Air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus is a delicious appetizer or side dish that looks fancy, but is actually very easy to make.
You just need some fresh asparagus spears, a few slices of bacon, some oil, and black pepper. It’s a tasty upgrade on regular air fryer asparagus that we like to make when hosting friends or family.
Ingredients
- Asparagus – Try to use fresh asparagus spears of similar thickness.
- Oil – We like to use avocado oil, but other oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil also work well.
- Black Pepper – To add a little extra flavor.
- Bacon – We recommend using regular-cut bacon for this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Use asparagus spears of similar thickness so they cook evenly.
- The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the asparagus spears and the thickness of the bacon. Thicker asparagus spears will take longer to cook. Similarly, thick-cut bacon will take a little longer until crispy.
- You can cut the bacon slices in half lengthwise and only use 1/2 slice of bacon per 3 asparagus spears.
- You can secure the bacon to the asparagus with a small toothpick if you’re worried about it unraveling. We’ve never had any issues, though.
- Watch the bacon towards the end of the cooking time because you don’t want it to burn.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer; it would prevent the bacon and asparagus from cooking evenly.
- If air frying in batches, drain the bacon grease after each round to avoid smoke.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
First, wash and dry the asparagus, then snap off the ends. Where the spear naturally breaks is usually where the best texture begins. You can also trim the ends using a knife.
Next, evenly coat the asparagus in oil and black pepper.
Now take three asparagus spears and wrap the bacon around them in a spiral fashion from one end of the bunch to the other. Avoid overlapping the bacon if you want the bacon to get crispy.
If that’s too much bacon for you, you can always cut the bacon in half lengthwise first and use just one half per bunch of asparagus.
Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit (about 190 degrees Fahrenheit).
When it is hot, place the bacon-wrapped asparagus into the air fryer basket. The bunches shouldn’t touch so the bacon can crisp evenly. Cook in batches if needed.
Cook the asparagus for about 10-13 minutes, or until tender and the bacon is crispy. Flip the asparagus bundles halfway through the cooking time.
The exact cooking time can vary depending on your preferred level of crispiness, the thickness of the asparagus and bacon, and your air fryer.
Remove the asparagus from the air fryer and serve right away. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
It’s unlikely that you will have any leftovers, but if you do, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The asparagus may get mushy over time, so eat leftovers sooner rather than later.
To reheat them, you can toss them back in the air fryer. This will also help to evaporate excess moisture. They won’t be as good as when they were fresh, but they will be pretty close!
Related Recipes
For more air fryer side dishes, you can check out these tasty creations:
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
- Asparagus Fries in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients
- 24 spears green asparagus
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
- 8 slices bacon, see notes
Instructions
- Wash and dry the asparagus, then snap or trim off the woody ends. Where the spear naturally breaks is usually where the best texture begins.24 spears green asparagus
- Place the asparagus spears on a large plate or in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper, then roll or toss until evenly coated.1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Gather 2 asparagus spears into a small bundle and wrap one slice of bacon around them in a spiral from one end to the other. Avoid overlapping the bacon if you want it to get crispy.8 slices bacon
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit (about 190 degrees Celsius).
- Place the bacon-wrapped asparagus into the air fryer in a single layer, leaving space between them so the bacon can cook and crisp evenly. Cook in two batches if needed.
- Air fry at 380 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for about 10-13 minutes, flipping the bundles halfway through, or until the bacon is crispy and the asparagus is tender.
- Remove the cooked asparagus bundles from the air fryer and place them on a plate. Carefully drain the bacon grease from the air fryer basket and cook the second batch if needed. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use asparagus spears of a similar thickness so they cook evenly.
- The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears and the bacon, your air fryer, and personal preference.
- If one slice of bacon per bundle is too much for you, cut it in half lengthwise and only use 1/2 slice of bacon per bundle.
- If you are worried about the bacon unravelling during cooking, you can secure it to the asparagus using a small toothpick.
- Drain excess grease between batches to prevent smoking.
- Watch the bacon towards the end of the cooking time because you don’t want it to burn.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
