Air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus - a delicious appetizer or light meal ready in about 10 minutes.
Cooking crispy, tender air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus is super easy. You only need two main ingredients, and the food is ready in less than 15 minutes. Yet the result is a most satisfying and delicious asparagus dish, perfect as an appetizer, light dinner, or side dish.
If you enjoy asparagus as much as we do, check out our Asparagus Potato Soup or Pan-Fried Asparagus and Eggs recipes as well.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Ingredients: 2 + oil and seasoning | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Green asparagus: You will need 5 stalks for each bundle, so a total of 20 spears. It's best if all the spears have a similar thickness so that you can divide them evenly per bundle and ensure that they cook evenly.
- It's also preferable if the stalks are not too thin; medium to slightly thicker stalks work best as they will not overcook before the bacon can get crispy.
Thin-sliced bacon. Thick-cut bacon is unsuitable for this recipe, as it's more challenging to wrap neatly and takes longer to cook. By the time it's cooked, the asparagus might be overcooked.
- If you don't want the bacon, make this Quick Air Fryer Asparagus recipe instead.
See the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient quantities.
How to prepare asparagus?
- Wash the stalks and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Trim the ends. Snap the thickest lower part of the stalk; it is usually woody. You can also cut the ends with a sharp knife (See Expert Tips).
How to cook bacon-wrapped asparagus in the air fryer?
- Season: Pour the oil into the palm of your hand and rub the stalks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub again (2).
- Wrap them with one or two bacon slices, depending on their size (3).
- Place the bundles in the machine's basket in a single layer (4).
- Set the temperature to 370°F/ 190°C.
- Air fry for 8 minutes and check. The bacon should be golden and crispy, and the asparagus just tender (not too soft). If they're not there yet, give them 2 more minutes and check again (5).
Tips
- Make this in the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the bundles for 15 minutes and check. If they are not done, cook them for another 2 minutes and check again.
- Season only lightly with salt, as the bacon is already salty.
- Don't overcrowd the machine basket; the air needs to circulate; it's the only way to ensure the bundles are crispy.
Make ahead and store
Make ahead: Make the bundles and refrigerate them in an airtight container until ready to cook them. You can make them up to 24 hours in advance.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Reheat in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. The asparagus and bacon will lose some crispiness, but they will still taste delicious.
Leftovers: Chop them, reheat them lightly, and toss them with pasta and some Parmesan cheese.
How to serve?
Serve immediately as an appetizer, light dinner, or side dish. We love them as a side for chicken, for instance, for these Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs, grilled or pan-fried chicken breast, or Oven-Baked Italian Sausages.
You can serve them as a light meal with mashed potatoes, roasted potato wedges, baked potatoes, rice, or creamy, cheesy pasta. In this case, you will need 2 bundles per serving.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 20 spears asparagus Note 1
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
- 8 slices thin-cut bacon Note 3
Instructions
- Prepare asparagus: Wash the stalks and dry them with paper towels. Trim the woody ends (Note 3).20 spears asparagus
- Season: Pour the oil into the palm of your hand and rub the asparagus. Season them with salt (lightly), pepper, and red pepper flakes.2 teaspoons olive oil + fine sea salt and ground black pepper + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Wrap them with the bacon slices.8 slices thin-cut bacon
- Air fry: Arrange the bundles into the air fryer's basket in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes and check. The bacon should be golden and crispy, and the asparagus tender but not too soft. If they're not there, cook them for 2 more minutes, then check again.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Asparagus: Depending on their thickness, you will need 4-6 spears per bundle. It's preferable to use stalks that are not too thin; medium to slightly thicker stalks work best as they will not overcook before the bacon has the chance to get crispy.
- Seasoning: Season only lightly with salt; the bacon is already salty.
- Bacon: I used 2 thin-cut bacon slices per bundle. Depending on the width of the bacon, one slice might be enough, or you could even need 3.
- Woody ends: Freeze them and use them to make asparagus stock when you have enough. Or add to other homemade vegetable or meat stocks.
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