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Get It NowAre you always looking for easy, healthy dinner sides like me? Add this step-by-step guide for how to cook asparagus in the oven to your list. This easy method for oven roasted asparagus recipe is both super simple and super delicious! And that is always a good thing when it comes to dinner, right?
If you like simple roasted veggies like this, you’ll also enjoy my oven roasted cauliflower, crispy roasted brussels sprouts, tender roasted zucchini, and roasted eggplant.
Why You’ll Love This Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
- Mild, sweet flavor
- Perfectly golden, tender stalks with crispy tips
- Just 3 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
- Quick to prepare — just 5 minutes!
- Easy, healthy side dish
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the basic ingredients for roasted asparagus, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Fresh Asparagus – Choose firm asparagus spears, with tightly closed tips, and trim the tough, woody ends. Any thickness is fine; you’ll just need to adjust the cook time based on that (see below for oven roasted asparagus cook times). This recipe calls for a pound, which is a common amount for one bunch of asparagus, but keep in mind the weight will be less after trimming.
- Olive Oil – Oil is a must for roasted vegetables; it helps with browning and flavor. You can use regular olive oil or avocado oil for a mild taste, or extra virgin olive oil for a richer taste.
- Garlic Powder – This is optional, but adds great flavor. I don’t recommend using fresh minced garlic because it tends to burn, but if you want to use that, add it in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Kosher salt is also fine to use if that’s what you have.
See the section below for variations and what else you can add!
How To Roast Asparagus In The Oven
This section shows how to make oven roasted asparagus, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Trim. Remove the tough, woody ends of the asparagus.
FYI: There are a couple of ways to trim asparagus.
The simplest way is to just line up the stalks parallel to each other and cut off the woody ends using a knife. But, if you want each stalk trimmed at the optimal spot, simply bend each asparagus stalk gently until the end snaps off.
- Season. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan (you can line with aluminum foil if you want, but you don’t have to). Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you’d like. Toss with your hands, then arrange in a single layer again.
TIP: Make sure that each piece touches the pan.
This will help your roasted asparagus brown a little and cook evenly.
- Roast. Place the asparagus in the oven and roast until it’s crisp-tender.
- Serve. You can serve your oven roasted asparagus right away, and I highly recommend a squeeze of lemon.
How Long To Roast Asparagus?
The cooking time for asparagus in the oven depends on the thickness. It can range from 8-20 minutes, but 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F is average.
| Asparagus Stalk Thickness | Roasting Time |
|---|---|
| Thin | 8-11 minutes |
| Medium | 12-15 minutes |
| Thick | 16-20 minutes |
Flavor Variations
It’s easy to customize this oven roasted asparagus recipe by making any of these additions:
- 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 Vinegar – Toss the asparagus spears in balsamic vinegar in addition to the olive oil.
- Parmesan Cheese – Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of parmesan before or after cooking. For thick stalks that take longer to cook, this is best to do halfway through cooking. If you want an even more cheesy version, try my baked asparagus with parmesan.
- Herbs & Seasonings – Add Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes before roasting. Fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley, are also delicious sprinkled on at the end.
Storage Instructions
- Store: If you make the roasted asparagus ahead of time, simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: You can eat it straight from the fridge, let it warm up to room temperature, or quickly reheat the roasted asparagus in the oven, the microwave, or a hot pan.
- Freeze: I would not recommend freezing roasted asparagus recipes. Frozen asparagus tends to get mushy, though it could be okay to use in creamy asparagus soup or an asparagus casserole.
What To Serve With Roasted Asparagus
This oven roasted asparagus recipe makes a great veggie side dish for chicken or fish, and is especially tasty as a side to an egg dish for a spring brunch. You can even add a drizzle of hollandaise sauce if you like.
Here are some simple meals to pair with it:
- Chicken – Make air fryer chicken breast or pan seared chicken breast while roasting asparagus in the oven, or make baked chicken legs first and then cook the asparagus quickly.
- Steak – For a steakhouse meal, serve up your asparagus with a sirloin steak, or even filet mignon or ribeye.
- Seafood – Asparagus is one of the best vegetable pairings for fish and seafood. Try it with pan seared salmon or air fryer shrimp, or for a fancier meal, lobster tail or sea bass.
- Eggs – Make a brunch spread with coddled eggs or baked eggs in a muffin tin.
These dinners also go well with riced cauliflower (or regular rice) or roasted potatoes if you want a heartier side to add to the asparagus.
More Easy Asparagus Recipes
Roasting is one of my favorite ways to cook asparagus, but you can also make it in other ways:
My Tools For Roasting Asparagus
- Baking sheet – This one never sticks (no foil required) and is a great size for roasting asparagus in the oven.
Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Oven Roasted Asparagus (So Easy!)
This oven roasted asparagus recipe is perfectly tender and takes less than 20 minutes, with simple ingredients. An easy, healthy side dish!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil, if desired.
