These oven-baked Asparagus Fries are easy to make, perfectly crispy, and a fun alternative to regular fries. Serve them on their own as an appetizer or as a side with ketchup, house sauce, or your favorite dip!
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Why You'll Love These Fries
A fun alternative to fries - Whether you're looking for a healthier side to replace regular fries or just a fun new recipe, these fries are a must-try! They're super crispy and really tasty. Breadcrumbs, flour, and eggs create an amazing crust on the fries that gives you crispy fries that stay crispy!
Baked, not fried - Aside from the fries being healthier because they're made with asparagus instead of potatoes, they're also baked instead of fried which means you're going to need much less oil to cook them. All you need is a light spritz of avocado oil and the fries will still come out of the oven perfectly golden and crispy.
Appetizer or a side - You can serve these fries as finger food with cocktails or as an appetizer with your favorite dip. The fries are lightly seasoned and go with pretty much anything. They're also super versatile! You can add more seasoning to the breadcrumbs to make them even more flavorful without any dip.
Ingredients
- Asparagus - Pick firm, bright green spears. You want to pick ones that aren't too thin but also not too thick so they cook well in the oven.
- Egg - This is what helps everything stick together. The egg is really necessary here and vegan egg replacement won't work the same.
- Flour - This will help create a nice crust on the asparagus. You can use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free alternative. My favorite is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Breadcrumbs - Both panko bread crumbs and regular bread crumbs work here. Use gluten-free if needed.
- Parmesan - Use grated parmesan, not shredded. You want it to have a fine texture so it sticks to the asparagus well. Adding parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs is optional but it helps to crisp up the exterior and add more flavor. You can also use pecorino cheese for even more flavor and saltiness. Keep in mind that parmesan or pecorino aren't vegetarian unless stated on the package.
- Spices - Garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and pepper are added to the breadcrumbs and parmesan to give the fries a little more flavor so they're delicious on their own, even without a dip.
- Avocado oil - I highly recommend using cooking oil in a spray. If you drizzle it over the asparagus, it won't be as even. If you can't find avocado oil in a spray, you can use any other cooking oil in a spray.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prepare your asparagus by snapping off the woody ends of the asparagus by holding the spears on each end. It will naturally snap in the spot where the good asparagus ends and the dry part begins. If you use a knife for this, you might cut it too much or not enough so I always recommend the snapping method instead.
Add the flour to a large plate or a low bowl and whisk the egg in another low bowl. You want them to be wide enough to fit the whole asparagus spears.
In a third bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, onion, paprika, smoked paprika, sea salt, and pepper.
Dip each spear into the egg mixture first using a fork and make sure it's well coated. Drip any excess off, transfer to the plate with flour, and coat lightly. Place it back into the egg mixture briefly and coat well. Lastly, move it to the breadcrumb mixture and coat it evenly with breadcrumbs.
Be sure to drip off the egg well every time. If the breadcrumbs get too wet, they won’t stick to the asparagus as well. You want to press them onto the asparagus rather than roll it around the bowl too much.
Transfer the asparagus to the prepared baking sheet with enough space in between each asparagus.
Roast the asparagus for 10-13 minutes in the preheated oven or until slightly golden and crispy. Repeat with more asparagus if they all didn’t fit on one baking sheet.
If you're making them in more than one batch, lay the baked ones out on a large plate while you finish cooking the rest. Try not to overlap them too much until they cool so that they don't steam and lose their crispiness.
Serving
You can serve the fries as an appetizer with various dips or as a side instead of classic fries. My favorite way to serve them is as finger food with House Sauce and cocktails.
They're delicious both hot and cold and stay crispy for a while so they're perfect served as finger food at parties and game nights.
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can eat the leftovers cold, or warm them back up in the oven.
They won't be the exact same as fresh after storing but they should still be crispy. If they're not, warming them up in the oven at 350F will help to crisp them back up a little bit.
FAQs
No, there's no need! You'll roast it for 10-13 minutes which is enough time to cook the asparagus well. If you blanched it, it would be overcooked.
No, I don't recommend it. They won't be as crispy after defrosting, they're best eaten fresh.
You can omit the parmesan to make the fries vegetarian but the eggs play a vital part in making the coating crispy. You can try using a vegan egg alternative but I can't guarantee it will work.
Yes! You can cook them in an air fryer just like you would potato fries. I don't own an air fryer so I can't comment on the time and temperature but it can definitely be done. Just make sure the asparagus fits and each spear has enough space to crisp up.
Similar Side Recipes
If you'd like to try more fries and crispy potato sides, I've got you! The cajun fries are especially my favorite! Head over to the Sides Category to see all the latest sides!
📖 Recipe
Baked Asparagus Fries
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Asparagus Fries are a great alternative to regular fries. They're oven-baked, extra crispy, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus spears
- ½ cup flour (I used a gluten-free blend)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp garlic granules or powder
- ½ tsp onion granules or powder
- ¼ tsp paprika powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Avocado oil in a spray
- Dip: House Sauce, ketchup, or other dipping sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus by holding the spear on each end. It will snap in the spot where the good asparagus ends and the dry part begins.
- Add the flour to a large plate or a low bowl and whisk the egg in another one. You want them to be wide enough to fit the whole asparagus spears.
- In a third plate or bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, onion, paprika, smoked paprika, sea salt, and pepper.
- Dip each spear into the egg mixture first using a fork, drip any excess off, then move it over to the flour and coat lightly, then the egg again, and lastly the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to drip off the egg well every time. If the breadcrumbs get too wet, they won’t stick to the asparagus as well. You want to press them onto the asparagus rather than rolling the asparagus around the bowl too much.
- Add the asparagus to the prepared baking sheet with enough space in between each spear.
- Roast the asparagus for 10-13 minutes or until slightly golden and crispy.
- Repeat with more asparagus if they all didn’t fit on one baking sheet. Keep the cooked asparagus on a large plate while you finish cooking the rest. Try not to overlap them too much while they cool so they don't lose their crispiness.
- Serve with house sauce or any dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
Nutritional info is counted without any dipping sauce and is only an estimate. If you’d like to see nutritional information on the dipping sauce, head over to that recipe linked above.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Eat cold or warmed up in the oven at 350F.
Bernice says
How tasty! The kids liked these asparagus fries so much that I'm thinking about using this coating for baking other vegetables into fries.
veenaazmanov says
This is definitely a unique Appetiser from the regular fries. Would love to make these when I have a party at home. Thanks for your recipe.
Lauren says
I loved this recipe! My kids aren't the biggest fans of asparagus, but ate these baked asparagus fries right up!
Colleen says
These asparagus fries came out perfectly crisp in the air fryer. They were gobbled right up!
Helene says
These asparagus fries are so delicious. I'm on a new diet, but I didn't want to fall off my diet, so I decided to try these out, and that's so good.
LaKita says
I do not eat asparagus often, but this recipe has changed my mind! So crispy and delicious, I could not get enough of them :-)
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
OMGosh these are everything! Like this was an entire meal for me! So crunchy and flavorful! I love that they are baked and not fried. Definitely a keeper!
Amanda says
These asparagus fries are so good! The coating came out perfectly crispy, and they were great with the suggested house sauce. I'm already looking forward to making them again.
Tristin says
My kids had so much fun eating these asparagus fries and dipping them in a variety of dips I set out. Definitely making again!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
We just have a new favorite in our house! My boys love roasted asparagus and now they love these fries even more! These are so delicious.