I’ve been on a bit of an air fryer kick lately, so more of my new recipes are air fryer friendly these days. This air fryer asparagus recipe is so darn easy and tasty. Plus, it only takes a few ingredients and roughly 10 minutes of your time to make. I made this asparagus recipe in a Ninja Foodi so the instructions are Ninja Foodi-based. However, you can, of course, use any air fryer. It is AIP/Paleo, gluten-free, Whole30 compliant, and vegan.
With the AIP diet focusing so much on nutrient density, vegetables are not surprisingly an important staple. While cooking them in the oven is fine, roasting food in the oven takes time and forethought. If I get hungry and there’s not something ready to eat in 10-15 minutes, it’s not good. Thus, being able to toss some veggies (or meat or whatever) in the Ninja Food and have them ready for a meal in a few minutes is life-changing!
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Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe Ingredients
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Asparagus
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Avocado Oil
This or avocado oil are recommended due to their high smoke points. Olive oil is not recommended for air fryer recipes.
Be sure to use dill weed, not to be confused with dill seed (which is NOT AIP compliant).
How to Prepare Asparagus for the Air Fryer
As with any veggie prep, it’s important to rinse the asparagus. Then, make sure to dry it off thoroughly using paper towels, so the oil will stick to it when added.
When preparing asparagus for cooking, you want to make sure you remove the tough woody part of stems. You can do this by cutting off the bottom 2 inches or breaking each piece individually. You do this by bending each piece until it breaks. This takes longer than cutting the stems but is probably a little less wasteful as the stems tend to break naturally in the right spot.
Next, you’ll mix the oil and herbs in a small dish. You can brush them onto the asparagus with a basting brush or toss the asparagus in a bowl with the oil mixture. *If you’re brushing the oil on, you can add the asparagus to the Ninja Foodi first, then brush on the oil.
How To Cook Asparagus in an Air Fryer
- Prepare the asparagus according to the preparation instructions above.
- Put the grill grate in the Ninja Foodi/air fryer
- To preheat the air fryer, set it “Grill”
- Set the temperature to “Max” or 510 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set the time to 7 minutes.
- Allow it to preheat until it says “add food.”
- Add the asparagus to the air fryer and shut the lid.
- Flip the asparagus halfway through cooking- watch it closely.
Temperature for Cooking Asparagus in a Nina Foodi/Air Fryer
The recommended cooking temperature for asparagus in a Ninja Foodi is “Max” which is 510 degrees. This seems so high, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. I thought the asparagus might go up in flames or something but it didn’t! It turned out great.
How Long To Air Fry Asparagus
In this case, since we are using a very high temperature, the cooking time is short at only 5-7 minutes.
How To Cook Asparagus in an Air Fryer
- Prepare the asparagus according to the preparation instructions above.
- Put the grill grate in the Ninja Foodi/air fryer.
- To preheat the air fryer, set it “Grill.”
- Set the temperature to “Max” or 510 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set the time to 7 minutes.
- Allow it to preheat until it says “add food.”
- Add the asparagus to the air fryer and shut the lid.
- Flip the asparagus halfway through cooking- watch it closely.
Temperature for Cooking Asparagus in a Ninja Foodi/Air Fryer
The recommended cooking temperature for asparagus in a Ninja Foodi is “Max” which is 510 degrees. This seemed so high, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. I thought the asparagus might go up in flames or something but it didn’t! It turned out great.
How Long To Air Fry Asparagus
In this case, since we are using a very high temperature, the cooking time is short at only 5-7 minutes.
Type of Oil to Use for Air Fryer Asparagus
As far as AIP friendly oils go, avocado oil and coconut oil are the best options for air frying foods as they have a high smoke point. The Ninja Foodi manual advises against using olive oil for air frying because it produces more smoke at high temperatures.
Additional Tips
- Keep an Eye on The Asparagus While Cooking- The cooking time is an estimate. This is because asparagus varies pretty widely in thickness. The recommended cook time for asparagus per the Ninja Foodi manual is 5-7 minutes. If you have super skinny asparagus pieces, they will obviously cook faster than very thick ones.
- Don't Crowd the Basket or the asparagus won't crisp. Do more than one batch if needed.
Storage
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Here are some other air fryer recipes you may like:
Here are some protein and veggie recipes you may like:
Easy Stir Fry with Chicken and Vegetables
Easy AIP Cauliflower Fried Rice with Basil (Khao Pad Krapow)
Creamy Shrimp Vegetable Skillet
Ground Beef and Vegetable Skillet
Conclusion:
I hope you found this post useful. What are some other AIP air fryer recipes would you like to see on this site? Please leave a comment below!
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Ninja Foodi Asparagus Air Fryer Recipe (Paleo/AIP, Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp dill weed
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Rinse the asparagus and dry it with paper towels.
- Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus (about 2" worth) or break the ends off where they naturally break.
- Put the grill grate in the air fryer/Ninja Foodi and close the lid. Set it to "grill" and set the heat to 510 degrees. Allow it to preheat.
- In the meantime, mix the oil and spices in a small dish.
- Put the asparagus in the air fryer spreading the pieces out evenly. Use a basting brush to brush the oil mixture on the asparagus (if you don't have a basting brush, toss the oil mixture and asparagus in a medium-sided bowl to coat it evenly).
- Close the lid and set the time to 7 minutes. Flip the asparagus halfway through. Watch it closely as it does cook quickly. Note: cook times will vary depending on the thickness of the asparagus.
- When the cook time is up, turn off the air fryer and remove the asparagus. Serve.
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