How to Roast Asparagus in the Oven
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Let’s learn how to roast asparagus in the oven! All you need is asparagus, salt, and olive oil to make this quick, easy, and simply delicious Thanksgiving side dish.
Do you have any vegetables that you never cook because you just have no idea what to do with them? I think we do that more than we realize. If we didn’t grow up eating it or haven’t ever seen anyone cook it, we just walk on by without even noticing. So those of you who’ve been eating asparagus all of your life may be surprised to find it was pretty much a foreign obstacle to me and my entire family (including grandparents) until recently.
But times are a-changing around here! Last November, I was talking to my friend Jyl about our Thanksgiving menus and she said her most requested dish was asparagus. I decided that if it was that big of a deal on her family Thanksgiving dinner table it had to be something good. So I learned how to roast asparagus in the oven and we ended up having an asparagus side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and several dinners since then.
This roasted asparagus recipe is terribly easy to make and just delicious. Even though there is no butter involved (we use olive oil instead), this asparagus ends up tasting buttery, with flavors of the garden and just the right touch of salt. I’m glad I tried it and I’m sure it will be a staple in the Jordan family for generations to come.
I’ve since shared a couple more easy asparagus recipes on Southern Plate: for grilled asparagus and the best roasted asparagus seasoning. But however you prepare it, I hope you add asparagus to your Thanksgiving table this year.
Oooh! Let me show you how to roast asparagus the easy way!
Recipe Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh asparagus
How to Roast Asparagus in the Oven
Okay, so here is what you do.
Grab your fresh asparagus spear and we want to snap the end off.
The trick is that there’s a part of the where it will snap really easily so we have gotta find that by just bending it 2-3 inches from the end and seeing if it snaps easily. If it doesn’t, go up another inch and it should.
After you get all of the ends snapped off, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet (or a jelly roll pan).
Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt.
at 425 for about 20 minutes, stirring them once halfway through, until the asparagus spears are just lightly brown.
And that’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Storage
- Oven-roasted asparagus is best served immediately. However, you can store asparagus leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer briefly before serving.
- Can you freeze baked asparagus? You sure can! When stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag it’ll last up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating as above. However, please know that frozen asparagus can sometimes become mushy.
Recipe Notes
- I highly recommend going that extra step and using kosher salt. It really is amazing and it doesn’t cost much at all.
- Olive oil is pretty expensive, so I go for generic whenever I can get it and have no qualms whatsoever about substituting vegetable oil in a pinch.
- are best for this . If you’ve only got your hands on , just keep an eye on them in the oven as they tend to cook quicker.
Recipe FAQs
How do you store fresh asparagus?
The best way to store fresh asparagus is to place the spears in a jar filled with a couple of inches of water. Pop this in the fridge (cover with a plastic bag as well if you like) and they’ll stay fresher for longer.
Do you have to peel asparagus before roasting?
No, you don’t have to peel fresh asparagus. Recipes usually only call for peeling if it’s being used in a shaved salad or as a pizza topping.
What are the best seasonings for roasted asparagus?
We’re keeping things simple here with oil and salt, but if you want to add more flavor here are some seasoning suggestions:
- For garlic roasted asparagus, toss the spears in 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves or use garlic powder instead.
- Add black pepper to complement the kosher salt.
- Roasted asparagus is often paired with freshly grated parmesan cheese, so shave some on top before serving if you like (about 2 tablespoons).
- Try za’atar seasoning.
- To serve, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and/or serve with lemon wedges.
- You can also drizzle with balsamic vinegar (to taste) before serving.
- Add some fresh herbs before serving as a garnish, like finely chopped mint or parsley.
- Opt for some heat instead and toss them with a pinch of red pepper flakes before baking.
- Another option is Italian seasoning before baking.
- Sprinkle the asparagus with toasted sliced almonds before serving.
What do you serve with roasted asparagus?
