How to Cook Asparagus

Since April is officially Asparagus officinalis season, let’s maximize our consumption and enjoyment of these beautiful, bright green stalks while they’re at their peak with five easy cooking methods. Some old, some new, but all tried and true. Let’s learn to cook the best asparagus recipes with these beginner-friendly techniques!

Jump to:

• Asparagus Benefits
• Trimming and Prepping Asparagus
• Purchasing and Storing Fresh Asparagus
• What’s the Difference Between Thin and Fat Asparagus Spears?
• Roasted Asparagus
• Grilled Asparagus
• Sautéed Asparagus
• Baked Asparagus
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Seasoning Cooked Asparagus
• Beyond the Basics
• How to Cook Asparagus
• Ratings

There are loads of reasons to love spring – the sense of renewal and rebirth, sunshine and warmth, spending more time outdoors, flowers blooming, birds singing, Cadbury Creme Eggs. Yes, it’s a miraculous time.

It’s particularly special for me for three reasons: grilling, asparagus, and grilling asparagus.

So imagine my dismay when I thought we were ready to fire up ol’ Bessie and get those first tender spring spears on the grill, only to face two more weeks of cold, wind, and rain. I was instead forced to put my new air fryer to the ultimate test, and I learned a very good lesson – air fryer asparagus is, in my humble option, the best way to cook asparagus, and it’s a hill I might die on.

It also reinforced another key fact that gets lost in my, at times, narrow foodie worldview: asparagus is so flexible, and so good, that there’s no one perfect way to make it. Take lemon roasted asparagus – at first glance, it’s just another asparagus recipe, but upon first bite you realize it just might be nature’s best form of candy.

I’ve learned how to make asparagus all of the ways over the years, and since peak asparagus season is here, right now, today, there’s simply no better time for you, too, to learn how to cook asparagus.

Regardless of my personal preferences, rest assured at least one of these five easy methods for cooking asparagus is going to work with whatever you’ve got on hand. Cause honestly, you could hold a stalk of asparagus in your bare hand by its woody end and toast it over the flame of a Bic lighter and it’d probably still taste amazing. But we won’t be testing that theory today.

Asparagus Benefits

I love the fact that asparagus is one of the few vegetables people don’t look at you sideways for picking up and eating with your fingers (c’mon, we all think it’s unwieldy), but apparently, certain fine dining establishments don’t consider that a “benefit,” so let’s talk nutrition.

• Protein – asparagus has about 3 grams of protein per cup, which is pretty darn high for a plant-based protein that’s not a grain or legume.
• Low carb/high fiber – a single spear of asparagus has 0.6 grams of carbohydrates and half of that is counted as fiber. Great for Keto diets – and digestion!
• Low cal/low fat – as with most veggies, asparagus has minimal trace amounts of fat and few calories – 1 cup has 0.2 grams of fat and only 20 calories.
• Nutrients – asparagus is an antioxidant rockstar, boasting significant amounts of vitamins C and E, as well as other flavonoids and polyphenols. It’s also high in folate and vitamins A and K.
• Bonus content (for adults only) – I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that asparagus has been embraced as an aphrodisiac throughout history by figures ranging from Pliny the Elder to Madame de Pompadour.

Trimming and Prepping Asparagus

• The easy way – bend a stalk until it snaps.
• The cheffy way – snap the ends, trim with a knife for a clean edge, then shave using a vegetable peeler. This works best for fatter asparagus.

PRO-TIP: you can absolutely enjoy asparagus raw. It’s a great low-carb dipper for veggie platters with dips, but it really shines in salads. Toss thinly shaved raw asparagus spears into a grain-based sorghum salad or go bolder with our asparagus salad with tomatoes and pancetta.

Purchasing and Storing Fresh Asparagus

The best asparagus is fresh, bright green, and firm. Head to the farmer’s market for the freshest of the fresh. It’s in season from about February through June, but peak season is considered April.

Purchasing Asparagus

• Select tightly packed, firm asparagus tips with no signs of wilt or mush. If you brush your fingers across the top, the tips should remain intact. If you see them start to shred or fall apart, move along to another bunch.
• Then look for firm stalks – they shouldn’t be limp or soft. You should be able to bend the asparagus and hear a satisfying “snap” when the woody end breaks off.
• Look for stalks of uniform size, not because it’s an indicator of freshness, but for consistency in cooking. Stalks of similar sizes will cook at the same rate, giving you equally tender or equally crisp bites.

Storing Asparagus

• If using within 48 hours, store fresh asparagus in your crisper drawer. 
• For longer storage, place the asparagus upright in a cup of water and store in the fridge. It should last about 5 days.

What’s the Difference Between Thin and Fat Asparagus Spears?

This all boils down to biology. “The thickness of a spear has nothing to do with its age—that is, a thin spear will not mature into a thicker spear. Rather, diameter is determined by two factors: the age of the entire plant (younger crowns produce more slender stalks) and its variety.” (Cooks Illustrated) In other words, it was born this way, baby.

