With just a few minutes ingredients and 20 minutes of time, you’ll be able to make this delicious Air Fryer chicken and asparagus.
It’s healthy, wholesome, naturally gluten-free and incredibly easy to put together. Pair the dish with some mashed potatoes or a simple salad- or even better, use your favorite bread to mop up all the delicious sauce!
Lately, I’ve discovered how nutrient dense asparagus really is, and naturally, I’ve been consciously trying more and more ways to incorporate it into my recipes.
My Air Fryer asparagus crescent rolls and asparagus, spinach and cheese frittata both got lots of love from my family, and I also loved making my Air Fryer asparagus puff pastry bundles.
This time, I wanted something simpler, more effortless, and easy to make. And that’s when I thought of teaming it up with some chicken.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Healthy and delicious: This chicken and asparagus dish has sweet and lemony flavors and is made using wholesome ingredients.
- Customizable: You can customize the flavors and veggies to your liking too- it’s incredibly versatile that way.
- Simple ingredients: The dish comes together with just a handful of simple, classic ingredients- you probably already have everything in your pantry.
- Easy to make: The recipe is ridiculously easy and a great no-fuss recipe to turn to when you’re looking for something delicious but not too complicated to make.
Ingredients For the Air Fryer Chicken and Asparagus Recipe
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts here. You could use chicken tenders, thighs or any other cut of chicken you like.
- Asparagus: You’ll need fresh, ripe asparagus stalks with their woody ends trimmed off.
- Honey: Just a bit, to add a dash of sweetness.
- Lemon: Fresh lemons add a beautiful bit of tanginess and citrusy flavor to the dish. You’ll use some lemons for the juice, and a couple of lemons to garnish and serve.
- Soy sauce: Preferably dark soy sauce, for that complex, umami flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder can work in a pinch.
- Seasonings: I kept it simple and used just a bit of salt and pepper. You can also use other spices and seasonings of your choice for a bit of added flavor.
- Parsley: Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish.
Variations & Substitutions
- To add extra flavor to the chicken and asparagus, use a bit of cayenne or paprika or Italian seasoning in addition to the salt and pepper.
- You can also use some chicken bouillon powder if you want an extra bit of chicken flavor.
- In addition to the asparagus, use other veggies like carrots, mushrooms, zucchini and broccoli to make the dish more wholesome and nutritious.
- To get a nice crispy exterior, add a bit of baking soda along with the salt and pepper to season the chicken.
- Another great way to lend some more flavor to the dish is to add some balsamic vinegar into the mix too!
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken and Asparagus
Prep: To make the Air Fryer chicken and asparagus, you’ll need to first preheat the Air Fryer and grease the basket with a bit of cooking spray to keep the chicken from sticking to it.
Make honey lemon sauce: In a bowl, combine the lemon juice with honey, soy sauce and minced garlic.
Cook chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and transfer them to the Air Fryer basket. Spoon some of the honey lemon sauce over them and air fry for 12-15 minutes, flipping them at the 8 minute mark.
Air fry asparagus: Once the chicken breasts have a golden brown exterior, get them out and add the asparagus spears to the same basket. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over them and drizzle a bit of the lemon honey sauce. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times.
Assemble and serve: Once the asparagus has cooked completely, get it out, team it up with the chicken and plate it with some fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley. Don’t forget to spoon some more of that delicious sauce over them both!
Tips & Tricks to Make Chicken and Asparagus in the Air Fryer
- Avoid overcrowding the Air Fryer basket with too much chicken. If you’re making a larger quantity, work in batches to ensure the meat is cooked evenly and that you have a golden, crispy exterior all throughout.
- To make cooking quicker, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces instead of cooking a whole chicken breast.
- You can also chop the asparagus stalks into smaller, bite-sized pieces if you want to.
- Choose asparagus stalks that are roughly the same thickness. This will ensure that all of them are cooked at the same time and have that golden brown color on the outside.
- For an extra bit of flavor, top the chicken and asparagus with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese right before you serve.
Storage Instructions
Refrigeration: Store your leftover chicken and asparagus in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It should stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Reheating: To reheat the chicken and asparagus, you can use either your microwave or the Air Fryer. Just remember that if you’re reheating it in the Air Fryer, use a lower temperature, or the chicken and asparagus may end up burning.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This Air Fryer chicken and asparagus tastes incredible on its own as a low-carb meal. If you want to make it more hearty and filling, you can serve it with other veggie sides like Air Fryer garlic butter brussels sprouts, Air Fryer broccoli with ranch seasoning, or Air Fryer green beans with garlic butter sauce.
Sometimes, I also love pairing this simple chicken dinner with some Air Fryer vegetable kabobs.
And if you love your breads, serve the chicken and asparagus with some Air Fryer garlic parmesan monkey bread, garlic parmesan pull apart bread or just some Italian pull-apart bread rolls.
FAQs
How will I know the chicken has cooked? Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer to know if the chicken is cooked or not. If the temperature reads 165 degrees, the chicken is done. You can also poke the chicken with a knife and check if its juices run clear. If they do and the chicken has a crispy, brown exterior, it is cooked.
Can I make chicken and asparagus in a pan? Yes, you can! Use a cast iron skillet or a good quality heavy bottomed pan, and you should easily be able to make a nice chicken and asparagus dish as a one-pan meal.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- AIR FRYER THAI CHICKEN SALAD
- AIR FRYER COPYCAT OLIVE GARDEN CHICKEN PARMIGIANA
- 20 OF THE BEST AIR FRYER CHICKEN RECIPES
- AIR FRYER PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN
- AIR FRYER TANDOORI CHICKEN LEGS
Air Fryer Chicken And Asparagus
Description
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 3-4 breasts depending on size)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, diced
- 1 large lemon, sliced for garnish
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees F, air fryer setting.
- In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, and minced garlic and set aside.
- Add chicken breasts to air fryer tray or basket. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and spoon on a light coat of honey lemon sauce. Place in the preheated air fryer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the air fryer and add asparagus to the basket or tray surrounding the chicken.
- Drizzle the asparagus with some of the honey lemon sauce and toss gently to coat. Add a salt and black pepper sprinkle and return to the air fryer for 8-10 minutes.
- Spoon on extra honey lemon sauce and garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
- Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
- Cooking Spray
- Parchment Paper, optional
Nutrition
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Barb
In step 4, are we taking the chicken out or adding the asparagus around it? The way it’s worded, it could be either, but the chicken can’t be done by then.