Before trying this recipe, the only way I enjoyed asparagus was when we grilled it during our many BBQ cookouts. I was totally surprised to love this air fryer asparagus with Parmesan. Which is amazing because now I can eat it even when I don’t feel like firing up the grill.
You can use green or white asparagus, but for a more fun flavor and texture, we used both this time. If using the white, be sure to cut it into thin slices – it’s much thicker than the green variety.
Making this side is so fast that you really won’t even have much time to leave the kitchen. Make sure your main dish is almost ready when you pop these in, as dinner is going to be complete in a flash.
🥬 Ingredients
One more reason to love cooking with your air fryer is that you barely need any ingredients to make such tasty food.
✅Asparagus – Use ½ pound of fresh asparagus. You can always make more if you are serving more than two people, but you may need to work in batches.
✅Grated Parmesan Cheese – This is so tasty when topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
✅Salt & Pepper – Add a little bit of salt and pepper depending on your taste buds.
✅Olive Oil Spray – Just a light coating to prevent the asparagus from sticking to the air fryer tray or basket.
♨️ Instructions
There are just a few quick steps to the best side dish out there!
👉Step 1: Clean the asparagus and chop off an inch of the bottom. That is usually hard and woody, so it is easier just to remove it.
If you use white asparagus (not necessary), then clean and slice them to similar thickness of the green asparagus so they cook at the same rate. (we used both this time).
👉Step 2: In a bowl, spray the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the asparagus on an Air Fryer tray or in a basket.
Leave a bit of space between them to allow the air to flow.
👉Step 3: Heat the Air Fryer to 390 degrees and cook for 6 minutes.
👉Step 4: Remove and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese right away. Allow it to melt all around the asparagus.
If it doesn’t melt, pop it back in the Air Fryer and it will melt in about one minute or less.
TIP: Do not put Parmesan Cheese on asparagus and walk away when it is in the Air Fryer. When I suggest that, I really do mean to stand right there for 20-60 seconds to allow the cheese to melt.
🥣 White vs Green Asparagus
White asparagus is a bit more delicate than the traditional green variety you find in the grocery store.
It is sweet with just a hint of bitterness. You might taste that the green has a more “grassy” flavor to it, but you won’t find that in the white variety.
Since white asparagus tends to be much larger, it is best to not use the bottom bit of it as it is hard and tough to eat.
We often slice them at a sharp angle and combine them with green asparagus like we did here.
🍲 Meal Prep Instructions
The easiest way to meal prep this one is to clean the asparagus and trim the ends ahead of time. If you are using the white variety, clean and slice them so they are ready to go. Keep them in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag in the fridge, until it’s time to pop them in the air fryer.
These recipes are so quick and easy but there are always ways to shave a minute or two to help your night go that much smoother!
🌶️ Fun Flavor Variations
⭐Garlic Parmesan – Toss the asparagus with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, along with the salt and pepper, before air frying.
⭐Lemon Parmesan – After cooking and adding the Parmesan, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the hot asparagus.”
⭐Spicy Parmesan – Add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the salt and pepper for a little kick.
⭐Everything Bagel – Skip the Parmesan and sprinkle generously with Everything Bagel seasoning before serving.
❓ FAQ
With any produce you want to wash and prep your asparagus. Remove the woody portion.
You will find if asparagus is not prepped properly you can run into a chewy texture. All you need to do is use a peeler to peel the areas of the stalk that has a harder skin.
Related Recipes
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Air Fryer Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ lb Asparagus white or green (we used half white and half green this time)
- Olive Oil Spray
- 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends off of the asparagus and put into a bowl. If using the white asparagus, trim, slice and put into a bowl. Spray the asparagus with olive oil spray and mix with hands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Lay out the asparagus on the Air Fryer tray or basket. Cook at 390 degrees for six minutes or until toasted.
- Remove the asparagus and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
- Put back in warm Air Fryer for 20-60 seconds and allow to melt all over the asparagus. Remove and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
perfectly cooked asparagus