Name: Air Fryer Asparagus with Spicy Chili Crisp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed; 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or vegetable oil; Salt and pepper; 1 tablespoons spicy chili crisp; 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Seven minutes is all it takes to make perfectly cooked air fryer asparagus! The crispy and tender spears are dressed in a savory spicy chili crisp sauce and can be served as an appetizer or a side.

I love using my air fryer to roast vegetables because it gives them a little char and caramelization that enhance their natural taste. Plus, using an air fryer instead of an oven means that your kitchen stays cool since the cooking process barely emits any heat outside of the air fryer itself.

Making these delicious air fryer asparagus were such a breeze! They only took 7 minutes to make and came out with just the right texture I was looking for – tender but with a nice crunch.

I’m not big on cooking Friday evenings so using the air fryer to whip up something quick was exactly what I needed.

Air Fryers Cook Food Quickly

The cooking time is also shorter than a traditional oven and a convection oven. Traditional ovens use gas or electricity to produce heat which takes about 20% longer for the heat to spread through the oven. Convection ovens, just like air fryers, use a fan to produce heat. But what makes air fryers more effective is in the placement and size of the fan.

An air fryer uses one big fan placed at the top, right above where the ingredients are being roasted, to speed up the cooking process, while the fan in a convection oven is located in the back and may also be smaller in size.

Air Fryers Are Easy To Clean

Another thing I love about air fryers is that they are very easy to clean.

I like using an air fryer/steamer liner, which is basically parchment paper, to line my air fryer so I don’t have to use any oil. This makes the cleaning process super easy since you just throw away the paper and give the basket a quick wipe.

If you don’t use a liner you will have to spray the basket with a little oil to prevent the food from sticking to the basket. The clean up is just as easy but the downside is the addition of a few extra calories coming from the oil.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Asparagus

Asparagus: You can use any type of asparagus to use with an air fryer. But keep in mind that a thin spear will cook much faster than a thick one. I personally prefer using asparagus spears that are somewhere between super thin and super thick.
Oil: It’s better to use a neutral oil so the flavor doesn’t affect the taste of the spicy chili crisp sauce. But if you happen to only have olive oil in your pantry, go ahead and use it – the dish will still be delicious.
Salt: Use a good sprinkle of kosher salt to properly season the asparagus.
Spicy chili crisp sauce: A drizzle of umami loaded soy sauce is mixed with the nutty, salty, and pungent taste of the spicy chili crisp.

Seasoning Variations

If a spicy chili crisp sauce doesn’t sound good for this evening’s dinner, you can drizzle a little lemon juice instead and sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan on top.

How to Cook Asparagus in an Air Fryer

Gather all of your kitchen tools and ingredients.
Turn on the air fryer and set the temperature to 400ºF. Let the air fryer warm up for a couple of minutes before using it.
Meanwhile, trim the asparagus spears by bending the spears one by one, and letting them snap wherever they do naturally. Use a knife to give the snapped ends a clean trimmed cut.
Place the asparagus on a plate and drizzle a little oil over the spears. Sprinkle some salt and toss the spears until they are coated evenly.
Lay the asparagus in the air fryer basket (mine is covered with a liner), in one layer if possible.
Return the basket to the air fryer and close it. Air fry for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce and spicy chili crisp in a bowl. Set aside.
Take the asparagus out of the air fryer and transfer to a plate.
Drizzle the spicy chili crisp sauce over the asparagus and serve immediately.

Best Air Fryer

I get a lot of people asking for help in choosing a good air fryer because there are so many options to choose from.

If you ask me, a good air fryer should be sturdy and last a very long time. It all comes down to quality and longevity and not about buying the cheapest one you can find. I personally see more value in investing in something that will keep forever. When I purchase something like a rice cooker or an air fryer, it’s with the intent that it will last for at least a good decade or more.

I’ve had my French May Touch Control Air Fryer for almost five years now. It’s a very good air fryer and I have had no issues with it so far. But since it’s an old model and better ones have entered the market since, I won’t be adding it to the list of best air fryers.

Mine is considered so old that I’ve seen it on Ebay!

And so with this in mind, the air fryers I have listed below aren’t the cheapest ones you can find. They are the ones that get high grades for being durable and offering great features.

Top 3 Best Air Fryer Overall

Ninja AF161 Max XL Air Fryer, 3 lbs

Best Air Fryer For 1 Person

Best Air Fryer For Family Of 4-6

Best 2-Basket Air Fryer

Ninja DZ201 Foodi 6-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology, 8-Quart

What to Serve with Air Fryer Asparagus

Since these lovely green spears are often served as a side dish at my dinner table, I like to pair them with a side of brown or white rice, and with a main protein such as:

Air Fryer Recipes

TABLEWARE

The bamboo basket used in the images, which you can find here, is from Musubi Kiln.
Musubi Kiln is an online store specializing in high quality handmade Japanese tableware and dinnerware. Each product is made by Japanese craftsmen using traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Received 10% off your purchase when using the code CAROLINE at checkout.

Did you like this Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!