Air Fryer Asparagus – A Couple Cooks

April 26, 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.

- Every part bagel seasoning: Sprinkle this fashionable 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 consider how simple and scrumptious it’s to make air fryer asparagus! That is now my favourite option to cook dinner this inexperienced vegetable. The dietary yeast provides a delicate tacky taste and tarragon brings a fragile natural observe.

This would possibly sound bizarre, however I’ve by no means been that into asparagus—till this recipe got here alongside! I used to be a kind of individuals who have been just a little postpone 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 nearly 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 price stocking in your pantry for those who don’t already. The dietary yeast provides a delicate tacky taste with out dairy, whereas the tarragon brings a fragile natural observe. (We inventory dietary yeast recurrently to shake over popcorn, which makes it completely subsequent stage.😊) You possibly can substitute different seasonings as desired!

⭐ Air fryer advice: We’re late to the air fryer recreation, however we’re very pleased with 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 completed in below 10 minutes!
Crispy goodness – You’ll find yourself with tender spears and addictively crispy suggestions each time.
Versatile – Good as a aspect for nearly any foremost dish, works with numerous seasoning variations.
Wholesome – It’s low-oil, low-calorie, and filled with vitamins and fiber, making and simple and wholesome aspect dish thought.

Suggestions for air fryer asparagus

After making air fryer asparagus numerous occasions in our check kitchen, I’ve picked up some methods that make an enormous distinction within the closing consequence:

Trim the woody ends: Lower off the robust ends of the asparagus earlier than cooking. The underside half is fibrous and chewy, so eradicating it helps guarantee a young chunk. (Right here’s the way to lower asparagus.)
Select the fitting asparagus: Skinny to medium-thick spears work finest for air frying, providing you with that excellent stability 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 new air to flow into correctly. Should 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 could must cook dinner in batches.
Watch the timing: Completely different air fryer fashions can range in cooking pace. Skinny asparagus could also be completed after simply 4 minutes, whereas thicker spears would possibly 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.
Every part bagel seasoning: Sprinkle this fashionable 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 best possible when recent from the air fryer. Should you do have leftovers, right here’s what to do with them:

Storage: Let the asparagus cool fully, then retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
Reheating: For the most effective texture, reheat within the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes till warmed by means of. This helps restore among the crispiness. Keep away from microwaving as a result of it tends to make the asparagus soggy.
Leftover concepts: Chilly leftover asparagus makes a fantastic 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.

Continuously requested questions

Do I must 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 completed?

The asparagus ought to be shiny inexperienced, tender when pierced with a fork, and barely browned and crispy on the suggestions. The precise time depends upon the thickness of your spears.

Do I must flip the asparagus whereas cooking?

In contrast to standard oven roasting, you don’t must flip every spear individually. Nonetheless, shaking the basket midway by means of cooking (across the 4-minute mark) helps guarantee even cooking.

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

Whereas not completely vital, dietary yeast is what offers this recipe its distinctive “tacky” taste with out dairy. You could find it in most well being meals shops, well-stocked grocery shops (usually within the pure meals part), or on-line. Should 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?

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

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