This Air Fryer Asparagus recipe is a healthy side dish that’s ready in 5-6 minutes! Perfectly tender with all the flavour of oven-roasted asparagus in less than half the time!
If you’ve been following The Busy Baker for awhile now you’ll know how much we love our air fryer! This Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe is one of our favourite ways to enjoy one of our favourite veggies, and we know you’re going to love this perfectly tender, perfectly EASY asparagus in the air fryer!
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Make this air fryer asparagus recipe with frozen asparagus:
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Don’t thaw your frozen asparagus at all. If there’s excess ice buildup on your asparagus rinse them under water and dry them with paper towels.
- Add the asparagus to a bowl and mix with the oil spray and spices.
- Do not add water to the Air Fryer basket.
- Place in the Air Fryer basket/tray and air fry at 400 F (200 C) for 5 minutes.
- Remove and shake well. Air fry again for another 4-7 minutes.
If you’ve been gifted an air fryer for the holidays and it’s been sitting on your shelf collecting dust, or if you’ve been thinking about picking up an air fryer for awhile but haven’t yet, we’d HIGHLY recommend getting started. An air fryer is a fantastic kitchen appliance for achieving that oven-crisp or fried texture in a fraction of the time with next to no added fat, and to be honest it’s a kitchen appliance we’d have a hard time living without!
Here are some air fryers we’d recommend (affiliate links):
- A great Air Fryer for space-saving (2 quart capacity)
- The perfect Air Fryer for large families with a dual basket feature
- A standard Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
- A large Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
To make this recipe you’ll also need (affiliate links):
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- fresh asparagus
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- cooking spray
- water
Time needed: 15 minutes
Follow these steps for perfectly cooked air fryer asparagus!
- Wash and dry the asparagus.
Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus spears and wash and dry them well.
- Toss well in the cooking spray, spices and salt.
Add the asparagus to a bowl and spray it with the cooking spray. Add the other ingredients. Toss very well so the asparagus is coated in the oil, spices and salt.
- Add water to the air fryer.
Add some water to the bottom of the air fryer. This will help the asparagus become bright green and tender, with some crispy bits.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer.
Overcrowding the air fryer will result in soggy asparagus. Add the asparagus to the air fryer in one layer and cook in batches if necessary. This will depend on the size of your air fryer basket.
- Cook for 5 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook for 5 minutes and then check the asparagus. If you’d like it more tender, add a couple more minutes of cook time.
How long to cook asparagus in air fryer
Cooking asparagus in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5-8 minutes gives you perfectly cooked asparagus. Check it after 5 minutes and give it more time, if you desire.
How to cook frozen asparagus in air fryer
The key to cooking asparagus in the air fryer is extending the cooking time by about 4-6 minutes and shaking the basket of the air fryer half way through cooking to toss the asparagus so it cooks evenly.
Why does asparagus burn in air fryer?
Asparagus browns quickly in the air fryer. We recommend cooking it on a lower temperature and adding some water to the bottom of the air fryer to prevent over-crisping or burning.
Is air fryer asparagus still healthy?
Yes! Cooking asparagus in the air fryer allows you to use less oil than oven-roasting, and it cooks much faster!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite vegetable side dish? We’d love to know!
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Air Fryer Asparagus
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 48 asparagus spears approximately 2 bunches
- cooking spray or use 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) while you get everything else ready.
- Cut the woody ends off the asparagus spears and wash them thoroughly. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Add the asparagus spears to a large bowl and spray them with the cooking spray. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss very well to coat.
- Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer in your air fryer, being careful to not over-crowd them. You might have to air fry in two batches.
- Add 1/4 cup water at the bottom of your Air Fryer. If you don’t add the water, the asparagus will dry out and become brown and crispy. With the addition of the water, the asparagus will be bright green, tender and slightly browned and crisp on top.
- Air fry at 375 F (190 C) for 5-7 minutes. Please keep in mind that the timing depends on your Air Fryer, how crowded your basket/tray is and how well done you prefer your asparagus.
- Our favourite way to eat this asparagus is while it's still vibrant green, with a moist stem, a bit of a bite and a little browning on top. If you're not happy with how cooked your asparagus is after 5 minutes, shake your basket/tray and give it another minute or two.
- Serve hot with some butter on top, if desired (optional).
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
This asparagus will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.Reheating Instructions
Place your asparagus in your Air Fryer . Add 1/3 cup of water on the bottom of your Air Fryer and run it at 350 F (175 C) for 3-5 minutes shaking the basket/tray halfway.How to Cook Frozen Asparagus in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Don’t thaw your frozen asparagus at all. If there’s excess ice buildup on your asparagus rinse them under water and dry them with paper towels.
- Add the asparagus to a bowl and mix with the oil spray and spices.
- Do not add water to the Air Fryer basket.
- Place in the Air Fryer basket/tray and air fry at 400 F (200 C) for 5 minutes.
- Remove and shake well. Air fry again for another 4-7 minutes.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.