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Get It Now- 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:
My Favorite Baking Sheet For This Recipe
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!
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!
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.)
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
205 Comments
angie guinn
0I tried this recipe and it was absolutely amazing! I made mine a little bit more crunchy and they turned out perfect!!!
Carolyn
0I made this yesterday and it was delicious.
Sandy
0I thought this recipe was so easy and it tasted fantastic!!
Sara Lee
0This is super easy and delicious! I added some fresh garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese = so good!
Tara
0Thanks! Will try, sometimes it’s tricky to roast anything!
Dana
0Absolutely delicious. Easy to do. Have also done this on the grill.
Vic Jones
0I’ve made this before. I love asparagus. It goes great if you fry it with a little garlic and onion powder too
Ro
0I used Himalayan pink salt. Won’t ever cook asparagus any other way! Delicious!
Pat
0The best way to cook, as far as my family is concerned ! More flavorful then steaming or boiling. This same method can be done on outdoor grill.
Kimberly Murphy
0This is my absolute favorite way to eat asparagus! I eat it as a side or on my mixed greens salad love it
Ashley Gibson
0Don’t usually like asparagus but this turned out good and wasn’t hard to make!
Reva
0Only way I could get my baby to eat asparagus.
Sandra M
0This is a foolproof recipe! I have made it with a few different variations – the balsamic vinegar way, the parmesan way, and with bacon crumbles added! It’s all yummy! The cooking time chart is very helpful.
Thanks!
Susan S
0Once we tried asparagus roasted, we rarely fix it any other way. We like ours roasted with thin strips of bacon laid across the spears and we like the tips crispy. I have also found that the easiest way to add the oil is to spray it on.
Kathleen M. Smith
0This recipe was incredible! I have not made roasted asparagus before. I have always steamed it. But roasting it brings out the flavor of the vegetable. It was slightly crispy on the outside & tender on the inside. The flavor was Umami. It had a hint of nuttiness but so savory & succulent. I am definitely going to be making this more often for my husband & I. And I don’t even like asparagus!
Colleen Hope
0Love love love this recipe!! Super easy and yummy! It will definitely be on our weekly vegetable rotation!
KATHRYN TEEL
0This is so easy to make and everybody loved it I made it exactly the way the recipe said except I sprinkled on a little bit of Parmesan cheese before putting it in the oven. I did put aluminum foil on the cookie sheet so clean up was a breeze.
Barrie
0My mom makes roasted asparagus abouy once week. Her recipe is the same except for the garlic and lemon. Roasted asparagus is delicious.
Julie Ann Avila
0This is sooooo easy and even more delicious! My keto kid loved it!
Sherrill Oels
0I cook asparagus this way a lot. I put stalks in a baggie with the olive oil for coating…don’t like it on my hands..LOL …Baked it for breakfast this morning with oven cooked bacon, cook both asparagus and bacon in the same oven….just have to remember to take the asparagus out earlier than the bacon so it doesn’t burn.
Carol O'Connor-Eisenberg
0Tried the roasted asparagus recipe with Balsamic vinegar…. Delish!!!
Hailey desmarais
0Super yummy and a quick and easy family fit to go along side a burger patty!
Laura
0Can’t wait to try this!
Frank B
0I will be adding Parmesan cheese to this and making it for Christmas dinner!
Carrie Madden
0Roasted asparagus is one of our weekly go-to’s, it’s simple, easy and we usually sprinkle w/various ingredients such as freshly shredded parmasean cheese and/or garlic, and sometimes even Tajin! It’s versatile because you can throw in some broccoli, peppers, onions or cauliflower while it’s baking. We made it one of our staple meals at Thanksgiving and just bought a bunch for Christmas dinner. Sometimes on Pasta Sundays the family will get to grandparents earlier and we’ll make it just as an appetizer. We have made this on the grille as well, which in my opinion is the best way to make it!
Frederick S Newman
0By far the best recipe for roasting asparagus. I was using vegetable oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper with a sprinkle of fresh parm. Adding the garlic powder was the missing ingredient. Thanks.
