Air Fryer Roasted Asparagus Recipe

You'd be hard-pressed to find something you can't cook in an air fryer, as it's easily one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets to have ever been created. If you're an asparagus fan, you might want to try prepping the green veggie in the air fryer the next time you need a scrumptious side dish.

Recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge has put together this simple asparagus recipe for your air fryer that is sure to please your palate and anyone to who you serve it. It's an easy way to prepare a vegetable at the last minute, as it's only going to take you about 10 minutes from start to finish before it's ready to be served. This dish is perfect to whip up any time of year, and for any occasion. Throwing your asparagus in the air fryer will cook it up perfectly, preventing that soggy flimsiness that can sometimes come with steaming, or letting it sit on the grill.

The best thing about this recipe? You probably have all of your ingredients already on hand!

This recipe will serve three to four people, so you'll need about 30 pieces of asparagus. This number is flexible, and feel free to add more or take some away depending on how many people you're serving. 

Additionally, you'll need 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. The asparagus is the star of the show here.

First things first: We recommend pre-heating your air-fryer to 400 F, which normally takes about five minutes for it to reach the desired temperature. While that's heating up, go ahead and wash and dry the asparagus. Be sure to trim off the bases of the stalks if they are white or dried out.

Next, place the stalks in a large mixing bowl, and add the extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together until the asparagus is well coated, then set the asparagus off to the side as the air fryer continues to pre-heat. You're ready to move on to the next step, and one step closer to enjoying this delicious veggie.

If you're using an Instant Pot that doubles as an air fryer, you might need to line your basket or tray with parchment paper if the grate has large spaces in it. If you are using just an air fryer, you can skip this step.

Place the asparagus inside the air fryer basket, being sure to not overlap the stalks. Susan notes that it's fine if the asparagus touch one another, but they cannot be laid on top of each other because they won't cook properly. If your basket won't accommodate all the stalks you're planning to cook, you'll have to cook them in separate batches.

Cook the asparagus at 400 F for seven minutes, shaking them halfway through to ensure they're cooked fully. Make sure when you shake them that they do not overlap before inserting the tray back into the air fryer. You can also use tongs or a fork to simply flip the asparagus over to the other side as well. 

The stalks will be slightly brown when they're ready. Serve them immediately, as asparagus can cool off rather quickly. 

Asparagus is such a versatile vegetable — you can have it alongside a nice grilled steak or a piece of salmon with fresh dill.  The possibilities are endless, no matter the time of day.

This asparagus would also be great to pair with breakfast items, like an egg scramble or omelette. All you have to do is chop up the stalks into bite-sized pieces after they come out of the air fryer, and throw them into your frying pan with your eggs. You can also place the stalks on top of some toast with a fried egg.