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Garlic Air Fryer Asparagus is crispy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. Ready in under 15 minutes, this delicious and healthy side dish works great with any meal!
Here are a few more air fryer recipes: Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Citrus Vinaigrette, Honey Garlic Wings, Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Plantains with Crema, and Homemade Hash Browns.
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I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the hunt for easy air fryer recipes. When I eat out at a steakhouse, asparagus is one of my favorite side dishes to order. This garlic air fryer asparagus recipe tastes just like that crispy, flavorful asparagus from the restaurants. It’s easy to make, comes together quickly, and is crazy delicious.
All you need to whip up the best air fryer asparagus is fresh asparagus (frozen works, too), a little oil, and a few basic spices. In under 15 minutes, you’ve got a delicious and healthy side dish that can be served with any main course.
If you don’t already have an air fryer, I highly recommend investing in one. I can’t tell you how many times in a week I use mine! It’s a major life-saver (and time-saver) when you’re in need of something quick and easy.
You can serve this dish at a barbecue with some Greek chicken burgers or your next family dinner with some juicy, grilled steak and cheesy biscuits. Really, anything works. There are also plenty of ways to adapt this recipe based on what you’re in the mood for, so keep reading for more ways to enjoy air fryer asparagus!
Key Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients to make these easy air fryer asparagus.
- Asparagus: The fresher, the better! If it isn’t asparagus season, you can use frozen asparagus. Just make sure to thaw it out first and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
- Oil: Any high-quality cooking oil will work well, and I recommend using olive oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil. For an oil-free dish, you can use cooking spray.
- Spices: I like to keep the seasonings simple with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you want a bit of a kick, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Fresh Garlic: Fresh chopped garlic adds a ton of great flavor to this asparagus side dish. If you don’t have any, you can add an extra teaspoon of garlic powder.
How to Cook Asparagus in the Air Fryer
Cooking asparagus in the air fryer is not only easy, but it’s also incredibly quick! That’s one of the reasons why I prefer it over cooking asparagus in the oven. All you have to do is follow these easy steps:
- In a medium bowl, toss the asparagus with oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chopped garlic.
- Transfer to the air fryer basket and cook at 375°F for 4 minutes. Flip asparagus over, then cook for another 4 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
Here are some of my top tips and variations to help you make the best air fryer asparagus:
- Double up the recipe for a larger crowd, but make sure to cook the asparagus in batches to ensure all of it gets evenly cooked.
- Make it cheesy. For a cheesy flavor, sprinkle parmesan or mozzarella over the asparagus before the last few minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you could toss the asparagus with grated parmesan just before serving it.
- Add some heat. To give the dish some heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to the spice mix before seasoning the asparagus.
- Toss in some bacon. Who doesn’t love a little bacon? Try tossing your asparagus with crumbled bacon just before serving for some added savory flavor. You could even cook a few strips of bacon alongside the asparagus in the air fryer. My favorite is beef bacon.
- Brighten it up. To brighten up the dish, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.
- Swap out the spices. You can season air fryer asparagus however you like. Add some smoked paprika for a smoky flavor or season with a savory blend like Italian seasoning or Savory Cajun seasoning.
Garlic Air Fryer Asparagus Storage Tips
Because this air-fried asparagus recipe is so easy to make, I recommend waiting to prepare it when you’re ready to eat it. Asparagus is always best right after it’s cooked. However, if you end up with leftovers, you can easily store them for later.
Allow your cooked asparagus to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Once you’ve done that, you can store it as follows:
- In the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- In the freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat your air fryer asparagus, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, you can reheat it in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 minutes until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this air fryer asparagus recipe:
Yes and no. Technically, you don’t need to spray oil in the air fryer. That being said, tossing your asparagus in a small amount of oil helps to ensure that everything gets extra crispy and flavorful. Oil also helps prevent your food from sticking to the bottom of the air fryer.
Some people choose to soak or blanch asparagus before cooking to brighten up the color and flavor, but it’s not necessary. However, if you decide to soak your asparagus before air frying it, you only need to do so for a few minutes.
This air fryer recipe works great with a variety of vegetables, and you can swap out asparagus for any veggie you like. Other vegetables with similar cooking times include broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and bell peppers.
More Veggie Side Dish Recipes
Looking for more awesome side dish recipes to try? Check these out next:
- Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Cream Cheese Creamed Spinach
- Mexican Succotash
- Thyme Butter Celery Root Puree
- Vegan Creamy Coleslaw
Give this recipe a try and see how easy it is to make crispy, delicious garlic air fryer asparagus. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a perfect side dish for any meal. Be sure to leave me a rating and review after making the recipe so I know how it turned out for you. Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Air-Fryer Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. asparagus trimmed
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 5 cloves garlic chopped fine
Instructions
- In a bowl combine asparagus, oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and garlic. Add to air fryer basket, cook in a 375°F for 4 minutes. Flip asparagus over, cook for 4 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- Double up the recipe for a larger crowd, but make sure to cook the asparagus in batches to ensure all of it gets evenly cooked.
- Make it cheesy. For a cheesy flavor, sprinkle parmesan or mozzarella over the asparagus before the last few minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you could toss the asparagus with grated parmesan just before serving it.
- Add some heat. To give the dish some heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to the spice mix before seasoning the asparagus.
- Toss in some bacon. Who doesn’t love a little bacon? Try tossing your asparagus with crumbled bacon just before serving for some added savory flavor. You could even cook a few strips of bacon alongside the asparagus in the air fryer. My favorite is beef bacon.
- Brighten it up. To brighten up the dish, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.
- Swap out the spices. You can season air fryer asparagus however you like. Add some smoked paprika for a smoky flavor or season with a savory blend like Italian seasoning or Savory Cajun seasoning.
- In the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- In the freezer for up to 6 months.
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