Air Fryer Asparagus Fries Recipe

French fries have earned a special place in our hearts thanks to their crispy texture on the outside, soft insides, and salty, savory flavor. Given these tasty attributes, it's no wonder that variations using other vegetables have been popping up on social media and opening our eyes to the delicious possibilities of replicating the famous fry with just about anything. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for air fryer asparagus fries and says, "My air fryer has become my new best friend in the kitchen. I love how it has the ability to make things taste fried with little or no oil, and I love not having to heat up the house with the oven. Asparagus has many health benefits and this is a good way to incorporate it into a healthy diet."

These asparagus fries make a great appetizer for Friday night happy hour or game day and pair well with just about any dinner entree. Get ready to fire up the air fryer and make these delicious and crispy asparagus fries, which happen to pair well with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Unsurprisingly, you'll need a bunch of asparagus as the base for this recipe. Along with that you'll need a can of garbanzo beans. "We aren't actually using the beans in this recipe but we are using the aquafaba, which is the liquid the beans are packed in," Hahn explains. Then pick up some seasoned bread crumbs, garlic granules (or powder), salt, and pepper. "You can use any type of bread crumbs here but go for a finer texture versus a thicker crumb like panko," Hahn shares.

To start, go ahead and drain the can of beans using a colander positioned over a bowl. You can save the garbanzo beans to make this delicious stuffed pepper recipe or throw them in a salad. Wash the asparagus and trim off the bottom 3 or 4 inches that make up the woody part and discard. Dry the asparagus very well so that it will cling to the aquafaba.

As with most fried foods, we'll be creating a "wet" bowl with our liquid and a "dry" bowl with our crumb mixture to batter up our spears. Pour the breadcrumbs into a medium bowl and combine them with the garlic granules, salt, and pepper. Then pour the aquafaba into a shallow bowl. Let the dredging begin! Dip each spear into the aquafaba, then into the breadcrumb bowl, rolling it to coat all sides.

Now is when the air frying comes in. Lay the asparagus spears into the air fryer basket in a single layer with about ½ inch of space in between each one. "I like to use parchment paper sheets in the air fryer basket because this makes clean up a snap," Hahn shares. Set the temperature to 400 F and cook for 5 minutes, then turn over each spear and cook for 5 more minutes. Depending on the size of your asparagus you may need to cook a little longer to get the desired crispiness. You will most likely have to work in batches.

The air fryer asparagus fries are ready to serve. They pair well with a good aioli, ranch dip or blue cheese dressing. Optionally top off the asparagus fries with some chopped parsley for an extra touch of freshness.