Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Here at Ka Pai Cooking, we're all about the "easy fancy," where you get simple dishes with bold flavors and minimal expertise required.

Because at the end of the day, I believe that if we have to cook, we shouldn't have to have a degree in culinary arts to successfully make a delicious dish or feed our family a nourishing meal.

Today's recipe for air fryer asparagus wrapped in bacon is the perfect example: you'll impress everyone at the table without slaving away in the kitchen or studying a manual to get it right.

Full disclosure though: you WILL be obsessed with this tasty side dish!

(Like, even if asparagus isn't your favorite vegetable, this recipe will convert you to asparagus!)

Okay, now that I've warned you, let's chat about why bacon-wrapped asparagus is SO good.

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Why you'll love this recipe

Easy recipe: not only does this delicious side dish come together in minutes, it's also easy to serve at the table because everything is pre-portioned!

Bold flavors: buttery asparagus, salty bacon, toasted tahini, bright lemon citrus, and earthy pepper. A match made in heaven.

Lemon tahini sauce: optional but also not optional. This gorgeous 3 ingredient sauce will completely transform your juicy asparagus (and no other bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe on the internet has a sauce to go with it!)

Fancy without the work: it's the perfect side dish for your next dinner party that is sure to wow all your guests and leave them speechless

Healthier: this recipe has less saturated fat, sodium, and calories than most other bacon asparagus recipes I've seen, so you can feel good about reaching for seconds and thirds!

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Ingredients you'll need

For the full instructions and ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Fresh asparagus spears: it doesn't matter if you have thick spears of asparagus or not, but I do find that thin asparagus cooks better, crisps up better, and has a better asparagus-to-bacon ratio, so if you have the choice, choose the thinner bunch of asparagus!
• Turkey bacon strips: a thinner bacon lower in saturated fat and sodium than traditional bacon. Feel free to use any kind of bacon you like, including thick cut bacon or regular-cut bacon!
• Fresh lemons: we're using lemon juice and lemon zest for this recipe, so don't skip the lemons! It's worth the few extra seconds of work, I promise.
• Fresh ground black pepper: the kind that you grind right there on the spot. This ensures you actually taste the robust, earthy flavor from the pepper in a more pronounced way without using too much.
• Creamy natural tahini: the kind where the only ingredient is sesame seeds (and a little salt). You can find this at most grocery stores next to the peanut butter. If you've never had it, it's not an eat-by-the-spoonful kind of seed butter, but it is phenomenal as a base for dressings and baked goods.
• Maple syrup: to add a touch of sweetness to the salty, citrusy cream sauce.

Equipment you'll need

• Air fryer: I have the Instant Pot air fryer attachment and it's worked for me, but the air fryer basket is much smaller, so it's not my favorite. I know a lot of my readers love the Ninja Foodi.
• Tongs: to prevent you from burning yourself as you pick up the asparagus stalks.
• Toothpicks: optional, but recommended. This keeps the delicious bacon wrapped around the stalks of asparagus during cooking.
• Mason jar or small bowl: for making the lemon tahini sauce. I prefer the mason jar because it's much easier to emulsify the cream sauce and makes for easy clean up, too.

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How to make this recipe

Step 1: preheat the air fryer

Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil and a pastry brush) and preheat to 400°F.

Step 2: prep the asparagus

Wash and trim asparagus to get rid of the woody ends (about 1-2 inches).

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Step 3: wrap the asparagus

Take one piece of bacon and wrap around the middle of 5-7 stalks of asparagus. (If you have thicker stalks, only do 3-5 stalks in one bundle.)

Secure with a toothpick and repeat with the remaining bacon. You should have 8 asparagus bundles per pound.

Step 4: cook until crispy

Working in batches, place bundles in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overlap.

Spray the tops with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bonus points if you squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on top!

Cook for 12-18 minutes until the asparagus is vibrant and the bacon is juicy and crisp.

Place on a bit of paper towels to soak up any excess oil and let cook for 5 minutes.

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Step 5: make the sauce

While the bacon-wrapped asparagus is cooking, make the tahini sauce.

Combine the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, water, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth.

For the best results, use a mason jar and shake to emulsify!

Step 6: serve and enjoy

Add some extra salt, pepper, and fresh lemon zest on top of the bacon asapragus and serve with the tahini sauce. Enjoy!

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No air fryer? No problem

Want to make this recipe in the oven? Here's how to do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Prepare the asparagus bundles according to recipe instructions.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
4. Serve with the lemon tahini sauce and enjoy.

How to store this recipe

Let the bacon wrapped asparagus cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What to serve with bacon-wrapped asparagus

Shrimp Cacio e Pepe

Pepperoni Chicken Parmesan

Sheet Pan Chicken Cordon Bleu

Healthy Baked Potato Soup

Protein-packed Lasagna Roll-ups

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More stunning side dishes

Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (3 ways!)

White Cheddar Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Roasted Cinnamon Maple Brussels Sprouts

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese

I know you're going to be obsessed with this healthy bacon wrapped asparagus recipe! It's a great side dish that comes together in a couple of minutes and it's an easy way to elevate any family favorite main dish.

Be sure to leave a star rating and review below if you try the recipe so other readers know how you liked it! It also helps more people discover my recipes.