Quick air fryer roasted asparagus with garlic and plenty of butter is a super quick and convenient way to rustle up a delicious side dish.
Preparation takes maybe 5 minutes and cooking takes another 5 or 6 minutes which means that this recipe is a real 10 (ish) minute wonder!
Super Quick Asparagus
Asparagus is one of my favourite ingredients, but the good stuff is only around for such a short window.
As a result, I make no apologies for bombarding you with everything from stir-fried asparagus to Korean pork belly with asparagus in recent weeks.
But this simple method for cooking asparagus in an air fryer is the one that I use the most.
I’m not much one for shortcuts, but I do like being efficient and this air fryer asparagus recipe is super efficient!
Be sure not to throw away the woody stalks either. You can cook them up in a pressure cooker and turn them into soup as I do with my cream of asparagus soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook this asparagus in the oven rather than an air fryer?
You can follow this exact cooking method in a fan-assisted oven. The same temperatures and indeed timing although it will take around 10-12 minutes rather than 5 or 6.
However, cooking this in the air fryer means that there is no need to preheat the oven. Which let’s face it, is a great saving for a dish that takes just 6 minutes to cook!
As a result, I would only cook this in the oven if I already had it turned on.
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Yes, that is fine, use olive oil in place of butter in the same quantities.
Do I have to add the garlic?
No, you can make this air fryer asparagus plain, or you could add some chilli flakes, or go “amandine” and throw in a handful of flake or nibbed almonds for the final 2-3 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Hey, it’s perfectly cooked quick asparagus! So if you just want to dip these bad boys in a soft-boiled egg or some hollandaise sauce, I get it!
But as far as I am concerned asparagus makes the perfect side dish.
I stick it alongside everything from marmalade chicken breast (pictured above), smoked mackerel frittata (pictured further up the page) or garlic lemon chicken through to my confit duck leg bonbons and roasted chicken legs with chicory.
If fish is your thing how about these lightly cured mackerel salad that get crisped up with a blow torch? I’d also be more than happy to serve it with my sea bream fillets with a lemon crumb.
If you want something a little more “homely” to go with your air fryer asparagus, how about these pork fillet medallions with a Camembert sauce (pictured below).
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Airfryer.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Weighing scales and or measuring spoons.
- Small tray (that fits in your air fryer) or tin foil to form a tray.
- Kitchen tongs.
Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
Air Fryer cooked asparagus is a wonderfully quick way to perfectly cook what I think is the finest ingredient of spring and early summer!
Ingredients
- 350g (14-18 Medium Spears) Asparagus
- 30g (2 Tbsp) Butter
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Trim the woody base from the asparagus.
- Place the spears in a shallow tray that fits into your air fryer, or fold a tray from a piece of foil.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Slice the garlic as finely as you can and throw over the asparagus.
- Dot over the butter over the asparagus and then sprinkle over the lemon juice.
- Place in the air fryer and cook at 200°C or 400°F for 3 minutes.
- Flip over the asparagus and then cook for a final 3 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 155Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 707mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Sue R
Monday 27th of April 2020
Great idea! I just need to remember to use my airfryer more often and the blow torch too. I only ever thought to use it on creme brulee so far.
Brian Jones
Monday 27th of April 2020
I have been very impressed with my air fryer, it does not get as much of an outing here but I use it all the time for stuff like wedges, wings, and other stuff I would chuck in the oven for 20 or 30 minutes. It is so efficient, we are electricity only in our village so preheating an oven is a costly and time-consuming process, the air fryer skips all of that.
As for the blow torch, I love mine, it is a big industrial thing, use it to add a char to stuff like tikka to naan breads, I even crisp the skin of cured mackerel with it.