Karilyn
0This is absolutely wonderful! We use parchment paper for baking, but this is the only thing different!! Thank you!!!!
Teri
0Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. This is a simple twist to make them taste even better. My new way to make Asparagus.
Robin Sherlock
0Cooking asparagus is easier than you thought! This vegetable is always available where I live and this recipe makes it so easy to have alongside dinner. 400 degrees for 15 minutes is the secret! They are so delicious using only the ingredients Maya has listed. Thank you Maya!
tj
0I am not a fan of veggies and I have bad memories of canned asparagus as a kid. This recipe has changed my mind about asparagus. It is easy and taste awesome. Thanks for such an easy, healthy recipe.
Sherrill
0I use this general recipe for all my roasted veggies! Instead of straight black pepper I blend the traditional peppercorns with some of the spicy dried peppers, garlic powder and ground black cumin for lots of flavor and metabolism boosting.
Smith Gail
0Love and use all your recipes for asparagus. Family fav is bacon wrapped.
Chris
0One of our favorites. Very simple snd makes everyone think you worked harder than you did. Delicious!
Tabitha Colon
0I don’t eat asparagus unless it’s this recipe. SO DELICIOUS!
Renee Novak
0This was super easy and amazingly versatile. We had this with chicken and used the same spices – garlic, oregano, Mrs. Dash onion – on both the chicken and asparagus. Everyone loved it. I will definitely be doing this again in the future.
Melodie
0I think all veggies taste better roasted. Asparagus for sure. I add lemon zest before cooking and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before serving.
Erin
0This is seriously my favorite way to fix asparagus. Thanks for sharing!
Diane
0I was so happy to see this recipe today. I had a pound of asparagus for supper veggie and I’m sick of just steaming it. I snapped off the ends and got them on a baking sheet. They were so good. My family even tried them. Thank you for this great recipe.
Jackie
0This is how I cook asparagus all the time now, but after baking, I turn on the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, to give a little extra crunch and simulate grilling. Any leftovers are cut into small pieces, refrigerated, and added to salads, pasta sauce, keto “risotto”, frittatas or omelets, etc. In fact, I usually have to double the recipe to make sure I have leftovers!
Rose
0Amazing easy way to make your asparagus. I have tried it with different size asparagus and with and without the garlic powder. All good and easy.
Shirley Moore
0Roasting asparagus really brings out the flavor, and I loved adding the Parmesan to it!!
Ceci
0I love freshly roasted asparagus and this recipe is so simple and delicious! I appreciate all of your variations and suggestions. I have tried the lemon and parmesan twist and have also seasoned the asparagus with fresh dill and blue cheese. I am planning on making this recipe for Christmas brunch with some fresh hollandaise! Thank you!
Carol LaBella
0Perfect timing! My grocery store had asparagus on sale for 99 cents a pound and I bought a lot. I roasted it in the oven using your method and it was perfect. Served it along with your roasted potatoes recipe and chicken.
Wendi Davis
0I made this for Thanksgiving along with roasting the Brussels Sprouts for the Au Gratin. Both were so tasty. I will be doing this again!
Jennifer Land
0Our family including our 7 year old absolutely loves this recipe. This happens to be the only way he will eat Asparagus.
Jodi W
0This is absolutely delicious and whole family loved it!
Gaetane
0Wow this recipe is to die for! So simple yet so tasty. I always wanted a way to incorporate asparagus into my dishes but thought it would be too complicated and/or wouldn’t come out tasting good. This recipe showed me it is simple to do and quick, helping me stay on the keto track. Definitely recommend this recipe!
Tammy Veilleux
0This is a my favorite quick easy way to do Asparagus.
jane ciolino
0I love asparagus and roast it just like you do. Some like it with just a sprinkle of grated parm.
Susan Gressett
0I love this recipe! I added a little bit of mozzarella cheese and some crumbled bacon pieces on top before roasting and managed to get my kids to eat it without any arguments.