Name: Air Fryer Asparagus
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb. asparagus; 2 teaspoons avocado oil; 2 teaspoons garlic spread mixture*; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)

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Air Fryer Asparagus is so incredibly delicious. A drizzle of oil, some yummy spices and parmesan, slightly crispy and cooked to perfection. It makes the perfect side or appetizer and is also great for entertaining. Cooked in a fraction of the time without having to heat up the oven, and producing the perfect texture, you'll never cook it any other way!

Asparagus is in season in the spring and early summer, and is often a popular side for holiday meals. We love it in the air fryer during the hot months especially, so as to not heat up the house!

This was inspired by our Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks and Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters. Try our fun and yummy Asparagus Wrapped in Puff Pastry. It's a great side that's easy to make and beautiful too! It pairs perfectly with our Bacon Wrapped Chicken or our Best Manicotti EVER.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
Recipe
Food safety

Ingredients

asparagus
avocado oil
garlic spread seasoning of choice this one is our favorite -OR- parsley, italian seasoning, salt and garlic powder
pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Preheat air fryer to 400* F. Rinse asparagus and pat dry. Snap off ends. To do this, bend the asparagus towards the bottom where it starts to lighten and it will snap in the correct place all by itself! Place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Drizzle avocado oil over the asparagus and mix thoroughly until well coated. I like to take the ends and rub them in the oil on the bottom to ensure they are coated completely. You can use vegetable, canola or olive oil for this. Coconut oil is not recommended as it does not have a high enough smoke point.

3. Sprinkle garlic spread seasoning and pepper over the top. Mix well until it's evenly and thoroughly coated. I like to use my hands, but you can use a spatula. Make sure the tops are coated too! You can do this easily by swirling the tops in any spices that are on the bottom of the bowl.

4. Place in air fryer basket. For this dish, it's okay if the asparagus isn't in a single layer. Cook for 4 minutes then shake basket or turn asparagus with tongs. Add parmesan cheese and cook an additional 3 minutes for a total of 7 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Hint: Wash your air fryer as soon as it cools down enough! Air fryers are prone to getting a build up of oil residue, washing soon after use helps prevent this.

Substitutions

Oil - you can use vegetable or canola oil or even olive oil. I don't like to use olive oil in my air fryer, as it leaves a build up of gunk over time, despite washing after each use.
Garlic Spread- use ¾ teaspoon parsley, ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder instead of garlic spread seasoning.

Variations

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes at the same time as the other spices, or sprinkle on top after cooking. We love ours this way!
Bacon Air Fryer Asparagus- add bacon crumbles (we recommend crumbles over bits) at the same time as adding the parmesan. OR wrap the asparagus spears in groups of 3 in bacon. Cook time may take an additional 2-5 minutes- make sure bacon is fully cooked before consuming!
Air Fryer Asparagus and Salmon- spread butter and garlic spread seasoning on top of salmon and place salmon on top of asparagus in air fryer. Cooking time should be about the same time, but always check your meat for doneness. See our Food Safety Guidelines located below the recipe card.

Equipment

Air Fryer
Mixing Bowl

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 400* for 2-3 minutes.

These ingredients do not hold up well to freezing- freezing is not recommended.

Top tip

Make sure the asparagus is well coated in oil. I do use as little oil as possible. The tops tend to not get coated as well and can then burn while in the air fryer. After combining with the oil as best I can, I like to swirl the tops in any leftover oil on the bottom. I also do the same with the spices to ensure maximum flavor.

Recipe