Air Fryer Asparagus

Among all-time favorite side dishes, you'll find roasted asparagus. That's because asparagus is quick to cook, available year-round, and can easily adapt to nearly any other foods on the plate. Baked beans? Asparagus absolutely belongs. Fancy rice pilaf? Asparagus fits there, too.

But to make a side of roasted asparagus even easier, cook it in the air fryer, not the oven. An air fryer is essentially a tiny convection oven. Because it's so small, it can heat quickly and cook far more efficiently than larger ovens. The small space is perfect for circulating high-temp air so that all sides of a food cooks evenly, and because the heat is so concentrated, foods tend to cook much faster in an air fryer, too.

If you've got one, consider cooking asparagus in your air fryer the next time you're planning to make this side dish. You can leave it plain, seasoned with just salt and pepper, or dress it up a bit as we did in this air fryer asparagus recipe. We've added crumbled goat cheese and everything bagel seasoning for a creamy-crunchy kick.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Asparagus

For the most classic air fryer roasted asparagus, you need only asparagus, olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can toss the trimmed asparagus in a bit of oil, then sprinkle with the seasoning just before serving.

Here, however, we're dressing it up a bit. We're finishing the air fryer asparagus with crumbled goat cheese and everything bagel seasoning. This seasoning mix, popularized by the grocery store Trader Joe's, contains black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, white sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, and salt.

If you can't find a jar of everything bagel seasoning in the spice aisle of your grocery store, you can make your own quickly: Use equal parts of the first five ingredients but a bit less salt. Keep a shaker of it in your cabinet, and add it to scrambled eggs, grits, green beans, and more.

How to Trim Asparagus

You don't need to shave asparagus before you cook it. This little knobs along the stalk are perfectly edible and will soften as the spears cook. But you will need to trim asparagus before it goes into the air fryer. The easiest way to trim asparagus is to line up the entire bundle of asparagus by the ends, then use a large chef's knife to trim about one inch off the end of the spears. These woody ends are edible, but they tend to be rough and difficult to chew.

Learn More: The Right Way to Trim Asparagus

How to Cook Asparagus in the Air Fryer

Asparagus cooks quickly in the air fryer, and most of the work is done in a matter of minutes, making it the perfect side to round out any meal.

Step 1. Preheat the air fryer

To start, preheat an air fryer to 400°F. Getting it nice and hot will speed up the cooking process.

You don't have to preheat the air fryer, but it will take longer for the asparagus to cook if you start with a cold basket.

Step 2. Oil and season the spears

The beauty of the air fryer is food doesn't require a great deal of oil for cooking. But, for the best results, it does require some. Asparagus cooked in an air fryer without oil may end up being dry and a bit difficult to chew. Tossing the asparagus in oil can help it roast quickly and stay moist while it cooks.

Once you've tossed the asparagus spears in a bit of oil, top them with salt (we prefer kosher, but you can use table salt) and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 3. Cook

If you've not overcrowded the air fryer basket, asparagus should cook in 6 to 8 minutes. If you like a more roasted finish, cook 8 to 10.

For this recipe, we call for topping the air fryer asparagus with a sprinkle of goat cheese and everything bagel seasoning, then returning the asparagus to the air fryer for another 2 minutes. This extra time helps to gently melt the cheese and finish roasting the spears.

How Long to Cook Asparagus in the Air Fryer

Air fryer asparagus will be cooked in about 8 minutes. If you like your asparagus a little more snappy, cook for less time. Check the spears at 6 minutes to gauge how quickly they're cooking. If you like more tender, roasted spears, cook for 8 minutes, then check to see how they look. Add an extra minute until your asparagus is just like you like it.

How to Store Asparagus Cooked in the Air Fryer

If you have any leftover air fryer asparagus, pop it into an air-tight container. Keep the cooked asparagus in your fridge for up to four days.

It is not recommended that you freeze cooked asparagus. After thawing, frozen asparagus is often far too mushy and limp to be enjoyable.

How to Reheat Air Fryer Asparagus

Asparagus doesn't make a stellar next-day dish. Most spears will turn a bit limp and lame if they're put into fridge. But don't let that deter you. There are several ways to reheat and reuse asparagus spears cooked in the air fryer.

- Skillet: Reheating asparagus in the skillet can help it regain some of its snap and crunch. Warm a few teaspoons of oil in a large skillet, then add the asparagus. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the asparagus is heated through.

- Microwave: This is our least preferred way for reheating air fryer asparagus, but it will do in a pinch. Warm the asparagus on high 30 to 45 seconds, or until heated through.

- Air fryer: The countertop appliance cooked the asparagus once; it can cook it again—but not for so long this time. Pop the leftover asparagus back into the air fryer basket, and reheat at 400°F for 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. While it won't be nearly as crispy as the first night you ate it, the air fryer can help leftover asparagus be a bit perkier.

- Soups and casseroles: Perhaps this isn't a true method for reheating, but it it is a great idea if you're looking to use up lots of leftover asparagus. Chop or dice the leftover asparagus, and stir it into any number of dishes: quiches, soup, and salads.

More Air Fryer Recipes

While you've got your air fryer hot, consider making a few more sides for the meal, such as:

- Air Fryer Okra
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Hush Puppies

Editorial contributions by Kimberly Holland.