it in this Wild Rice Casserole.
- As a side dish with your favorite steak, brisket,
- Delicious served with this 3 ingredient Raspberry Salmon
- Serve alongside this easy Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken for a fabulous Sunday supper.
Storing Air Fried Asparagus
Store any leftovers from this air fryer asparagus recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or may be frozen, cool completely, then place in baggie and freeze.
How to Reheat Asparagus
Air Fryer | To reheat in the air fryer, place air fried asparagus on the basket in a single layer and reheat at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes.
Oven | To reheat asparagus in the oven, preheat oven to 350 and place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- For steamed asparagus; place a piece of foil over the top of the asparagus and bake 3-5 minutes.
- For roasted asparagus; do not cover and roast for 3-5 minutes until desired doneness.
More Great Air Fryer Recipes
I am just getting rolling with my air fryer, enjoy these recipes and come back soon for more!
- Air Fryer Raviloi (toasted and so yummy)
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites; these go spectacular with my Beer Cheese dip
- Try these Super Bowl Recipes appetizer recipes all made in the air fryer
Other Great Vegetable Side Dishes
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Easy Corn Casserole without Jiffy
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Glaze
- Glazed Tarragon Carrots (Instant Pot or Stove Top)
- Potatoes au Gratin (Potatoes Dauphinoise)
- Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds asparagus trimmed, rinsed and patted dry
- ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ – 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ – 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon oil Olive oil or Avocado or other neutral oil
- ¼ – ⅓ cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees.
- Wash and trim 1-2 inches off the bottom of the asparagus stalks, then pat dry.
- Mix together the oil, salt, garlic powder and parsley. Laying the asparagus out in a large bowl or on a baking sheet, drizzle asparagus with oil mixture, then gently toss to coat the stalks.
- Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and place in single layer in preheated air fryer basket, (air fry in batches if your air fryer is smaller). Air fry for 7 minutes until roasted and slightly crisp on the outside.
- Remove from air fryer basket and serve immediately, sprinkle with a little additional grated parmesan and a squeeze of lemon if desired.
- Store any leftovers from air fryer asparagus recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or may be frozen, cool completely, then place in baggie and freeze.
- How to Reheat Asparagus
- Air Fryer | To reheat in the air fryer, place air fried asparagus on the basket in a single layer and reheat at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes.
- Oven | To reheat asparagus in the oven, preheat oven to 350 and place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. For steamed asparagus; place a piece of foil over the top of the asparagus and bake 3-5 minutes. For roasted asparagus; do not cover and roast for 3-5 minutes until desired doneness.
Notes
Variations
- Use Fresh garlic | 1-2 cloves of pressed or minced garlic would be delicious in place of the garlic powder.
- Balsamic Asparagus Recipe | Drizzle the air fryer asparagus with parmesan with a little balsamic vinegar or even better, balsamic glaze or reduction, try my friend Chellie’s recipe here!
- Try different cheeses | In place of or in addition to use Pecorino Romano cheese, Gruyere or any hard strong cheese would be a good substitute.
- Kick it Up | Sprinkle asparagus with red pepper flakes!
Tips
Nutrition
Iryna
My favorite vegetables. Love this recipe. It is so easy to make and delicious. Thank you!
So glad it worked well for you!
Michaela Kenkel
So quick and easy!! Loved using this method for asparagus! Thanks!
Julie
I just love asparagus and never thought to use my air fryer! We just loved this easy recipe.
That is great to hear Julie! Thank you!
Sandra Shaffer
Cooking asparagus in an air fryer is a game changer! So simple and nice and tender. Perfect side dish to any main meal!
Min
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Min
My new favorite method to make asparagus!!! Thank you thank you! Never again in the oven. This is SO MUCH easier!
So much easier! And crisper and roastier too!
Susannah
I never use my air fryer but after making this, I want to use it so much more! What an easy and delicious recipe.
I love hearing that I inspired you to use your Air Fryer more!