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In This Post
- Why You’ll Love My Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Trim Asparagus
- How To Roast Asparagus In The Oven
- How Long To Roast Asparagus?
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- More Easy Asparagus Recipes
- My Favorite Baking Sheet For This Recipe
- Oven Roasted Asparagus (Easy)Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
At the end of every winter as spring rolls around, I get excited about asparagus again. Sure, you can make it all year round — and admittedly I do — but that seasonal vibe just hits different in the spring. And while I have lots of asparagus recipes here on Wholesome Yum (shoutout to my oldest and most popular: bacon wrapped asparagus!), I still come back to this oven roasted asparagus recipe most often. It’s quick and easy, it’s fresh, it’s flavorful without fuss… it checks all the boxes for a healthy side dish.
Why You’ll Love My Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
- Perfectly tender, earthy, and mildly sweet – Tender asparagus is the star here! My recipe doesn’t get the credit for how this veggie tastes, but I think it does cook it just right.
- Works with asparagus of any thickness – I’ve made this dish so many times that I lost count, and that often meant using whatever asparagus thickness was available. Good news for you, I have a time recommendation no matter how thick (or thin) yours is… so it never turns out mushy again.
- Just a few simple ingredients – If you picked up a bunch of asparagus, you probably already have everything else you need. I do have flavor variations for you to try if you’re up for it, though.
- The fastest veggie to roast – I love my roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, zucchini, and even roasted eggplant, but they all take much longer than this roasted asparagus recipe. So when you’re in a rush, choose this one!
- Versatile side dish – Since it’s so quick, this vegetable is perfect for busy weeknights when you’re short on time (or forgot to make a side). But, I definitely have memories of asparagus at fancy restaurants alongside a filet mignon or sea bass, so you can also serve it with something fancy!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the basic ingredients for my roasted asparagus recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Fresh Asparagus – Any thickness is fine. My recipe calls for a pound (so grab that much at the store), but the weight will be less after trimming.
- Oil – For flavor, browning, and helping seasonings stick. I use either regular olive oil or avocado oil for a mild taste, or extra virgin olive oil when I’m in the mood for a richer flavor.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Kosher salt is also fine.
- Garlic Powder – This is optional, but adds great flavor. I don’t recommend using fresh minced garlic because it tends to burn in the oven, but if you want to use it, add only in the last few minutes of roasting.
See the Flavor Variations section below for more ways to season your oven roasted asparagus!
How To Trim Asparagus
Before cooking, you’ll need to trim the woody ends of the asparagus, as they can be hard to chew. (My picture above shows them already trimmed!) There are two ways to do this:
- Knife – The simplest way is to just line up the stalks parallel to each other and cut off the woody ends using a knife. This method is the fastest, so I use it on hectic days, but you may end up cutting off some good parts or leaving on some woody parts.
- Bend & Snap – To trim each stalk at the optimal spot, bend each asparagus stalk gently near the base, until the end snaps off. It only takes a little longer than knife. (And it’s fun to do with my kids!)
How To Roast Asparagus In The Oven
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan. (You can line with aluminum foil if you want, but you don’t have to if it’s non-stick.) Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on the seasonings. Toss with your hands, then arrange in a single layer again.
- Roast. Place the asparagus in the oven and roast until it’s crisp-tender. (See my cooking time chart below!)
- Enjoy. Serve your oven roasted asparagus right away, as it’s best fresh! And, I highly recommend a squeeze of lemon.
TIP: Make sure that each piece touches the pan.
This will ensure even cooking and a little browning on the tips. I think the tips are the best part!
How Long To Roast Asparagus?
The roasting time for asparagus depends on the thickness of the stalks. It can range from 8-20 minutes, but 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F is average. Here’s my time chart for different sizes.
| Asparagus Stalk Thickness | Roasting Time |
|---|---|
| Thin (1/4″ thick or smaller) | 8-11 minutes |
| Medium (3/8″ to 4/8″ thick) | 12-15 minutes |
| Thick (5/8″ thick or larger) | 16-20 minutes |
Flavor Variations
As I often do, I made this oven roasted asparagus recipe very basic, designed to be a simple staple or a starting point for other flavors. Here are some ways you can change it up:
- Lemon – I usually just add a squeeze of lemon after cooking, but you can also toss the asparagus in fresh lemon juice, add lemon zest, or do both, before cooking.