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Arrange asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet, all parallel.
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Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder, if using.
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Use your hands to toss and turn the pieces, so that they are evenly coated in oil and seasoning. Rearrange in a single layer.
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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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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 lb, or 1/4 of entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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196 Comments
Cheryl Young
0Perfect side dish that’s quick and easy!!
Kathy Woods
0I’ve cooked this recipe before, I do sprinkle Parmesan cheese after it has cooked just as an additional flavor
Peter
0What do mean by crip? Like a raw cucumber or like an over done French fry?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Peter, I am not understanding what your question is…
Day Ved
0Yes Peter, it’s actually an over cooked cucumber with a light sherry misting.
Some would call it a weird pickle but no, it’s the real deal.
Use this technique or corn works too… it’s just an odd color for a soggy crip. I wouldn’t recommend anyone cook a crip, but I’m sure some opposing members would disagree… but personally, I wouldn’t do it. Good luck Pete!
Loretta Stump
0Awesome! Only recipe I use for asparagus.
Judy
0Finally a recipe that uses simple ingredients. I have only had asparagus one time and I was surprised I really enjoyed it. I was on a vacation. I have been looking for an easy no fail recipe and I think I just found it. I will be making this for my husband and I this week. Thanks for sharing. **
Helen Sohne
0This was the best way yet to prepare asparagus. Delicious and easy, much tastier than steaming.
Krissie Thomson
0Roasted asparagus is delicious and very nutritious. Love the recipe. I have an asparagus garden and look forward to a fresh crop in the spring. Roasted is so much better than boiled or steamed.
Jill Bernstein
0I tried this recipe last week and we loved it. So much better than steaming. I followed directions and then added a little fresh dill. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Gulzat
0This the best recipe for asparagus! I love crisp tender asparagus. And I baked for 9 minutes and it was a perfection! I saw so many recipes 15-25 minutes, your Asparagus will be a mush if you roast them for so long! Thank you for real and tested recipe!
Lucinda
0I’m sorry but I can’t eat asparagus due to a medical condition. However, I love many of your recipes and look forward to seeing what new ideas you come up with. Thank you and have a special time with loved ones this holiday season.
Vivian Siegel
0I used to be a vegetable cooking purist – steam only! While this works pretty well for broccoli, I could never make asparagus to my satisfaction. Enter roasting! Maya has created a simple and virtually foolproof recipe that is SO. GOOD. Roasting adds a little something to the mild flavor of the asparagus, which then pairs really well with salmon – a taste of spring in the dead of winter. This is going into my regular rotation.
Becky LaLonde
0This is awesome. I enjoyed it. I used minced garlic and parmesan cheese. My family lived it.
Deb
0This was soooo easy and soooo tasty, roasted asparagus is the best way to go.
Greg Fox
0I’ve been using this recipe for over a year. It’s the best I’ve ever found for asparagus. Delicious!
Lori
0Already do this in 8X8” glass baking pan without the foil. I tried your method with foil and added rosemary. Worked great! Delicious!…AND so easy!
Mike
0Hi Maya,
My wife and I have tried this recipe several times and like how hands off it is and delicious too!
We use our convection oven at 375 degrees and the times work out the same per your chart. Our favorite way to enjoy asparagus. Also have made your bacon wrapped version .
Jane Inniger
0My family use not like asparagus but since we have been using this recipe, it’s a hit. Flavorful without the soggy mess.
Robbie Evans
0I made the asparagus in my oven and it was so good. I have the cookbook and there are lots of recipes that I have used. I like it when I have most of the ingredients in my kitchen. Try this one and I will love it!
Lorraine Peterson
0I added fresh garlic to the recipe, it made it delicious.
Shari
0This recipe is fantastic! It’s a quick, easy side dish that tastes like you spent much longer on it. I highly recommend the squeeze of lemon, as it give the asparagus a little zip that just makes the whole experience that much better! This has become my go to recipe for fresh asparagus.
Donna Branch
0Tried out roasted asparagus before serving it for Christmas dinner. It worked perfectly! Amped up the taste of asparagus without being overpowering. It is now on my Christmas menu.
Niamh
0The squeeze of lemon is a game changer. I usually pan fry my asparagus with butter so this made a lovely healthy alternative
julie
0This roasted asparagus has a wonderful flavor and just the right amount of crisp!! Will make this my go to for asaragus!
Carol Gendreau
0That is one of the best ways that I cooked asparagus. Now it is my go to way to cook it. The asparagus tastes so much better done this way.
Venesa Prettyman
0I love this recipe and have made it many times. Asparagus is a favorite of mine. I precook some bacon, add some of the dripping to coat the asparagus and onions. In the last few minutes of roasting I sprinkle on a small amount of grated parmesan and bacon bits to taste. Making it for Christmas dinner. Yum’O.