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    Home » All Recipes

    Author: Donna | Published: Mar 11, 2020 | Modified: Mar 9, 2020

    Honey, Lemon and Sea Salt Air Fryer Asparagus

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    Air fryer asparagus

    Light, flavorful, and so easy to bring together, this honey lemon and sea salt air fryer asparagus should be at the center of your next brunch or dinner. Only a handful of simple ingredients are needed for this zesty little vegetarian side, and it cooks so perfectly in the air fryer that it will fast become your new favorite method for cooking asparagus.

    Air fryer asparagus on a wooden board with lemons in the backgroun

    Honey, Lemon and Sea Salt Air Fryer Asparagus

    This side dish is so simple, and so delicious.

    Honey, lemon and sea salt really adds a lovely zing of flavor to the earthy asparagus, making this one side dish everyone can get behind.

    Even the kids love it due to the hint of sweetness from the honey!

    You are going to need:

    • Asparagus
    • Avocado Oil
    • Local Honey
    • Lemon
    • Sea Salt
    • Pepper

    That's it.

    It really couldn't get more simple than just that handful of easy to find ingredients.

    spears of asparagus laid in a white dish
    Lay the asparagus in a flat dish, add all the ingredients except for the honey and toss well to coat.

    Picking The Perfect Asparagus

    Asparagus is pretty easy to cook with, and finding the perfect asparagus spears for your dish is as simple as checking for a few things: firm and heavy spears with no dried out bits:

    • Look for firm spears with tight heads and ends that aren't too woody or dried out.
    • Try to choose asparagus that feels heavy for its size to avoid ending up with dried out or flavorless asparagus.
    • Avoid wrinkled stems, dropping heads, browned ends, or dried out anything.
    uncooked asparagus spears lying flat on a bench with the woody ends being trimmed
    To snap or not to snap...you can either chop the woody ends off with a sharp knife or hold the asparagus and bend it until it snaps naturally.

    Simple Steps For The Perfect Asparagus Side Dish

    You have the ingredients, now let's make the dish.

    • Wash you asparagus well.
    • Snap the ends of the asparagus. Simply hold the asparagus on both ends and bend until it snaps. This method is supposed to allow the asparagus to break at the perfect point, just where it starts to get woody. Some people do say this method wastes a lot of the asparagus and you are better just cutting it so you get the most bang for your buck, you do you.
    • I don't bother peeling the asparagus, but if you have some dried out or woody looking shoots coming from the sides you are going to want to remove those too.
    • Add your trimmed asparagus to a bowl long enough for it to lie flat.
    • Add the avocado oil, sea salt, and lemon to the asparagus and use some tongs to toss well and combine.
    • Drizzle on the honey and toss again.
    • Add to the basket of the air fryer and cook for 9 minutes.
    • Remove your perfectly cooked asparagus, add some freshly cracked black pepper, serve and enjoy.
    Honey being squeezed on top of asparagus
    Drizzle the honey on top and then use tongs to toss again.

    Choosing An Air Fryer

    If you don't already have an air-fryer, choosing one can be a bit confusing as there are so many different types on the market.

    My biggest tip would be to consider capacity.

    How many people are you cooking for? I am cooking for a family of 5 and we regularly have people over, so I chose the biggest one I could find on the market with a good brand name and warranty behind it.

    If you are only cooking for yourself, or yourself and a partner, you may benefit from having a smaller unit.

    Also, consider bench space. The big ones can be pretty huge, so you want to make sure you have enough space before adding it to your family of kitchen appliances.

    Asparagus in the tray of an air fryer
    Lay the asparagus into the basket of an air fryer. Try and have it in a single layer, however, the asparagus will reduce in volume as it cooks so don't worry if it overlaps.

    Serving Up The Air Fryer Asparagus

    Air fryer asparagus makes a great side dish to any meal. With the hint of lemon, it makes the perfect addition to a spring feast.

    It also works especially well with chicken or fish.