Though there’s no discernible difference in taste, and maybe only a slightly discernible difference in texture, the most important factor in choosing a stalk is the cooking method (good luck shaving thin asparagus) and cook time.

Roasted Asparagus

If you’re a year-round asparagus eater (or you don’t have a grill or air fryer), you can’t go wrong with roasting asparagus in the oven. This classic method highlights the vegetable itself, but be mindful – getting it perfect means using the recommended amount of oil. Too much or too little and you just have a pan of disappointment.

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the asparagus with oil and seasoning and arrange in a single layer.
3. Roast 7-10 minutes (thinner spears for a shorter period of time, thicker spears for longer), tossing once halfway through or until the spears are tender.
4. Season to taste and serve immediately.

PRO-TIP: we love using a fish turner to flip vegetables on a roasting pan. It’s easier than using tongs, and gets the job done quickly.

Grilled Asparagus

Perfect, grilled asparagus during peak season is a thing of beauty, but it’s also a limited-time-only preparation based on your climate. Be mindful of your grills quirks, though – lightly charred tips are wonderful, burned ones aren’t. (If you master this technique you may call my air fryer assessment BS, but I still give it the edge for manageability and consistency.)

1. Prepare a grill for medium high (about 400°F) direct heat. A grill basket is optional, but it does make things a bit easier. We prefer a basket with larger grate holes for good charring.
2. Toss the asparagus spears with oil.
3. Place on the grill, perpendicular to the grates if not using a grill basket. Grill 6-7 minutes for thinner spears, or 8-9 minutes for thicker spears, with the lid open. Turn once halfway through to ensure even charring
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Sautéed Asparagus

This little gem is more of a side dish recipe than a straight up cooking method, but it absolutely ranks as one of the best ways to cook asparagus. You certainly could saute asparagus on its own, but garlic, pine nuts and parmesan absolutely elevate the flavor. Plus, leaning how to cook stovetop asparagus is a great foundational technique – it’s a method you can translate into stir fry recipes, asparagus frittata, and one-pan chicken skillet meals.

1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pine toast and toast in the pan until they’re golden brown and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Add a bit of oil and heat until it shimmers; add the asparagus and garlic, and toss them in the oil.
3. Cover and cook, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus is charred and tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the toasted pine nuts and some shaved parmesan cheese.

Baked Asparagus

Why bake when you can roast? Easy – flavor absorption. I like this particular method for cooking asparagus when I’m using balsamic vinegar or another marinade. A lower and slower temperature allows that sharp, sweet flavor to sink in and caramelize a bit.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange asparagus spears in a baking dish and add oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Toss until evenly coated, then arrange into an even layer.
3. Transfer to the oven and bake until the spears are tender, 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Air Fryer Asparagus

If you told me that the most delicious cooked vegetable I’d ever consume would come from an air fryer, I might not have believed you – until I had asparagus in the air fryer. It’s literally the fastest, easiest and tastiest asparagus I’ve ever had. In fact, it’s so good, I’d say it’s worth getting an air fryer (affiliate link) if you don’t have one. Two stalks up!

1. Trim the asparagus spears, then place into the air fryer basket. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper then gently toss until the spears are well coated.
2. Cook at 400°F for 6 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Add 1-2 minutes for spears thicker than ½″.
3. Season to taste with balsamic vinegar or reduction and serve immediately.

Seasoning Cooked Asparagus

There are endless ways to garnish and season cooked asparagus to make it a little bit different each time. Consider…

• A drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and/or zest and finely grated parmesan cheesed
• Toasted pine nuts and thinly shaved parmesan cheese
• Garlic, garlic, and more garlic

Beyond the Basics

Now that you’ve mastered five easy techniques for cooking asparagus, the asparagus world is now your, er, oyster? Spear? You get the pun. Yes, simply prepared asparagus is one of the best ways to enjoy this seasonal favorite, but I’d hardly classify it as the best asparagus recipe, eva.

For a beginner cook who want to experiment just a little, fold chopped, roasted asparagus into risotto, then garnish with toasted pine nuts. It’s an easy vegetarian main dish that looks restaurant-quality.

For bolder home cooks, go twice as nice with roasted asparagus and carrots. This recipe is a bit more complex, but worth the effort. Roast asparagus and carrots, then serve with buttery black lentils.

Asparagus and pasta are pretty natural companions, and they’re often paired with a lemon butter situation. Use your stovetop asparagus skills to make spring pasta primavera or lemon orzo with asparagus and mushrooms.

Quick and easy one-skillet meals are an absolutely weeknight necessity for our family, and I reach for skillet chicken and asparagus on the regular. Serve it over rice for a more substantial meal.

Do you LOVE asparagus? Me too!! Tell me your favorite way to cook it in the comments section!

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