Air Fryer Asparagus is a great and easy way to elevate your weeknight meals and special occasions in minutes using fresh, simple ingredients!
Keep your meals simple and wildly flavorful by serving fresh, quick-to-make Air Fryer Asparagus! Trimmed asparagus, seasonings, lemon, and parmesan combine for a side dish that perfectly compliments busy weeknight leftovers and gorgeous Sunday dinners.
Fresh and Quick
I cook Asparagus, a beautiful veggie, especially in the air fryer! Washing, trimming, mixing, and frying take about 10 minutes, so it’s quick to get this tasty asparagus on the table. This is a perfect way for us to get fresh veggies on a busy night and cut down on the work I put into making a large dinner on special occasions. Tender yet slightly crisp asparagus with a hint of lemon and salty parmesan is one of my family’s favorite side dishes and the easiest to make!
There are so many ways to enjoy this veggie so fall in love with how flavorful asparagus can be with hot, crispy Asparagus Fries and smokey Grilled Asparagus!
Other Recipes to Serve with Air Fryer Asparagus
- Busy weeknight meals are easy and delicious when you serve Crock Pot Chicken Breast with asparagus!
- Air Fryer Pork Chops are ready in 30 minutes and perfect for a special meal that tastes like it took hours to make!
Ingredients
Veggies: Purchase a pound of fresh asparagus and a lemon. Be sure to wash and trim the asparagus before frying.
Seasoning: You will need salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season the asparagus.
Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan cheese is amazing in this dish, but you can use pre-shredded parmesan if that’s what you have on hand.
Olive Oil: You will also need a little olive oil to coat the asparagus.
How to Make Air Fryer Asparagus
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Add the asparagus, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a shallow bowl and mix well to coat the asparagus evenly.
STEP TWO: Spread the asparagus evenly in the air fryer basket and cook for 4-6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
STEP THREE: Once the asparagus is tender, place it on a platter and squeeze a lemon wedge over it. Sprinkle the dish with parmesan cheese and serve.
Tips for Success
- Garnish the asparagus with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a little kick if you like.
- Be sure to space out the asparagus in the air fryer basket- this will help the asparagus to cook evenly and become crispy. Also, if your asparagus is thin, you may not need as much time. Likewise, if the asparagus is thick, you may need more time. Check your asparagus after 4 minutes with thin asparagus and after 6 minutes with thick asparagus to see if it is tender yet crispy.
- Store any leftover asparagus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Should I snap the asparagus or cut the ends off?
People have their personal tried and true ways of prepping asparagus and will either swear by snapping or cutting the ends of the asparagus. Snapping the ends off means finding the spot between where the asparagus is still tender and where it becomes woody and snapping off the woody end. This method is effective but can also be a little wasteful as you could snap anywhere along the asparagus and miss out on additional tender asparagus. It can be tricky to know where to cut the stems when choosing to cut the stems.
If you have asparagus with a white section of stem, that would be where you would cut it, but if your stems are all green, you can cut the stem until you see where it has transitioned from moist to dry. Use this cut asparagus to trim the remaining asparagus to the same length. Try each method and discover your favorite way to trim and enjoy asparagus!
Should asparagus be soaked in water before cooking?
Asparagus begins its life underground, and the stalk pushes through the soil as it grows. This is a garden-y way of saying that sometimes dirt gets caught in the tips of the asparagus stalks, but that’s nothing that a good rinse can’t take care of before you cook it. There’s no need to soak the asparagus ahead of time; just a simple rinse of the spears, and then a trim is all you need to do to prepare asparagus.
More Delicious Air Fryer Veggie Ideas!
- Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
- Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Fried Pickles
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon sliced into wedges
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Place the asparagus in a shallow bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.
- Transfer the asparagus to the preheated air fryer basket, making sure to spread them out in an even layer.
- Cook at 400 degrees F for 4-6 minutes until the asparagus are tender and crisp. Shake the basket after 2 minutes.
- Remove the asparagus from the basket and transfer them to a serving platter. Squeeze half of the lemon wedges over the asparagus. Save the remaining lemon wedges placing them around the serving platter.
- Sprinkle all over with parmesan cheese and serve warm.
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