If you love asparagus, you're REALLY going to love this delicious and simple Air Fryer Asparagus. With the air fryer, you get crispy coated, but tender, crazy delicious asparagus fries in minutes. And with hardly any oil.
We've been loving the air fryer lately. We can enjoy all the crispy and delicious fried goodies without all the oil (and extra calories). Some of our recent favourites are Fried Green Tomatoes, Air Fryer Salmon and Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, and now these yummy asparagus fries.
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Why Make it in the Air Fryer?
Air Fryer Asparagus, (sometimes called asparagus fries) can be a side dish or a delicious and healthy snack.
When the asparagus is cooked in the air fryer (or oven) you hardly need any oil.
These asparagus fries are gluten free so everyone can enjoy them.
The asparagus stays tender, but the coating is crisp, making them perfect for dipping.
This recipe is easy and quick, only about 8 minutes in the air fryer.
But, you don't have to have an air fryer! You can easily make these in your oven. (Instructions in the recipe card). If you haven't bought an air fryer yet, I can't recommend it enough. I have this one: Gourmia GAF698, and it's an excellent, inexpensive choice for starting on your air fryer journey.
What You'll Need:
- Asparagus. Look for the fresh, bright green stalks that are on the thicker side. Thinner stalks won't be as tender after cooking.
- Eggs Two large eggs
- Almond Flour Almond flour helps to give the coating a nice crunch
- Parmesan cheese Finely grated Parmesan adds a delicious flavour, colour and crispness.
- Spices You can experiment, but the basics used in this recipe are onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper.
How To Make It
- Beat the eggs in a shallow dish large enough to coat an asparagus stalk
- Combine the almond flour, Parmesan, and spices in another shallow dish around the same size.
- Dip each asparagus spear into the beaten egg, turning to coat completely
- Place the egg-coated asparagus spear in the almond flour mixture, turning to coat completely.
- Place the coated asparagus spears in a single layer in a lightly oiled air fryer basket
- Or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Pro Tips
- Asparagus should be trimmed to remove the tough, woody ends. To trim asparagus easily, bend the spear gently by holding it on either end of the stalk until it snaps. It will break naturally at the point where the stalk gets tough and woody. Discard the woody ends, or keep them to flavour soups, like this Vegan Asparagus Soup or other recipes.
- Choose spears that are all around the same size for even cooking. Look for thicker stalks of asparagus if possible. If yours are very thin, reduce the cooking time.
- Spray the coated spears lightly with olive or vegetable oil before air frying or oven frying for maximum crispness.
- Space the spears apart so that they aren't touching in the air fryer or on the baking sheet. This allows the hot air to circulate freely around each piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh asparagus works best for air frying. Frozen asparagus will contain a lot of moisture after thawing and may cause the asparagus fries to be soggy.
You can replace the almond flour with regular all-purpose or a gluten-free flour blend. You won't get the same texture or crispness though, so if gluten is not a concern for you, I recommend using panko bread crumbs as a replacement for almond flour.
We think these are delicious, even when they're cold! But you can make them ahead and reheat them if you prefer!
You'll find a quick and easy Honey Dijon dipping sauce recipe in the recipe card, but you can also use hollandaise for a classic combo. Or try ranch or even a buffalo. Asparagus fries go with just about any dip that regular potato fries do.
Can't Get Enough Asparagus?
Try These Recipes, Too!
- Steak & Asparagus Stir Fry Recipe
- Roasted Asparagus & Halloumi Salad
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Asparagus Puffs
- Creamy Asparagus Soup
Recipe
Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus 12-16 spears
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 eggs large
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400°
- Wash and trim the tough ends from the asparagus spears. Pat them dry with paper towel
- In a shallow dish large enough to lay an asparagus spear, beat the eggs
- In a similar size dish, whisk together the Parmesan cheese, almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Dip each asparagus spears in the egg, then in the cheese mixture, rolling to coat them
- Spray the air fryer basket cooking surface lightly with oil
- Arrange the coated asparagus spears in the air fryer basket in a single layer (you will probably need to cook in batches)
- Spray the asparagus spears lightly with oil
- Cook 4 minutes, then flip the spears and cook 4 more minutes
- Serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (instructions below) or sauce of your choice.
Oven Frying Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Prepare the asparagus using the above instructions
- Arrange the coated asparagus in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet
- Spray the spears lightly with oil
- Bake for 15 minutes, turning hallfway through
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and honey in a small bowl.
- Refridgerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Asparagus should be trimmed to remove the tough, woody ends. To trim asparagus easily, bend the spear gently by holding it on either end of the stalk until it snaps. It will break naturally at the point where the stalk gets tough and woody. Discard the woody ends, or keep them to flavour soups or other recipes.
- Choose spears that are all around the same size for even cooking. Look for thicker stalks of asparagus if possible. If yours are very thin, reduce the cooking time.
- Spray the coated spears lightly with olive or vegetable oil before air frying or oven frying for maximum crispness.
- Space the spears apart so that they aren't touching in the air fryer or on the baking sheet. This allows the hot air to circulate freely around each piece.
Jo
Perfect for a low carb snack or sides! Thanks for this healthy and tasty recipe!
Colleen
You're very welcome, Jo! Enjoy.
Caitlyn Erhardt
Loved these! They came out great in my air fryer and everyone gobbled them up. Will def be making again.
Colleen
I'm so happy that you loved these asparagus fries, Caitlyn! Thanks for letting me know.
Biana
Yum! We love air fryer asparagus, and making asparagus fries takes it to the next level.
Colleen
Hi Biana, so glad you liked these. They are so yummy!