Air Fryer Asparagus
It’s so easy to cook asparagus in the air fryer. Ready in just 10 minutes or less!
I’ve been preparing a lot of asparagus in the air fryer lately. I love how tender and crispy the finished stalks are and really appreciate how little work is required!
For this recipe you’ll need (full list of ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below):
- Asparagus
- Olive or avocado oil (or a cooking spray)
- Salt
- Lemon juice
How to store fresh asparagus
I store my fresh asparagus the same way I do my fresh herbs! As soon as I unload the groceries I stand my asparagus up in a glass jar and add about 2 inches of water. Then place the jar in the refrigerator (mine sits on a shelf in the refrigerator door) until you’re ready to cook the asparagus.
How to prep asparagus
Asparagus stalks have a tough woody end that you want to remove before cooking. It’s often white or a different shade of green than the rest of the stalk and it’s so fibrous that it’s not enjoyable to eat. There are two ways to remove these ends:
- One way to do this is to snap the ends off by holding a stalk in both hands and breaking the woody end off.
- Another option is to hold a few asparagus together on a cutting board using one hand and then using a knife in the other hand to cut the ends off. This allows you to trim faster because you’re doing more than one stalk at a time. The downside of this method is that you may waste some of the asparagus by cutting too much.
Should you preheat your air fryer?
Preheat the air fryer whenever possible. Even just a few minutes can help! But know that if you forget it will still work out. I skip the preheating all the time. You might just require a few extra minutes of cooking at the end. Simply cook using the recommended times and add an extra minute or two if the asparagus requires it.
Which air fryer do I recommend?
These days I have two air fryers that I use and love.
This GoWise 7 Quart Air Fryer is my favorite basket style option. It holds a lot of food and is reasonably priced for an air fryer of this size. Since your food cooks in a fairly deep basket you’ll want to be sure to stir or shake the ingredients about halfway through cooking.
This Cuisinart Air Fryer can also be used as a convection oven and toaster. It’s more expensive but I decided it was worth the investment once I learned how much I was using my air fryer. This beauty now sits on my counter full-time since I use it every day!
How to store cooked asparagus
Store the finished asparagus in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Air Fryer Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil, Can use a cooking spray instead. I use an avocado oil spray.
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Rinse the asparagus. Pat dry with a paper towel. Trim off the end pieces (approximately 1-2 inches).
- If using oil, add the asparagus to a shallow dish. Drizzle with olive or avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt. Move the asparagus around so that it's coated. Then add the trimmed asparagus to the air fryer pan or basket. Spread them out so they're not all piled on top of each other.If using an oil spray, add the trimmed asparagus to the air fryer pan or basket. Spread them out so they're not all piled on top of each other. Spray with an oil spray (I use 100% avocado oil spray). Sprinkle with salt.
- Cook for 4 to 10 minutes. Your cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your asparagus. I recommend 4 to 5 minutes for thin stalks, 6 to 8 minutes for medium stalks, and 9 to 10 minutes for thick stalks.
- Drizzle lemon juice over the asparagus before serving.
