Trim the woody firm ends off the asparagus. Toss them in the oil (or rub the oil onto them with your hands.
Place the asparagus into the basket of the air fryer. Ideally in a single layer, but it’s okay if they are stacked a little since you’ll be shaking the basket during cooking.
Cook for 7 minutes, shaking once halfway through.
Check and cook for longer if necessary due to the thickness of your asparagus. You want the asparagus to darken slightly, but not burn.
Serve dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired, or try the optional toppings mentioned above.
Notes
Since the air fryer will cook asparagus quickly, you’ll need to make sure that you preheat it so it gets nice and crisp, like roasted asparagus.Every air fryer is different! This means the cooking time will vary based on the size and thickness of your asparagus as well as how hot your air fryer gets. Always check the asparagus 7-8 minutes in to see how cooked it is to adjust the cooking time.While it’s ok to overlap the asparagus a bit because it will move when flipped, make sure it is in a single layer as much as possible so the asparagus gets crispy and does not steam.