Air Fryer Asparagus – A Couple Cooks

April 25, 2025

- Parmesan and garlic: Add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder when tossing with oil and salt. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the asparagus instantly after air frying.

- Lemon and pepper: Add ¼ teaspoon floor black pepper when tossing with oil and salt. After cooking, squeeze half a lemon over the asparagus and garnish with lemon zest if desired.

- Pink pepper flakes: Add a pinch earlier than or after air frying for a spicy kick.

- The whole lot bagel seasoning: Sprinkle this stylish spice mix over the asparagus after cooking.

- Sesame: Attempt a light-weight drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

You gained’t imagine how simple and scrumptious it’s to make air fryer asparagus! That is now my favourite method to cook dinner this inexperienced vegetable. The dietary yeast provides a delicate tacky taste and tarragon brings a fragile natural be aware.

This may sound bizarre, however I’ve by no means been that into asparagus—till this recipe got here alongside! I used to be a type of individuals who have been just a little delay by its bitter taste. However let me inform you: air fryer asparagus is a complete completely different ball recreation. It comes out tender, juicy, and virtually candy, with browned and crispy suggestions. Each time we make this, I inhale the spears like French fries!

Alex created this recipe with two distinctive seasonings—dietary yeast and tarragon—which make a surprisingly scrumptious taste mixture! They’re value stocking in your pantry in the event you don’t already. The dietary yeast provides a delicate tacky taste with out dairy, whereas the tarragon brings a fragile natural be aware. (We inventory dietary yeast frequently to shake over popcorn, which makes it completely subsequent degree.😊) You possibly can substitute different seasonings as desired!

⭐ Air fryer suggestion: We’re late to the air fryer recreation, however we’re very proud of ours! We use this air fryer, which has a really giant basket so you possibly can cook dinner bigger portions without delay.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Easy and fast – Season your asparagus, place it within the air fryer, and also you’re finished in below 10 minutes!
Crispy goodness – You’ll find yourself with tender spears and addictively crispy suggestions each time.
Versatile – Good as a facet for nearly any major dish, works with numerous seasoning variations.
Wholesome – It’s low-oil, low-calorie, and filled with vitamins and fiber, making and straightforward and wholesome facet dish concept.

Ideas for air fryer asparagus

After making air fryer asparagus numerous occasions in our check kitchen, I’ve picked up some tips that make a giant distinction within the last outcome:

Trim the woody ends: Reduce off the powerful ends of the asparagus earlier than cooking. The underside half is fibrous and chewy, so eradicating it helps guarantee a young chew. (Right here’s find out how to reduce asparagus.)
Select the appropriate asparagus: Skinny to medium-thick spears work greatest for air frying, supplying you with that excellent steadiness of tender insides and crispy outsides. We discover the thinner the spears, the sweater the flavour.
Don’t overcrowd the basket: Unfold the asparagus in a single layer to permit the recent air to flow into correctly. When you pack too many spears into the air fryer without delay, they’ll steam quite than roast. Relying on the scale of your basket, you might have to cook dinner in batches.
Watch the timing: Completely different air fryer fashions can fluctuate in cooking velocity. Skinny asparagus could also be finished after simply 4 minutes, whereas thicker spears may want the complete 7 minutes.

Seasoning variations

Whereas dietary yeast and tarragon make an unbelievable mixture that Alex and I really like, air fryer asparagus is extremely versatile. Listed below are another scrumptious methods to season it:

Parmesan and garlic: Add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder when tossing with oil and salt. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the asparagus instantly after air frying.
Lemon and pepper: Add ¼ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper when tossing with oil and salt. After air frying, squeeze half a lemon over the asparagus and garnish with lemon zest if desired.
Pink pepper flakes: Add a pinch earlier than or after air frying for a spicy kick.
The whole lot bagel seasoning: Sprinkle this stylish spice mix over the asparagus after cooking.
Sesame: Attempt a light-weight drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Storing leftovers

As with most greens, air fryer asparagus is at its very best when recent from the air fryer. When you do have leftovers, right here’s what to do with them:

Storage: Let the asparagus cool utterly, then retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
Reheating: For the very best texture, reheat within the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes till warmed by. This helps restore a few of the crispiness. Keep away from microwaving as a result of it tends to make the asparagus soggy.
Leftover concepts: Chilly leftover asparagus makes a terrific addition to asparagus salad, a grain bowl, or might be chopped and added to frittatas, asparagus quiche, or pasta salad.

Dietary notes

This air fryer asparagus recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Regularly requested questions

Do I have to preheat my air fryer for asparagus?

Preheating for about 5 minutes helps guarantee even cooking and higher browning of the asparagus.

How do I do know when the asparagus is finished?

The asparagus needs to be vibrant inexperienced, tender when pierced with a fork, and barely browned and crispy on the suggestions. The precise time will depend on the thickness of your spears.

Do I have to flip the asparagus whereas cooking?

Not like typical oven roasting, you don’t have to flip every spear individually. Nonetheless, shaking the basket midway by cooking (across the 4-minute mark) helps guarantee even cooking.

Is dietary yeast mandatory? The place can I discover it?

Whereas not completely mandatory, dietary yeast is what provides this recipe its distinctive “tacky” taste with out dairy. Yow will discover it in most well being meals shops, well-stocked grocery shops (usually within the pure meals part), or on-line. When you don’t have it, you possibly can substitute Parmesan cheese or just benefit from the asparagus with simply salt and a squeeze of lemon.

What if I don’t have tarragon?

When you don’t have tarragon, merely omit it and nonetheless take pleasure in scrumptious air fryer asparagus. I requested Alex in the event you might use one other dried herb, however he indicated the tarragon blends very nicely and he wouldn’t advocate even dill or oregano (although you’re welcome to experiment!).

So, take into account this air fryer and asparagus skeptic (me) proved flawed! The air fryer makes probably the most scrumptious taste that makes these inexperienced spears as addictive as French fries, an simple facet dish for each weeknight dinners and particular events. The mixture of dietary yeast and tarragon that Alex created brings such a novel and scrumptious taste — tell us what you suppose within the feedback under!