Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

This Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is a quick and easy side dish and a delicious low-carb appetizer. Thanks to the amazing air fryer or Ninja Foodi, you can make perfectly cooked bundles of fresh asparagus wrapped in crisp & juicy bacon strips in 20 minutes or less!

Can you make bacon-wrapped asparagus in the air fryer? Yes, bacon wrapped asparagus can be made in the air fryer using these step-by-step instructions. As if the combination of salty bacon and bitter-sweet asparagus isn’t delicious enough, cooking the two together in the air fryer makes them truly irresistible.

From start to finish, this air fryer bacon asparagus takes just 20 minutes to prepare with only 5 ingredients. You’ll need asparagus, bacon, cooking oil, and salt & pepper, which are inherently low carb and keto. If you use compliant bacon and cooking oil, these bacon-wrapped asparagus are perfect for paleo and Whole30 as well!

Prepare a batch or two for your next barbecue, picnic, or potluck, and your friends and family will be ecstatic -but then again, it’s tough not to be overjoyed when there’s food available wrapped in bacon? 😉

🥰 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make!
• Quick and easy summer appetizer or side dish.
• Great for low-carb & keto!
• It can easily be made with paleo & Whole30 compliant ingredients.

🥓 Ingredients You’ll Need

• Asparagus – Use fresh, bright green asparagus stalks, with the woody ends removed. You can use thin or thick spears, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Vegetable oil – You’ll need a small amount of oil to coat the asparagus and brush onto the bacon. You can also use olive oil or avocado oil here.
• Salt & pepper – I like to keep the seasonings simple for bacon-wrapped asparagus. Feel free to sprinkle garlic powder and onion powder on the asparagus.
• Bacon – Be sure to use thinly sliced to normal-cut bacon, as thick-cut bacon won’t get nearly as crispy. The thinner, the better!

🥣 How To Make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus In The Air Fryer

1️⃣ Prepare for air frying. Set the temperature of your air fryer or Ninja Foodi 375F, and let preheat for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and dry the asparagus, and trim off the woody ends.

2️⃣ Season asparagus spears. Add your trimmed asparagus to a large bowl and drizzle one tablespoon of the vegetable oil on top. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

3️⃣ Wrap asparagus in bacon. Using 3 to 4 spears per bundle, assemble the bacon-wrapped asparagus. Wrap one piece of bacon evenly around the spears, leaving the tips exposed. Brush the bacon with the remaining vegetable oil to ensure it gets crispy.

4️⃣ Cook bacon-wrapped asparagus in the air fryer. Carefully place the asparagus bundles in your preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, seam side facing down (to keep the bacon in place as it shrinks). Set the timer for 15 minutes and cook, flipping halfway through, until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crispy. Serve hot!

🔪 How To Properly Trim Asparagus

The bottom of asparagus spears are woody and fibrous. While technically edible, the ends are tough and not exactly tasty, so you’ll need to trim them off.

1. Wash asparagus and dry thoroughly.
2. Grip one asparagus spear on each end with both hands.
3. Then, gently bend the spear, and the woody portion should snap right off.
4. Align the trimmed spear up with the remaining, and use a sharp knife to cut off the same length from the rest of the spears.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe Tips

• Add a few more to each bundle if your asparagus spears are on the thin side. If your spears are thick, use a couple less in each bundle.
• Do not use thick-cut bacon. The thickness of each slice of bacon matters. Thinly sliced bacon yields the best results.
• Let the bacon come to room temperature before you get started. It will be much easier to work with, and the slices will begin crisping up right away.
• You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the functionality of your air fryer. Check after 5 to 7 minutes to gauge how much longer your bacon-wrapped asparagus need.
• How thick your bacon and asparagus are will also affect the cooking time.
• You can secure the slice of bacon around the asparagus with a wet toothpick (so it doesn’t unravel).

🔀 Variations

The simplicity of air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus leaves plenty of room for customizations. Check out the variations below.

Low-fat bacon-wrapped asparagus – Feel free to use turkey bacon for a lighter version.

Proscuitto-wrapped asparagus – Proscuitto is a delicious alternative to bacon, and the ingredients are typically just pork & salt. For Whole30 purposes, this variation is PERFECT.

Wrap solo spears – Another option is wrapping thicker spears individually, in which case, you’ll only need half a slice of bacon per spear.

Spices & seasonings – Salty bacon lends bold flavors to this dish, but feel free to enhance the taste with garlic powder and onion powder, OR go with a spice blend like everything bagel or lemon pepper.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Make it a meal and serve air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus with one of these meaty main courses.

• Thick-cut BBQ Pork Chops
• Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast
• Slow-Cooker BBQ Brisket
• Roasted Chicken Thighs & Potatoes
• Creamy Lemon Chicken

🧊 Storing & Freezing

Storing: Let cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Unfortunately, bacon-wrapped asparagus does not freeze well.

Reheating: To reheat, warm the bundles in your air fryer at 325F until the asparagus is hot and the bacon is re-crisped.

More Air Fryer Side Dishes

Air Fryer Beets
Air Fryer Acorn Squash
Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
Air Fryer Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Broccoli