How Long To Cook Asparagus In The Air Fryer So It's Nice And Crispy

Crispy air fryer veggies like asparagus can be a wonderful side dish that goes well with many a meal or make a delicious snack by themselves. But the key word there is crispy. Veggies of all stripes are a lot less appetizing when they come out soggy, especially when it comes to asparagus. To get it right and use a handy air fryer, it all comes down to cooking time.

Cooking time for veggies can be tricky, particularly when we're talking about asparagus. The stalks aren't always a uniform size, so some might cook faster than others, leading to textures that are unpleasantly all over the place. As a rule of thumb, group your stalks by thickness and use different cook times for each level. For thin stalks — those around the thickness of a pencil — use three to five minutes. Thicker stalks that are closer to a marker's diameter need six to seven minutes.

Of course, other factors can influence the crispiness of your asparagus besides cook time. The temperature you cook them at is a big one. You'll likely find that the best is around 400 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of thickness. Whether you're using frozen or fresh asparagus is another big factor, since frozen veggies aren't as firm as fresh ones and can even cook faster. A good tip when cooking frozen veggies in the air fryer, including asparagus, is to cook them straight from frozen instead of thawing, or else they can get soggy and mushy.

There are plenty of other tips you can use to get that perfect crispy asparagus out of your air fryer. For starters, don't overfill the basket. Overcrowding your air fryer is a common mistake that can result in soggy veggies, since too much food will prevent hot air from circulating properly and lead to undercooking. It can also cause moisture within the stalks to evaporate and, due to that overcrowding, steam the asparagus and make it soggy.

A great way to crisp up veggies in the air fryer, including asparagus, is with a little bit of oil. However, it's important to remember that air fryers work differently from deep fryers, so excessive oil will bog things down and do more harm than good. To get crispy asparagus, use a light coating only. Try an oil sprayer to avoid overdoing it.

For best results, take a few minutes to clean and dry your asparagus before it goes in the air fryer. Drying removes extra moisture from the stalks, leaving less that can make your veggies soggy. In addition, wait for your air fryer to finish preheating before you put the asparagus in — you might as well use this time to clean and dry the veg.