If you have never tried air-fried bacon-wrapped asparagus, you have no idea what you are missing. The flavorful asparagus wrapped in crispy bacon tastes absolutely amazing. There is just something about asparagus and bacon that works well.
However, making bacon-wrapped asparagus in a pan or an oven can be challenging. It can be challenging to keep everything together and also be time-consuming. However, making it in an air fryer is a better alternative.
An air fryer makes the cooking process faster, easier, and healthier than regular frying.
We’re giving you a bacon-wrapped asparagus air fryer recipe and will also cover other important points about using an air fryer for cooking bacon-wrapped asparagus.
Why Use an Air Fryer to Make Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus?
You might wonder why you would use an air fryer to make bacon-wrapped asparagus in the first place. However, there are a few good reasons you might want to try this.
- When you make bacon-wrapped asparagus in an air fryer, you don’t have to move them around much, so the bacon can really stick to the asparagus. The more you move them around, the more likely the bacon will come off the asparagus. However, this is not a problem in the air fryer.
- You will end up with fantastic-looking bacon-wrapped asparagus that look like they were made by a professional chef.
- Using an air fryer to make bacon-wrapped asparagus takes around 20 minutes. Therefore, if you are in a rush and need to get dinner on the table, this is a fantastic choice.
In addition, you’re using only bacon, asparagus, some oil, and spices. Therefore, this recipe is ketogenic and low-carb. Bacon has a bit of fat, but it also has protein.
This low-carb, high-protein, and vitamin-rich combination is fantastic for people who want something tasty but don’t want to consume too many carbs. But, of course, let’s not forget that bacon makes everything better.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus in an Air Fryer
This is a step-by-step recipe for making bacon-wrapped asparagus in an air fryer.
1. Gather Your Ingredients
You will first need your ingredients, including asparagus, bacon, some olive oil, and your choice of spices.
At the very least, salt and pepper are called for, although something a bit spicier, like paprika or chili powder, might be nice. The spices you use depend on your preferences.
Moreover, your asparagus should be pretty large, bright green, and firm. Thick-cut bacon works really well for this purpose.
2. Trim the Asparagus
You need to trim the ends off the asparagus, as they can be pretty tough. This will take a bit of practice because where you break the asparagus stem off depends on how tough it is. You can use your hands to feel the stem.
The end of the stem should feel very tough and hard, but it should get softer as you move up the asparagus. The point where it gets softer is where you should cut it off.
You can also just take the asparagus and bend it. The tough part of the stem should break off on its own. Don’t skip this step, as tough asparagus stems will get tougher in the air fryer.
Moreover, if you have very thin asparagus spears, you might want to bundle them together with two or three at a time. If you don’t do this, and your asparagus is too thin, it may cook too quickly and turn to mush. If your air fryer is very hot, it might burn them.
3. Assemble the Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Now, combine your spices in a small bowl. We recommend using a combination of pepper, salt, paprika, and maybe some garlic powder. You could also add cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick. Whatever spice mix you choose, mix it together now.
Take another large bowl and neatly line your asparagus up inside it. Drizzle a good bit of extra virgin olive oil over them. Then sprinkle the spices on the asparagus, and mix everything together. Ensure that all the asparagus are evenly coated with oil and your spice mix.
Take the individual asparagus or bundles and wrap them in bacon. Some people recommend using half a strip of bacon, whereas others might use a whole strip; this depends on how much you like bacon.
4. Cook the Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
It’s really not necessary to preheat your air fryer. Therefore, just take your bacon-wrapped asparagus and put them in the air fryer basket or tray. Don’t crowd the asparagus on the tray or basket; they won’t cook right if you crowd them in. More than anything else, don’t layer them on top of each other.
Set your air fryer to 390° F, and allow the bacon-wrapped asparagus to cook for roughly 10 minutes.
The length of time you cook the bacon-wrapped asparagus depends on how crispy you like your bacon. Whether you let them cook for 10 minutes or 12 minutes, flip them about halfway through cooking.
Tips for Cooking Bacon and Asparagus in an Air Fryer
There are slight nuances to be aware of, so let’s quickly go over a few tips on cooking bacon-wrapped asparagus in an air fryer.
- If the asparagus spears are very thin, you may first want to par-fry the bacon for a few minutes. The bacon will be partially cooked when you wrap it around the asparagus. Therefore, you won’t have to cook the asparagus in the air fryer for quite as long. Moreover, this will prevent very thin asparagus from becoming overcooked.
- When you cook bacon in an air fryer over 360° Fahrenheit, the grease will start to splatter and get on the heating elements; this can cause smoke to occur. It’s not dangerous, although certainly not enjoyable. If you want to prevent this from happening, wrap the asparagus in aluminum foil.
Conclusion
Making bacon-wrapped asparagus in an air fryer is fast, easy, and tasty. If you follow the recipe and tips we provided, you should have a super delicious meal.