Air fryer asparagus fries are the easiest and possibly the most delicious way to serve this seasonal favorite! Each asparagus spear is breaded in a seasoned mixture of crispy panko bread crumbs, then air fried to perfection. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
As a Dietitian, we tend to eat lots of veggies! My whole family loves asparagus, and I often steam or roast it, but sometimes I want a little more bite. These crispy asparagus fries have lots of crunch from the crisp coating, giving way to that tender, flavorful asparagus on the inside!
They can be served as an appetizer or a veggie-infused alternative to French fries with your favorite steaks, burgers, and more. They're also extremely quick to make, so you can serve them as an easy side dish any night of the week!
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Ingredients
- Fresh asparagus spears: Choose asparagus that is consistent in size, as the pieces will cook in the same amount of time. Before coating, rinse the asparagus under cold water, then snap or cut off the woody ends.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated for a cheesy, salty flavor.
- Panko bread crumbs: Look for whole wheat breadcrumbs for extra fiber.
- Seasonings: Keep it simple with salt, garlic powder, onion powder
- Egg: To coat the asparagus spears before adding the bread crumbs.
- Avocado oil cooking spray: Spritz this on the fries before popping them in the air fryer to make the breadcrumb coating a golden brown and crunchy.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare the asparagus: Cut off the hard ends (about 1 inch of the stem). Wash and dry the asparagus.
Coat with egg: In a shallow dish, add the egg and whisk until it is a little frothy. Add the asparagus to the egg mixture and coat well.
Prepare breading: In another shallow dish, add the panko breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Coat in breadcrumbs: Add a few asparagus spears at a time and toss until well-coated in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with all of the asparagus.
Arrange in air fryer: Place the asparagus in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with the avocado oil.
Cook: Air fry asparagus at 400F degrees for about 8 minutes. About halfway through, flip the fries over.
Serve: Serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dip! Enjoy!
Hint: The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Thin asparagus may be ready slightly sooner and thicker spears may need an extra minute or two.
Substitutions
For a gluten-free version, choose gluten-free bread crumbs. They work great!
Dairy-free: Skip the grated Parmesan cheese and replace it with a non-dairy substitute, like vegan parmesan.
Variations
Serve with a dipping sauce: Just like fries, it's nice to have something to dip your asparagus in. Try ranch, blue cheese dressing, honey mustard, garlic aioli, etc.
Try different bread crumbs: Panko is notoriously crisp and crunchy, but you can also use plain bread crumbs or make your own from leftover bread!
Nutrition
Unlike most French fries and breaded snacks, these easy air fryer asparagus fries are breaded and not deep-fried, which can add extra fat. Asparagus is also loaded with vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, and fiber! These asparagus fries are filling, crispy, and delicious and are a great alternative to your deep-fried favorites!
Storage
Store any leftover asparagus fries in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. The best way to reheat is to bake the spears in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes, which will crisp up the coating again.
Top tip
Right before serving, squeeze some fresh lemon juice or grate some lemon zest on top of the air fryer asparagus spears for a bright, aromatic note.
FAQ
Yes! Air frying is a great way to cook asparagus, and there are several ways to do it. My favorite method is to bread the asparagus spears in a breadcrumb coating and then air fry them until nice and crispy. They're a fun alternative to traditional fries, and you'll eat plenty of fresh asparagus at the same time!
Since asparagus is generally thin and pretty tender, it does not take a long time to cook. For this recipe, you only cook the asparagus for about 8 minutes at a 400 degrees F air fryer.
If you've tried breading and air-frying foods at home, you've probably noticed that the coating sometimes becomes dry and hard instead of golden brown and crispy. The issue? Lack of oil.
Most traditional breading or batter requires you to deep fry it to get that crispy crunch. In the air fryer, there is no oil to do that work. But if you spray the food with avocado or olive oil spray before you bake it, it'll get just enough oil to crisp up and turn golden brown without requiring you to fry anything. It's a handy secret and works really well!
Related
Looking for more healthy side dish recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these air fryer asparagus fries:
Crispy Air Fryer Asparagus Fries - Easy Recipe
Ingredients
- A bunch of asparagus
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 egg
- Avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare the asparagus by cutting the hard ends off (about 1 inch of the stem). Wash and dry the asparagus.
- In a shallow dish, add the egg and whisk until it is a little frothy. Add the asparagus and make sure it is well coated.
- In another shallow dish, add the parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add a few asparagus spears at a time and toss until well-coated. Repeat with all of the asparagus.
- Place the asparagus in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with the avocado oil.
- Air fry the asparagus at 400F degrees for about 8 minutes. About halfway through, flip the fries over.
- Serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dip! Enjoy!
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