You'll flip for this delicious twist on a classic favorite when you taste air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus. Tender asparagus spears are seasoned and then wrapped in bacon, creating a perfect balance of smoky, savory, and slightly crunchy goodness.
It's an amazing appetizer or side dish that's easy to make!
Why you'll love this easy side dish
I love cooking in the air fryer because it's virtually mess free for making air fryer cauliflower parmesan and air fryer asparagus parmesan. This is one more way that we can use the air fryer to preserve the vibrant flavors of spring time asparagus while cooking it in a crispy bacon wrapped hug!
And let's be honest, anything wrapped in bacon is...mwah!
This recipe pairs well with tuna salad with egg for a light lunch or a batch of roast beef sliders. It's also perfect for pairing with burgers at a backyard bbq!
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Ingredients
Open your spice cabinet and grab some asparagus from the farmer's market or grocery store. Here's what else you'll need
- fresh asparagus spears - I used the equivalent of one bunch.
- bacon - I used applewood bacon, regular cut
- extra virgin olive oil - this helps the spices stick to the asparagus. We just need a little bit.
- spices - paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make bacon wrapped asparagus in the air fryer
This is an easy peasy recipe. Let me break. itdown for you!
Wash and thoroughly dry your asparagus. Cut off the tough ends from the bottom, trying to keep the asparagus about the same length.
Place the asparagus in a dish to season. I like to use a pie plate or rectangle casserole dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle with seasonings. Use your hands or a pair of tongs to coat all the asparagus.
Grab 6-7 asparagus spears and wrap them in a piece of bacon. If you can, try to leave both the top and bottom part of the bacon bottom facing to keep them in place.
Place in the air fryer basket. Cook for 12-15 minutes at 350°F. Time will depend on how well you like your bacon cooked and thickness of your asparagus.
Remove and serve.
Tip: Depending on your air fryer model, you may need to cook the asparagus in several batches so the air is able to circulate. Don't crowd the air fryer basket.
I use the Cuisinart air fryer and cooked it in two batches. The second batch will cook faster than the first because the air fryer is already heated.
Substitutions
Here are some considerations if you need substitution ideas.
- Bacon - I used regular, applewood bacon. Thicker or center cut will take longer to cook.
- Keto - this recipe is low carb and keto friendly. You can read more about the best keto bacon to use here.
Variations
Do you like to play with your food? Here are some variations you can use to spice up your bacon wrapped asparagus.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the seasoning stage.
- Low sodium - skip the salt, you won't miss it, especially since bacon has sodium already in it.
- Fancy - add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar syrup before serving.
- Cheese - a sprinkle of parmesan cheese is delightful, too.
No air fryer? No worries! You'll love this version of Instant Pot asparagus with lemon and parmesan.
Leftover Storage
This tastes best right away, but leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Crisp back up in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes to bring all the flavors back to life.
Bacon plus asparagus makes it a good breakfast option, too!
Tip
Make sure you air fryer tray is clean before starting this recipe to avoid smoke from the bacon drippings. I haven't had a problem with this, but others have mentioned a slice of bread at the bottom of the tray helps with this.
FAQ
Yes! Follow the same preparation instructions and cook in the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. If you have an oven safe grate rack, use that to keep the bottom of the bacon as crispy as the top.
I don't recommend cooking this in the air fryer ahead of time, You can, however, prep the bacon wrapped bundles of asparagus and place them on a plate. Refrigerate until you're ready to cook it.
You may need to add an extra few minutes if it's been chilled.
In my experience, 12-15 minutes is a good amount of time to take the bite out of the asparagus, making it tender. It also crisps up the bacon at the same time.
Related
Looking for other side dish recipes? Try these:
Side Dish Recipes
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with bacon wrapped asparagus in the air fryer:
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
- 4 slices bacon
Instructions
- Wash and dry asparagus. Cut off the tough ends from the bottom, trying to keep the asparagus about the same length.
- In a small bowl, mix together spices.
- Place the asparagus on a dinner plate or pie pan. Drizzle with olive oil and use tongs to coat asparagus with oil (this will help the seasonings adhere.
- Sprinkle with spices and toss again to distribute.
- Lay a strip of bacon flat on a cutting board or other prep surface. Plate ¼ of the asparagus (for me it was 6-7 spears) on the center of the bacon strip. Wrap the bacon, starting at the thicker end of the asparagus and wind up and around the asparagus.
- Place the asparagus bundle in the air fryer basket with the end of the bacon facing down. This will keep it from unraveling as it cooks as the bacon will shrink a bit). Repeat with the remaining bacon and asparagus.
- Cook in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes. The cook time will depend on how well you like your bacon cooked and the thickness of your asparagus.
Notes
Tips
- Smaller bundles can be made with more slices of bacon and fewer asparagus stalks in each.
- These can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook.
- Depending of the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook this in batches. Do not crowd the air fryer basket.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Terry
We made this with pork chops and it was an awesome side.