Five minutes is all you need to make perfectly cooked asparagus using an air fryer. Simple, classic and lightly seasoned, this crispy asparagus can be served as a side to basically any meal to add some additional freshness as well as a pop of vibrant green color to round out your plate.
There are some vegetables that taste best when seasoned a certain way, such as snap peas with garlic and shallot or Kabocha squash with maple sugar. Asparagus is definitely not one of them! I've tried dressing it up several times when inspired by a recipe I've seen online, but honestly there is something about a simple drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper that just hits the spot.
There is no need to get fancy or try too hard when it comes to cooking asparagus. A lot of recipes call for garlic, paprika or even parmesan cheese. And while I'm not knocking how people like their asparagus, I'm just saying it really doesn't need it! Fresh asparagus has such a unique and fresh flavor on its own, so let's use that to our advantage and enhance it with just a few simple ingredients.
This recipe uses hot air from the air fryer to crisp up the asparagus in less than half the time of roasting it in the oven, making it a super convenient and easy way to add asparagus as a healthy side dish to any meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Wash and dry the asparagus.
2. Remove the woody ends of the stalks.
3. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Place the asparagus in the air fryer.
5. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Undercook the asparagus. Yes, you heard that right! Asparagus continues to cook when you remove it from the air fryer (or oven), so it is important not to overdo it. You'll find that you actually get the best flavor from undercooking in addition to a little more firmness. Overcooking asparagus will cause it to shrivel and taste bitter.
- Adjust cooking time (if desired) based on the thickness of the asparagus. Asparagus can range from thin and stringy to medium to thick. Thinner stalks naturally will cook faster. I prefer thicker stalks and 5 minutes is really all you need. If air frying thinner ones, 5 minutes is still fine but check on it after 4 minutes just in case.
This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and paleo-friendly. If you make it, please take a minute to comment below or share it on Instagram so I can see!
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5-Minute Air Fryer Asparagus
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Five minutes is all you need to make perfectly "roasted" asparagus using an air fryer. Simple, classic and lightly seasoned, this crispy asparagus can be served as a side to basically any meal to add some additional freshness as well as a pop of vibrant green color to round out your plate.
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus (about 20 spears depending on thickness)
1 tbsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
1/16 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry the asparagus. It is important to pat the asparagus dry as moisture will cause it to steam and get soggy rather than crispy.
- Remove the woody ends of the asparagus stalks. This can be done by trimming about 1-2" from the bottom or by snapping them off with your hands.
- Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over the asparagus before adding to the air fryer.
- Place the asparagus in the air fryer. It is fine if the asparagus overlaps a little.
- Air fry at 400˚F for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Feel free to overlap the asparagus to cook all in one batch. Overlapping is often a huge no-no when it comes to air frying, but not with asparagus! While we are looking for some degree of crispiness, this isn't the same as making sweet potato fries where crispiness is everything. Separating into two batches is perfectly fine to avoid overlapping and optimize crispiness, but I don't get hung up on that because it doesn't make a noticeable difference.
- Prep Time: 3
- Cook Time: 5
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this asparagus with dinner last night and it was perfect! I'll always be making it in the air fryer from now on!
Elaine Gordon says
So happy to hear that! Thank you!