diff --git a/noodles-vcf/src/async/reader.rs b/noodles-vcf/src/async/reader.rs
index 0a3ebe917..1ab28ccbd 100644
--- a/noodles-vcf/src/async/reader.rs
+++ b/noodles-vcf/src/async/reader.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use noodles_csi as csi;
 use tokio::io::{self, AsyncBufRead, AsyncBufReadExt, AsyncRead, AsyncSeek};
 
 use self::{header::read_header, query::query};
-use crate::{reader::resolve_region, Header, Record};
+use crate::{lazy, reader::resolve_region, Header, Record};
 
 const LINE_FEED: char = '\n';
 const CARRIAGE_RETURN: char = '\r';
@@ -152,6 +152,41 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    /// Reads a single record without eagerly parsing its fields.
+    ///
+    /// The reads VCF record fields from the underlying stream into the given record's buffer until
+    /// a newline is reached. No fields are parsed, meaning the record is no necessarily valid.
+    /// However, the structure of the line is guaranteed to be record-like.
+    ///
+    /// The stream is expected to be directly after the header or at the start of another record.
+    ///
+    /// If successful, the number of bytes read is returned. If the number of bytes read is 0, the
+    /// stream reached EOF.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # #[tokio::main]
+    /// # async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    /// use noodles_vcf as vcf;
+    ///
+    /// let data = b"##fileformat=VCFv4.3
+    /// #CHROM\tPOS\tID\tREF\tALT\tQUAL\tFILTER\tINFO
+    /// sq0\t1\t.\tA\t.\t.\tPASS\t.
+    /// ";
+    ///
+    /// let mut reader = vcf::AsyncReader::new(&data[..]);
+    /// reader.read_header().await?;
+    ///
+    /// let mut record = vcf::lazy::Record::default();
+    /// reader.read_lazy_record(&mut record).await?;
+    /// # Ok::<_, std::io::Error>(())
+    /// # }
+    /// ```
+    pub async fn read_lazy_record(&mut self, record: &mut lazy::Record) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        read_lazy_record(&mut self.inner, record).await
+    }
+
     /// Returns an (async) stream over records starting from the current (input) stream position.
     ///
     /// The (input) stream is expected to be directly after the header or at the start of another
@@ -330,6 +365,77 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+async fn read_lazy_record<R>(reader: &mut R, record: &mut lazy::Record) -> io::Result<usize>
+where
+    R: AsyncBufRead + Unpin,
+{
+    let mut len = 0;
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.chromosome_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.position_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.ids_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.reference_bases_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.alternate_bases_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.quality_score_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.filters_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_field(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+    record.bounds.info_end = record.buf.len();
+
+    len += read_line(reader, &mut record.buf).await?;
+
+    Ok(len)
+}
+
+async fn read_field<R>(reader: &mut R, dst: &mut String) -> io::Result<usize>
+where
+    R: AsyncBufRead + Unpin,
+{
+    const DELIMITER: u8 = b'\t';
+
+    let mut is_delimiter = false;
+    let mut len = 0;
+
+    loop {
+        let src = reader.fill_buf().await?;
+
+        if is_delimiter || src.is_empty() {
+            break;
+        }
+
+        let (buf, n) = match src.iter().position(|&b| b == DELIMITER) {
+            Some(i) => {
+                is_delimiter = true;
+                (&src[..i], i + 1)
+            }
+            None => (src, src.len()),
+        };
+
+        let s =
+            std::str::from_utf8(buf).map_err(|e| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, e))?;
+        dst.push_str(s);
+
+        len += n;
+
+        reader.consume(n);
+    }
+
+    Ok(len)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;