    Some more out of the box ideas:

    • Serve it in a buddha style bowl (with rice or grain and lots of other chopped up veggies and maybe some protein)
    • Chop and add to some quinoa or couscous for an easy salad
    • Add a poached egg on top and enjoy for breakfast

    I would love to hear how you enjoy your air fryer asparagus, so if you have a favorite way be sure to leave a comment and I will update the list and share it with everyone.

    Air fryer asparagus on a wooden board with lemons in the background

    Need More Side Dish Recipes To Wow?

    I am a HUGE fan of side dishes.

    To me, they make a meal, and I actually prefer them to the main course.

    Check out some of my favorites here:

    • Maple Roasted Mini Potatoes
    • Roasted Dutch Carrots
    • Maple Glazed Sauteed Green Beans and Carrots
    • Garlic Pepper Skillet Green Beans
    • Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
    Roasted dutch carrots served on a white platter plate
    You must try these roasted dutch carrots next. They are delicious!

    Happy Eating

    xx

    air fryer asparagus lying on parchment paper with sprinkles of sea salt on top

    Honey Lemon and Sea Salt Air Fryer Asparagus

    Light, flavorful, and so easy to bring together, this honey lemon and sea salt air fryer asparagus should be at the center of your next brunch or dinner. Only a handful of simple ingredients are needed for this zesty little vegetarian side, and it cooks so perfectly in the air fryer that it will fast become your new favorite method for cooking asparagus.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 9 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Anytime
    Servings 4 serves
    Calories 192 kcal

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb fresh asparagus
    • ¼ cup avocado oil
    • 2 tablespoon coarse sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoon local raw honey
    • freshly cracked black pepper to serve
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    Instructions
     

    • Snap the ends of the asparagus off and wash thoroughly (see notes)
    • In a bowl or dish long enough to hold the asparagus, combine all the ingredients except the honey and toss well to coat.
    • Drizzle the honey over the asparagus and use tongs to toss again.
    • Place in the air fryer (it will shrink down during the cooking process, so don’t worry if it’s not flat) and bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes, tossing them halfway through. 
    • Immediately remove from the air fryer basket to cool, garnish with coarse sea salt, and enjoy!

    Notes

    Snap the ends of the asparagus. Simply hold the asparagus on both ends and bend until it snaps. This method is supposed to allow the asparagus to break at the perfect point, just where it starts to get woody. Some people do say this method wastes a lot of the asparagus and you are better just cutting it so you get the most bang for your buck, you do you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 3491mgPotassium: 229mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 857IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword air fryer asparagus, air fryer recipes
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group! 

    Need More Air Fried Recipes?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alison Saalbach Corey says

      July 29, 2022 at 10:49 pm

      This honey, lemon, and sea salt really add a lovely full of flavor to the asparagus, making this one for my family and even the kids will love this because of the hint of sweet honey! Wonderful Recipe! Thanks, Donna for sharing this!

      Reply
    2. Natalie says

      July 29, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      My husband loves asparagus so I decided to try your version. I knew he would love it, but it surprised me that even I liked it, and I am not an asparagus fan, thanks!

      Reply
    3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      July 29, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      I've never used honey with asparagus but this is so delicious as a side dish.

      Reply
    4. Tara says

      July 29, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      This recipe is so incredibly easy especially with the air fryer! Awesome side dish. Everyone loved it!

      Reply
    5. Anjali says

      July 29, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      The honey and lemon combination added such amazing flavor to the asparagus, and it turned out perfectly cooked in my air fryer!

      Reply

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    Hello and welcome, I'm Donna!

    I am so glad you are here!

    Since I have a part-time job, 3 little kids, and a love of good food (as do you I assume), I have learned how to get the most out of the kitchen in the smallest amount of time.

    Forget about hunting down weird ingredients and making trips to specialty shops.

    We are going to make the most of what is available at the store and farmer's markets all whilst enjoying some delicious meals the whole family (hopefully...if you have fussy eaters I guarantee nothing) will enjoy.

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