Air Fryer Asparagus with Lemon or Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Air Fryer Asparagus are cooked for just 6 minutes giving us the perfect slightly crunchy texture. Serve along a main dish, add to your brunch menu or use in a variety of dishes.

Asparagus have a unique flavor, which I find hard to adequately describe. The flavor tastes like a cross between broccoli, green beans or artichokes! Nonetheless, l love this time of year when fresh asparagus are easily found in our grocery stores.

Although I usually roast theses in the oven, I love how they turned out in an air fryer. Tender with crispy tips, which I hand picked for me!

These asparagus are lightly coated with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt. Finish with fresh squeezed lemon juice or freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Fresh cooked air fryer asparagus topped with parmesan cheese.

How to pick fresh asparagus

You will want to get your hands on asparagus while they are in season. Pick asparagus that are bright in color, firm and straight including the tips, as well as uniform in size.

Note that you will find pencil thin asparagus as well as thicker ones. According to Cooking Light’s guide to asparagus, thin asparagus are great for stir-fry dishes, and thicker ones are good candidates for roasting.

Both sizes are fine for the air fryer. Although if you pick thin asparagus you may want to adjust the air frying cooking time by decreasing it a couple of minutes unless you want extra crispy asparagus.

Also note that the closer in size the asparagus are the more evenly they will cook.

Fresh asparagus topped with lemon slices.

Preparing fresh asparagus before air frying

Trimming asparagus takes no time. Wash and dry the asparagus then you will cut off the ends ensuring the woody ends have been removed.

Trim the ends by either cutting about 1/2-1 inch of the ends with a sharp knife or snap the ends off.

The choice is yours to either cut or snap. Be aware that when using the snapping method you will lose at least an additional inch of asparagus due to the weight of each spear from where it will naturally snap.

Since the center of the air fryer basket in about 7″ in diameter I snapped off the ends. Plus, it was kind of a fun step to do. Although, I did save the ends and plan on making a soup with them.

How to snap asparagus

To snap asparagus pick up each stalk and place between your hands. Gently bend each side in the same direction until the end snaps off.

Be sure to trim down more if needed so the asparagus fit in the air fryer.

Fresh asparagus cleaned and sliced placed in a white serving platter.

How to cook asparagus in an air fryer

After preparing the asparagus for cooking you will lightly brush the stalks with olive or avocado oil. Alternatively, you can use a cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in the air fryer basket. You may need to cook the asparagus in batches. My Instant Pot air fryer lid has a grilling pan that allowed me to layer the asparagus.

Air fry at 375°F for 6 minutes.

Additional toppings for air fryer asparagus

My favorite way to eat air fryer asparagus is with salt fresh lemon juice. Alan likes a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Both are so good!

Asparagus with lemon or parmesan

Once the asparagus are cooked, then squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lemon over the asparagus. Sprinkle with additional salt. Maldon salt is dreamy with asparagus.

For the parmesan cheese version add finely grated parmesan to the top of the cooked asparagus right out of the air fryer. The cheese will soften on the warm asparagus. Add as much or little as you would like.

Don’t add more salt to the cheese topped version otherwise the asparagus will be too salty, and you won’t taste the nutty flavor of the parmesan.

Air fryer asparagus topped with parmesan cheese on a white serving platter.

Can I cook asparagus in the oven?

Yes, if you haven’t invested in an air fryer yet, don’t miss out on cooking these delicious asparagus.

To roast in the oven follow the same preparation as the air fryer asparagus. You will place on a baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes at 400°F, which is the same way I cooked these asparagus with sautéed vegetables.

Top view of cooked asparagus on a white serving plate with a fork on the side of the dish.

What to serve with air fryer asparagus

Enjoy these asparagus for breakfast, lunch or dinner! You might enjoy these recipes:

A white plate with cooked asparagus topped with bright yellow lemon slices.
Air fryer asparagus topped with lemon on a white plate.

Air Fryer Asparagus

Simple air fryer asparagus topped with salt and fresh lemon juice or top with parmesan cheese. Delicious side dish for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air Fryer Asparagus, Asparagus with lemon
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 65kcal
Author: Sandra Shaffer

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus spears
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 fresh lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

  • Gently wash and dry asparagus.
  • Cut the ends with a sharp knife about 1-inch or snap each asparagus spear.
  • Lightly grease asparagus with oil with a pastry brush or cooking spray.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Place asparagus in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
  • Cover and cook at 375°F for 6 minutes.
  • Remove asparagus and squeeze lemon juice over the asparagus. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.
  • For parmesan asparagus, add parmesan after removing from air fryer basket.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 571mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

PIN TO YOUR AIR FRYER, SIDE DISHES AND VEGETABLE BOARDS

Air fryer asparagus made in 6 minutes. Top with fresh lemon or parmesan cheese. Healthy side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. #AirFryer #asparagus #SideDish

Hugs Sandra Signature

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3 Comments

  1. Thank you Sandra for adding our recipe for “Asparagus Salad” topped with tarragon lemon dressing! … very much appreciated. 🙂