Looking for a delicious and easy vegetable side dish? This Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is the answer! The crispy bacon wrapped around this spring vegetable is out of this world tasty! In less than 30 minutes you’ll have a flavorful, low carb vegetable side that everyone will love.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I have a deep love for my air fryer. When I tell you we use it twice a day, I’m not exaggerating. Air Fryers are so versatile you can make tons of easy recipes in the air fryer. It’s the best way to get crispy yet tender vegetables that will make everyone in your house a veggie lover. We use ours to reheat leftovers, make snacks like Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas or even to roast a whole chicken! This time of year, our favorite recipe in the air fryer is this crispy and delicious bacon wrapped asparagus.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Using the air fryer is the easiest and fastest way to make bacon wrapped asparagus. It’s one of the best ways to get crispy yet tender asparagus in about 25 minutes start to finish! We’ve been sautéing asparagus with lemon for years, but once I got my air fryer several years ago, we didn’t look back.
- Pairs Well with Many Main Dishes: Bacon wrapped asparagus is a great side dish for many mains. Serve this recipe with mains like Simple Broiled Salmon, Pretzel Fried Chicken, Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin or this Southern Style Pork Tenderloin.
- Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies: Anything that’s wrapped in bacon is most likely going to be a hit with kids (and adults). In addition, air frying the asparagus gives the spears the perfect crispy texture that kids love too. No soggy, limp asparagus here!
The Ingredients
If you couldn’t tell by the name, you only need two ingredients to make this recipe.
- Asparagus: I go for thicker asparagus spears for this recipe. It helps the bacon have time to get crispy without burning your asparagus. I have tips below if you can only find thin asparagus though!
- Bacon: Opt for a standard cut over thick cut bacon. If you use thick cut you’ll most likely end up with undercooked bacon and burnt asparagus.
How to Make Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Step 1: Break or cut off the woodsy ends of asparagus. They have a natural break if you snap them at the ends.
Step 2: Cut or slice bacon in half so you have 16 pieces.
Step 3: Starting in the middle of the asparagus, wrap the bacon around the asparagus towards the bottom allowing the top and bottom to peak out. Place asparagus in air fryer tray leaving a little space between the pieces.
Step 4: Air fry at 400°F for 15-18 minutes or until bacon is starting to get crispy and asparagus is tender.
Tips for Success
- Choose thick asparagus. For this recipe, thicker stalks of asparagus work best. If you can only find thin stalks, you can make asparagus bundles. Wrap bacon around 3-4 asparagus spears (depending on how big they are) and air fry until bacon is cooked through and asparagus are tender.
- Use thin strips of bacon. A standard cut bacon is the best option for bacon wrapped asparagus in the air fryer. Thick cut bacon won’t cook through and get crispy before the asparagus spears burn.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. If your air fryer isn’t big enough for each asparagus spear to have a little space around it, you may want to air fry these in batches for the best crispy results.
- Check on the asparagus. Every air fryer cooks slightly differently. Keep an eye on your asparagus to make sure everything is cooking to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the bacon-wrapped asparagus ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. Just make sure they are tightly wrapped or covered to prevent them from drying out.
In my opinion, bacon wrapped asparagus is best when enjoyed fresh out of the air fryer, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, reheat them in your air fryer at 400°F for a few minutes until they’re warm and crispy. You could also reheat them in the oven at the same temperature. Just remember to avoid the microwave to keep that delightful crispiness intact!
More Easy Recipes with Asparagus
Air frying bacon wrapped asparagus is so easy and delicious you’ll be making this spring time veggie all the time. If you love this recipe, leave a rating and comment below!
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Bacon Wrapped Air Fried Asparagus
Equipment
Instructions
- Break or cut off the woodsy ends of asparagus. They have a natural break if you snap them at the ends.
- Cut or slice bacon in half so you have 16 pieces.
- Starting in the middle of the asparagus, wrap the bacon around the asparagus towards the bottom allowing the top and bottom to peak out.
- Place asparagus in air fryer tray leaving a little space between the pieces and cook on 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until bacon is starting to get crispy and asparagus is tender.
