Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Asparagus

I love sautéed asparagus, but whenever I feel like roasting, I get out my Ninja Foodi! This air fryer asparagus recipe tastes like it was roasted in the oven, with tender-crisp spears that are perfectly golden and caramelized. The difference? Cooking asparagus in the air fryer takes minutes and zero mess.

Enjoy your asparagus with air fryer steak, Cajun shrimp, or roasted chicken legs to make this a complete air fryer meal.

Why Cook Asparagus in the Air Fryer

• Simple ingredients: Means you can spruce up this asparagus if you wish, with add-ons like garlic butter and bacon.
• Easy recipe for all levels of cooks: Make asparagus in the Ninja Foodi by seasoning the asparagus and tossing them midway through cooking. It doesn’t get quicker or easier than that!
• Quicker than the oven: Cooking asparagus in the air fryer achieves similar crisp, caramelized results as oven-roasting in a fraction of the time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy air fryer asparagus recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for exact amounts.

• Fresh Asparagus: I used a fresh bunch that weighed about 1 pound. You can prepare your asparagus by adding them to a cutting board and cutting off the woody ends, or by buying trimmed asparagus spears
• Avocado Oil: I use this to help the cooking process, but also to help the spices stick to the asparagus. You can use olive oil or your favorite cooking spray. While you can use other oils like coconut oil, it is not the best oil for air frying because of its low smoke point.
• Sea Salt: You can add this to taste. I’m using fine sea salt.
• Herb Seasoning: I’ve linked my favorite mix in the recipe card. I use it to roast chicken legs in the air fryer and make air fryer boneless chicken thighs. I love it because it has 24 herbs and spices like garlic powder, black pepper, sage, savory, and rosemary. It gives everything a slow-roasted, meaty flavor without either of those things.

Trim the Asparagus

There are two ways to trim the ends of the asparagus: cut them with a sharp knife or bend them until the woody part snaps off.

• To cut them, simply cut off the hard wooden part. But I find that you can accidentally leave some of the inedible parts on the stalk.
• To bend your asparagus, just hold the center of the stalk and bend from wood-like end. The asparagus will trim itself by breaking at a natural point.

How to Make Air Fryer Asparagus

These are the steps to prepare this air fryer asparagus using a Ninja Foodi or your own air fryer model.

Season the Asparagus

Add the trimmed asparagus, oil, and seasoning to a large bowl. Toss the spears to coat. You can do this using tongs or your hands.

Air Fry

Next, add the asparagus to your air fryer basket. This is one of the few times when you don’t need to worry about having them in an even, single layer. Air fry the asparagus at 400ºF for 6-7 minutes until tender. Toss the asparagus midway through cooking.

Helpful Recipe Tips

• Adjust the cook time. Thicker asparagus have a longer cook time than thinner asparagus. So, be sure to add extra time if needed to help your asparagus become tender. You should also adjust the cook time if you have a smaller air fryer.
• Switch the seasoning. You can add extra flavor to your air-fried asparagus with any spice mix. Some other options are Cajun seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, and more. Just be sure to read the label on the spice mix to decide if it is meant to be a replacement for sea salt or kosher salt. It is, you can omit the salt in this recipe.
• Substitute the oil. One of my favorite ways to boost the flavor of the asparagus is to substitute the avocado oil with melted butter. One option is to use my herb butter. You can also try my Cajun garlic butter sauce or lemon garlic butter sauce.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Asparagus

This air fryer asparagus is so versatile, whether I’m cooking for the holidays or everyday dinners. I’ll even layer this asparagus into Eggs Benedict with air fryer bacon and a poached egg on top of an English muffin for breakfast! If you need some main dish ideas, try these:

• Air Fryer Roasted Whole Chicken
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Pan-Seared Shrimp
• Surf and Turf (Steak and Shrimp)
• Beef Top Sirloin

Storage and Reheating

• Store: You can store your leftover asparagus in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
• Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing the cooked asparagus, as the texture changes when it’s thawed.
• Reheat. Warm up the asparagus in the air fryer, or you can use the microwave.