- Balsamic – Toss the asparagus spears in balsamic vinegar in addition to the olive oil. Or you can just drizzle with my balsamic glaze at the end!
- Parmesan Cheese – Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of parmesan before or after cooking. I fight my kids for the crispy bits on this version! For thick stalks that take longer to cook, I recommend adding the cheese halfway through cooking, so it doesn’t burn. If you want a more melty cheesy version, try my baked asparagus with parmesan.
- Herbs & Seasonings – Add Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes before roasting. You can even use fresh herbs — they never burn for me with the short roasting time.
- Sauces – When I want to make my roasted asparagus a little fancy, I drizzle it with tahini sauce (also yummy with pine nuts sprinkled on top) or hollandaise sauce (a bit like my asparagus casserole). Instant upgrade!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The texture does change, so it’s not my favorite food to eat later, but it’s definitely doable.
- Reheat: You can eat it cold straight from the fridge, let it warm up to room temperature, or quickly reheat the roasted asparagus in the oven again. I like to use it for asparagus salad, so that I don’t have to heat it. If you opt to warm it up, do so only briefly, as it gets soggy fast. The microwave is the worst with this dish.
- Freeze: Avoid freezing. Frozen asparagus tends to get mushy, though it could be okay to use in my creamy asparagus soup.
Serving Suggestions
My oven roasted asparagus recipe makes an easy veggie side dish for chicken or fish, and I think it’s especially tasty with an egg dish for a spring brunch. Here are some simple meals to pair with it:
- Chicken – Make my air fryer chicken breast or pan seared chicken breast while roasting asparagus in the oven, or bake chicken legs first and then cook the asparagus quickly. I usually also make a quick side of riced cauliflower to go with these meals.
- Steak – For a steakhouse meal, serve up your asparagus with my popular sirloin steak! If you want a fancier cut, my fave is filet mignon, but you might prefer ribeye or New York strip. For a complete steakhouse experience, add a baked potato or side of my roasted potatoes.
- Seafood – Asparagus is one of the best vegetable pairings for fish and seafood, plus you often need similar ingredients to cook them. Try it with my pan seared salmon or air fryer shrimp, or for a fancier meal, lobster tail or halibut. When I’m serving this side dish with seafood, I like to drizzle lemon butter sauce over both!
- Eggs – Make a spring brunch spread with my coddled eggs, or if you’re making a meal for a larger crowd, baked eggs in a muffin tin are a time-saver.
More Easy Asparagus Recipes
There are so many ways to love asparagus! I tend to cook it simply, and if that’s your thing too, try some of my other recipes for it:
Sauteed Asparagus
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Grilled Asparagus
Air Fryer Asparagus
This baking sheet virtually never sticks, so I don’t even have to use foil when I’m roasting asparagus. I have multiple sets of these pans because I use them so often!
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Recipe Card
Oven Roasted Asparagus (Easy)
This oven roasted asparagus recipe is perfectly tender and takes less than 20 minutes, with simple ingredients. An easy, healthy side dish!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 17 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil, if desired.
Arrange asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet, all parallel.
Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder, if using.
Use your hands to toss and turn the pieces, so that they are evenly coated in oil and seasoning. Rearrange in a single layer.
Roast asparagus in the oven until crisp-tender: 8-11 minutes for thin stalks, 12-15 minutes for average stalks, or 16-20 minutes for thick stalks.. (Time will depend on thickness of asparagus.)
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Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Roasted Eggplant Recipe
Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 lb, or 1/4 of entire recipe
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories86
Fat7g
Protein2g
Total Carbs4g
Net Carbs2g
Fiber2g
Sugar2g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course:Side Dish
Cuisine:American
Keywords:asparagus in the oven, oven roasted asparagus, roasted asparagus
Calories: 86 kcal
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Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
