Air Fryer Asparagus

Air Fryer Asparagus is one of my favorite side dishes! You don’t need anything but the vegetable and your air fryer – delicious every time! And it only takes a few minutes!

Asparagus is one of those vegetables that doesn’t need a lot of seasoning – it’s really best on it’s own. I love it with steak, salmon and shrimp! It’s so easy to prepare too – my Dad used to boil it – but let me tell you DON’T DO IT! Sauteeing in the air fryer makes it so much better!

What part of the asparagus do you eat?

This I learned from my Dad when I was growing up – the ends of the stalks can be pretty woody and not very tasty. So when you prep your asparagus – bend the stalk and wherever it snaps is where it should snap! Discard the woody and and keep the end with the tree. You can snap them in half again – depending on the length – but I like to cook them long.

How do you make air fryer asparagus?

It couldn’t be simpler to air fry asparagus. Take your trimmed stalks and drop them in the air fryer. Spritz with a tiny bit of olive oil spray or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Air fry at 350 for 7 minutes – giving it a shake in the middle. I would note using SUPER skinny asparagus will end up crispier – so I like to use asparagus that’s a little thicker.

You can definitely cook it with your protein – but if you’re cooking pork chops, steak or salmon might take longer than the asparagus. So just be sure to start the meat first and add the veggies part way through.

Is asparagus good for you?

Heck yea! It’s super low in calories and has tons of vitamins (highest in C, A, K, Folate & Potassium). It’s also high in antioxidants which can lower blood pressure and has great anti-inflammatory properties. Just half a cup has nearly 2g of fiber (i.e. it makes ya poo!) and it’s great for pregnant women with all the folate and B9. It all adds up to being great for weight loss too – low in calories, made up mostly of water and has lots o’ fiber!

Tell me about Weight Watchers

I love that it’s good for weight loss because I’ve been on Weight Watchers since the beginning of the year. I actually got my first weight loss charm today!!! They send them when you lose a certain number of pounds – today was just 5 but still psyched to get it! On WW, there are a lot of “free” foods which you can have as much of as you like – and this recipe is 0 on ALL PLANS! So eat up!!!

What can you serve with air fryer asparagus?

• Perfect Medium Rare Ribeye with Texas Roadhouse Seasoning
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
• Salmon Oscar