Air Fryer Asparagus – 3 ingredients + 5 minutes!

Air Fryer Asparagus is an easy side dish that only requires 3 ingredients and cooks up in 5 minutes! Pair this healthy, gluten-free side dish with any dinner.

I once had a colleague who refused to eat asparagus tips. I can recall several dinners with customers where this person specifically ordered spears of asparagus with the meal and then ate everything but the tips.

When it first happened, it felt like I was on an episode of Seinfeld. I’m not trying to judge, but the top of the asparagus skewer is the best?! #serenity now

Maybe my co-worker just needed some air fryer asparagus in their life because this easy, toasty and toasty, gluten-free side dish is so good you won’t leave a single bite behind!

5 minutes + side dish with 3 ingredients

Asparagus is a vegetable my whole family loves, so I regularly make it into a dinner of meat, starches, and veggies (aka the only type of dinner my brain can cook some nights!)

My favorite way to prepare asparagus is to air fry the spears because it only takes 3 ingredients and 5 minutes and doesn’t require heating the oven.

It’s easy to overcook asparagus, and this air fryer asparagus recipe gives you a ton of control to ensure the insides of the spears stay crisp and tender, while the outsides come out flavorful and toasty. Plus those crispy tips? You are the best!

Ingredients needed

Air Roasted Asparagus is a side dish that you use not I have to think too much. However, I just season them and they always taste great. You will need the following:

• Asparagus: Grab a bunch of fresh asparagus, which typically weigh 3/4 to 1 pound total. Read below about the optimal thickness of the handles for hot air roasting.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You only need 2 teaspoons for a whole bunch of asparagus. Feel free to use another oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil. You could even use a spritz of your favorite cooking spray.
• Garlic Salt: Feel free to flavor your asparagus with any spice you like. However, I usually use Lawry’s Garlic Salt or my homemade seasoning salt that contains garlic powder.

Why isn’t my asparagus crispy?

Whether you’re air-frying, steaming, grilling, or roasting asparagus, if the spears get mushy and limp, it means they’re overcooked. I usually divide asparagus spears into thin, medium, and thick categories. Here’s how long to air fry each piece at 390 degrees:

Thickness of the asparagus spears + cooking time in the air fryer:

• Thin (like a pencil): 3-4 minutes
• Medium (between pencil and marker): 5 minutes
• Thick (like a marker): 6-7 minutes

I generally choose medium-thick spear asparagus bundles because they’re less likely to overcook and get soggy in the air fryer.

Tips for the best air fried asparagus

1. Don’t trim too much. Did you know that asparagus spears break wherever you apply pressure? So the old advice of snapping off the bottom third because that’s where they naturally break could actually cost you perfect asparagus?! Unless the asparagus spears are very thick, you really only need to cut off the bottom 1/2 – 1 inch.
2. Allow residual cooking. The air-fried asparagus sticks become even softer after they are removed from the air fryer. So plan on doing a bit of re-cooking to ensure the asparagus stays crispy-tender and not mushy.
3. Eat immediately. I recommend air frying only as much asparagus as you need because I don’t find cooked asparagus to reheat very well. If you have leftovers, I recommend cutting them up into 1/2-inch pieces and adding them to fried rice, scrambled eggs, or a salad the next day.

What to serve with asparagus from the air fryer

The possibilities are endless! As I said, I often prepare air fry asparagus as part of the Midwestern meat + veg + starch dinner triad, but here are some other recipes that would benefit from a side of air fried asparagus:

How to prepare asparagus from the air fryer

This is one of the easiest air fryer recipes you will ever make! Start by preheating your air fryer to 390 degrees, or whatever temperature is closest to your model. I have a first generation Philips air fryer which is great – here is the improved model.

While the air fryer is preheating, trim 1 bunch of asparagus That’s usually 3/4 – 1 pound total. Again, unless they have very thick and woody ends, you only need to cut off the bottom half to 1 inch of the asparagus spears.

Place the sliced ​​asparagus spears in a casserole dish or ziplock bag and sprinkle with a dash of them Extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle garlic salt or homemade spiced salt.

Toss the spears in the oil and spices until well coated. You can do this a day in advance if you want to prep meals.

Place the asparagus spears in the preheated air fryer basket, then air fry for 3 minutes. The spears can overlap – there is no need to place them all in a single layer.

Using tongs, mix the asparagus spears, then air fry for an additional 1 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears.

Keep in mind that the asparagus will continue to soften even after you remove them from the air fryer. So choose between undercooking, which is easy to fix, or overcooking — which isn’t!

Seriously, my husband and I could eat this whole basket for dinner (we may have shared the basket in the photo below for breakfast 😂) – they really are that delicious!!

No matter what you pair it with, I hope this easy, healthy, vegetarian side dish becomes as popular in your home as it is in me! Enjoy!

More healthy side dish recipes

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin