Our easy air fryer frozen asparagus recipe works great. Cook time for how to cook frozen asparagus so they defrost, get tender with a little crispy on the outside too. A healthy vegetable side dish that even kids love.
This may be your new go to easy air fryer recipe! Yes I am forgetful too and need all the information about cooking frozen vegetables in a Ninja foodi or other brand. You may be the same, no worries we have help. 😉
Either you’re here because you’re in a pinch and need a side real quick, or all you can find at the store is frozen. We live in a smaller town and have realized that fresh produce isn’t always available year round. When it was last summer I shared how to make air fryer asparagus from fresh.
Ninja Foodi Frozen Asparagus
We set out to figure out how to cook his as a Ninja Foodi recipe and surprisingly it was amazing. It is one of my very favorite veggies so I will buy a few bunches if they look good. That means the stems aren’t super thick, thin and somewhat firm is ideal. With this pot you can follow these same directions using the air crisp function.
Let’s talk about your choices here for a minute. A while back it was hard to find, not anymore. You can find them whole like you see here or occasionally you’ll find asparagus tips too. I mean that top is the best part anyway so those are pretty killer, but will take less time than stated below.
Should frozen asparagus be thawed before cooking?
No. Frozen vegetables in air fryer are meant to go straight out of the bag and into the boiling water, on a sheet pan to be baked, in an Instant Pot or air fryer which is our go to method. If you thaw it first the texture will be softer and mushier, not good.
It doesn’t matter what brand you have at home. I have an AirWave, Cosori and Ninja air fryer and they all work the same. The biggest difference in cook time is how large your pieces are. That would include how thick the stalks are and if you’re air frying whole pieces are parts and pieces. For the Foodi you will need to use the lid that is attached for this air crisp function.
Ok so you have a Bag of frozen asparagus to cook and want to know what else you need. It is simple, ours was 8 oz., you could add more but don’t overlap them in the basket
How to Season
You will want to coat the outsides with a bit of olive oil is needed to lightly coat the outsides
Salt and black pepper or seasonings of choice (garlic powder and/or salt is good too). You could sprinkle on a bit of shredded parmesan cheese during the last minute or two also.
If yours aren’t whole and are just the tops I would decrease the cook time to about 4 minutes and then check from there. Another change would be how crispy you like them. If I only have the tops I like them crispier than whole. They become a bit like a snack of sorts, like our air fryer chickpeas. Good for you, just pop them in your mouth yum.
You can easily print recipe card at the bottom of this page if you like or just come back and jump to recipe anytime you need the info. So I wouldn’t say this is faster than asparagus in the oven but it won’t heat up your house and doesn’t take as long to preheat your machine either.
How Long to Air Fry Frozen Asparagus
The timing will vary depending on whether you are cooking tips or the whole spears. Timing for whole would be 6-8 minutes or so while just the tips would be done closer to 3 minutes. Either way you want to shake the basket to rotate the pieces halfway thru for the ideal texture.
Roasted asparagus is a gluten free and easy side dish that you can make year round now that you have tips on hand like these. I will be honest, fresh is better. The texture is different no matter how you cook it from frozen out of the bag. There is just no way around that, but this is a close second and the best method out of any other out there.
Want to know what you serve with this? I mean we have TONS of air fryer dinner recipes out there but marinated chicken thighs in air fryer breast is one of the best.
Air Fryer Frozen Asparagus Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 8 oz asparagus, frozen
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 for 5 minutes. Pour frozen asparagus into a bowl and drizzle with a few tbsp olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour into air fryer basket and lay in a single layer. Close and air fry for 6-8 minutes (depending on thickness of your pcs.). Shake basket after 3 minutes. Check for doneness at 6 minutes. If on the thicker side cook additional 1-2 minutes until tender with a little crisp on the outside.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to save leftovers
This doesn’t save well and is best if served right away out of the basket. Only make what you think you will eat in that sitting because leftovers will be too soft to reheat and enjoy again. Other air fryer vegetables like zucchini and squash work the next day but this is a no go as far as I’m concerned (but I’m all about texture so there’s that).
