Crispy Air Fryer Asparagus Fries make the perfect side dish, appetizer, or snack with your favorite dipping sauce! Lightly breaded and air-fried with minimal oil, they’re a deliciously healthy alternative to traditional French fries.
These air fried asparagus are a crispy, golden, and healthier twist on classic French fries—and a total hit with the whole family! Coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs and air-fried to perfection, they deliver that satisfying crunch on the outside while keeping the asparagus tender inside.
It’s one of the best ways to cook asparagus—perfect as a snack, appetizer, or veggie side dish to curb those cravings without the guilt.
Jump to:
- 👩🍳 Why You’ll Love This Air Fried Asparagus
- Short Video
- Ingredients you'll need to make crispy asparagus in air fryer
- Thick or Thin? Choosing the Best Asparagus for Air Frying
- Should you blanch asparagus before cooking in the air fryer?
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
- How to make asparagus fries in the air fyer?
- How to serve fried asparagus?
- How to Store & Reheat Leftover Asparagus Fries
- Recipe tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More air fried veggies recipes
👩🍳 Why You’ll Love This Air Fried Asparagus
- Perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside, while the asparagus stays tender and juicy on the inside.
- Toasted panko breadcrumbs give that deep golden color and extra crunch—right from the air fryer!
- Asparagus is naturally shaped like fries, making it ideal for this healthier, veggie-packed twist.
- Light, nutritious, and guilt-free—made with almost no oil for a nutritious vegetable snack or side dish you can feel good about.
Short Video
Ingredients you'll need to make crispy asparagus in air fryer
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Asparagus - Choose thicker asparagus stalks that are firm, vibrant green, and have tightly closed tips—these hold up better during breading and air frying. Avoid limp, wilted stalks.
- Eggs - Eggs act as the essential binding agent to help the flour and panko stick. Flax eggs won’t work well here, as they don’t provide the same adhesion needed.
- Flour - It helps the egg mixture stick to the asparagus and ensures the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan adhere evenly.
- Parmesan - Use finely grated parmesan cheese. If you are using pre-shredded parmesan, then process it in a mini food processor for a few seconds before proceeding.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - It creates a light, airy, ultra-crispy coating without making the breaded asparagus feel heavy.
Thick or Thin? Choosing the Best Asparagus for Air Frying
When it comes to making crispy breaded asparagus in the air fryer, the thickness of your spears makes all the difference!
Thick, meaty stalks are ideal—they hold their shape beautifully, stay tender-crisp after air frying, and are sturdy enough for dipping without falling apart. They're perfect if you're serving these as finger food or appetizers.
Thin, pencil-like spears may cook faster, but they tend to over-soften in the high heat. The result? Limp asparagus fries that are harder to pick up and not as satisfying to dip.
👉 Pro tip: Look for firm, thick asparagus with tightly closed tips for the best texture and crunch!
Should you blanch asparagus before cooking in the air fryer?
Blanching asparagus before air frying isn’t necessary! The hot air fryer cooks the asparagus tender while keeping it crisp, making blanching an extra step you can skip. Plus, blanching softens the vegetable, which isn’t ideal for a breaded recipe that relies on a crisp, crunchy coating.
Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus I prefer thick ones
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 eggs large
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs breaded asparagus in a white tray.
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry asparagus until thoroughly dried and trim the tough ends.
- Add flour, eggs, salt, garlic powder and black pepper into a broad dish and mix until well combined.
- Add panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and red pepper flakes into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer into another broad dish or plate.
- Dip each asparagus into the egg-flour batter, ensuring it’s fully coated. Then gently press it into the Parmesan-panko mixture, turning to coat evenly. Press lightly with your fingers to help the coating stick, and place on a plate.
- Pre heat air fryer to 400°F.
- When hot, gently transfer asparagus into the basket in a single layer, without over lapping and spray a coating of cooking spray.
- Air fry for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the asparagus is crisp and deeply golden. If you're using plain panko, give them a light spray of cooking oil halfway through to help achieve that rich, golden-brown finish.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (recipe in notes) or marinara.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make asparagus fries in the air fyer?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Step 1 - Wash and trim your asparagus. Snap off the tough and woody portions of each stalk with your hand — it should break off naturally.
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Step 8 - Place them in a single layer without over lapping, in a pre heated 400 degree air fryer and spray a coating of non-stick cooking spray. Cook until deep golden in color for 6 to 8 minutes.
Tip: Don’t overcrowd! Try to keep the spears in one layer so they get adequate circulation of hot air, and crisp on the outside.
How to serve fried asparagus?
These air fryer asparagus with parmesan can be served in a variety of different ways! We love to enjoy them as a nutritious snack or appetizer with any of the following sauce suggestions:
- Sriracha lemon sauce (recipe provided)
- Ranch dressing
- Ketchup
- Buffalo Ranch
- Burger sauce - Mix mayo, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, vinegar and sugar (we like this recipe from Browneyedbaker).
- Garlic mayo - Mix mayo, lemon juice, finely grated garlic, salt and ground black pepper.
- Honey Dijon
- Hollandaise - We love this recipe from downshiftology.com
- Yogurt sauce
- Garlic parmesan sauce
How to Store & Reheat Leftover Asparagus Fries
These crispy asparagus in air fryer are best enjoyed fresh, as the breading can soften over time due to the high moisture in the vegetable. However, if you have leftovers, freezing is your best option to maintain their crispy texture.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just note that they’ll lose some of their crispiness.
Freezer: To freeze, place the cooled fries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store for up to 2 months.
Reheating Tips:
- From the fridge: Air fry at 400°F for 3–4 minutes until crisp and heated through.
- From frozen: Air fry at 380°F until hot and crispy, no need to thaw!
Pro Tip: Skip the microwave—reheating in the air fryer or oven ensures your fries stay crisp on the outside and tender inside!
Recipe tips
- Cook in a single layer for even browning and a crisp coating.
- Use thick spears for sturdier fries that hold up better, even when made ahead.
- Gluten-free? Swap in gluten-free flour and panko for an allergy-friendly version.
- Double the batch — air fry in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Pat asparagus dry so the coating sticks well and doesn’t slide off.
- Avoid overcrowding to allow proper air circulation and crisp results.
Recipe FAQs
When buying asparagus, choose spears that are fresh, vibrant, and firm with tightly closed tips. Avoid any that look faded or limp. For this recipe, the thicker variety works best—they stay firm after cooking and are perfect for dipping.
You can easily bake this recipe in the oven! Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and arrange the panko-coated asparagus spears in a single layer. Generously spray them with oil, then bake in a preheated 400°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until they're deep golden brown and crispy.
Fresh asparagus spears work best for air frying. Frozen ones tend to hold excess moisture, which can make the fries soggy instead of crispy.
More air fried veggies recipes
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Angela Markovich
I could not get the recipe to print!! Looks like a great recipe. I just got an air fryer and would love to try this recipe.
Maria Doss
I'm so sorry that you had trouble printing. We just printed ours and it seems to be working just fine. Hope you'll try again or you can just use the recipe from your phone, tablet or mobile. Hope it works - Maria