Air Fryer Asparagus Fries are crispy, golden, and a healthier alternative to traditional fries. Eating vegetables doesn't have to be boring!
Looking for more healthy veggies made in the air fryer? Try my parmesan crusted air fryer brussels sprouts or the air fryer broccoli recipe next!
👉 This air fryer asparagus fries recipe has been a family and reader favorite since I first shared the recipe in 2024. It was updated with new photos, a short video and step-by-step instructions in May 2025.
These Air Fryer Asparagus Fries are a crispy, healthier alternative to French fries—and a total family favorite! Coated in panko and air-fried to golden perfection, they’re tender inside, crunchy outside, and perfect for dipping in spicy sriracha sauce.
Ready in just 8 minutes, they’re the perfect guilt-free snack to satisfy those fry cravings!
Table of contents
👩🍳 Why our recipe?
- Crispy and crunchy exterior with a tender interior.
- Toasted panko breadcrumbs helps achieve a deep golden color
- Asparagus, with its ideal shape and size, is perfect for making fries!
- They’re nutritious, healthy, light and guilt-free.
Short Video
Ingredients you'll need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Asparagus - Look for thick stalks that are firm, fairly straight, have a bright green color and the tips should be tightly closed. Avoid wilted or soft stalks with dry cracked ends.
- Seasonings - Salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.
- Eggs - Eggs are the main base for binding and flax eggs won't work here.
- Flour - We used all purpose flour, but you can use whole wheat or gluten free flours as well.
- Parmesan: Using parmesan in the breading, make the air fryer asparagus fries flavorful, crispy and nutty.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Panko gives a light, delicate coating without making it heavy. However use whatever bread crumbs you like or have on hand.
Thick or thin asparagus?
You’ll typically find two types of asparagus: thick, meaty stalks or pencil-thin spears.
Thicker spears hold their shape well and stay firm after air frying, making them perfect for dipping.
On the other hand, thin asparagus tends to soften too much and can lose its shape, making it less ideal for this recipe.
(Check out more detailed description on selecting thick or thin asparagus on cooksillustrated.com).
How to make air fryer asparagus fries?
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.
Serving suggestions
These crispy breaded air fryer asparagus fries can be served in a variety of different ways! We love to enjoy them as nutritious snack 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 leftovers?
Because of the breading and the moisture content in the spears, these panko breaded asparagus fries are best served fresh.
- Fridge - In a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - To freeze, place leftovers in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until frozen solid. Transfer to freezer safe zip lock bag and store up to 2 months.
- Reheat - Reheat for 3-4 minutes at 400 degrees. When reheating from frozen, cook at 380 degrees or until hot.
Recipe tips
- Single layer - Cook them in a single layer without overlapping for an even brown crispy crust.
- Thick or Thin - Thicker spears will hold firm for dipping even when cold and is perfect for making ahead.
- Skip grinding? You can simply stir panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes in a shallow dish and coat the spears with it. However, we found that the ground bread crumb mixture gave an even and uniform coating to the healthy air fryer vegetable.
- Switch up the seasonings - Feel free any of your favorite seasonings.
- Make it gluten free - Use gluten free flour and gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
- Double the recipe - Make sure that you cook in two batches without over crowding.
- Pat dry your stalks thoroughly! This ensures the batter adheres better without sliding off
- Don’t overcrowd! Try to keep the spears in one layer so they get adequate circulation of hot air, and crisp on the outside.
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.
If your asparagus spears seem gritty, a quick soak can help. That said, store-bought spears are usually fairly clean, so soaking isn’t always necessary. Just be sure to rinse them thoroughly to remove any remaining grit.
More air fryer veggies
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.
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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