This baked asparagus recipe tastes delicious as a side dish with so many different mains, such as:
- Turkey On The Grill
- Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Butter Roasted Chicken
- Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Velvet Cream Sauce
- Pot Roast Recipe In A Crock Pot
If you’re serving your asparagus at Thanksgiving, pair it with some of these other side dishes:
- Southern Dressing With Cornbread
- Green Bean Casserole
- Honey Roasted Sweet Potato With Cinnamon
- Homemade Mashed Potatoes With Evaporated Milk
- Turkey Gravy
Finally, also tastes delicious when served for breakfast with a and some hollandaise sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Wash asparagus spears and break off the bottom two inches or so of each stalk.1 bunch asparagus
- Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Place in oven and cook asparagus for about 20 minutes, stirring once, until lightly brown on the edges.
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want,
but the realization of how much you already have.”
~Anonymous
Submitted by Janet. Thank you, Janet!
I read this whole article, and it’s been 10 years since my kids were into Veggie Tales. And still, all I can see is the Veggie Tales Alphabet book in my head, which begins: ” ‘A’ is for Archibald, look at his coat! ‘B’ is for Bob, and his big bamboo boat.” Funny how things sick with you many years after you never intended to know them! I love roasting veggies like this, and we recently discovered white sweet potatoes and turnips. That’s branching out up here in Yankee-Land.
LOL, I know exactly what you mean!!!
Try adding a little balsamic vinegar to the olive oil and kosher salt. If I didn’t get my share first, my son would eat the entire pan while standing at the stove when I took it out of the oven.
Yummm!!!!
My uncle takes cream of mushroom soup and cooked asparagus (can use can if want) and he mixes it all up with chopped onion and chopped boiled egg (can add mushrooms too either sautéed or from a can). On top he would create spread out row across the casserole dish with slices of boiled egg for decoration. He’d then bake it at 350 about 25 min (till bubbly). Sometimes he would fry buttered cracker crumbs and sprinkle on top. (can add salt & pepper, garlic to the mix part if want).
I use to roast them, but sometimes they would still turn out stringy even though I had picked out thin young stalks or I would over cook them trying to be sure they were not stringy and chewy which was irritating. I was trying to figure out how to fix this problem when I happen to eat at this restaurant that served me these unbelievably huge, thick (really thick) stalks and they were perfect, not over cooked. I sat there thinking how did they do this, then it hit me, they have to blanch them first! So now I blanch my asparagus (boil 3-4 min) then I roll them in olive oil, salt, garlic, pepper to taste. I can then heat them up roasting them slightly in the oven or serve them on a platter at room temperature which I did recently at a new years party on a platter with olives, pickles, ect… all of the asparagus was eaten, they were a hit! My kid like to eat them at room temp like this as a snack now 🙂
*add sprinkle crackers after pull from the oven
*blanch: boil 3-4 min then quickly pull out with tongs and put in bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking; get edible stalks that are still firm.
i grow my own and fresh picked is way better than from the store. they are easy to grow from a root and set for harvest quicker than growing by seeds.
i also make “cheater” creamy asparagus soup…….
1 can creamy asparagus soup
1 soup can milk
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 can chopped asparagus, drained
dash black pepper
put it all in a pot on the stove top and cook over med heat until it comes to a boil then low to simmer 5 min stir occasionally, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. serve hot. makes a great side for fish
Quick meal, chicken breasts coated with mustard snd chopped nuts, original recipe said cashews, but I’ve done it with almonds, peanuts, and pecans ss well, place on one end of a cooking sheet, in the middle of yhe sheet, put another veggie in slices, toss with olive oil, and herbs and salt and pepper, I usually use potatoed, but have done carrots and rutabagas, then on the other end of the dheet, place your sspsragus, slip it all into the oven, bake at 375 F for 35 to 50 minutes depending on your oven and or how well you want it done. One pan and if you use parchment paper, hardly any clean up. I have a pressuremister, you place your oil in the bottom, like a jar, the top pumps pressure into the bottom,then you can spray a mist of oil on your veggies and or sslads, lightens the smount of oil.
I had an olive oil mister like that years ago, but it broke. Ever since then, I’ve just used a spray bottle that I got in the dollar store. I use it almost daily and it works great! I just spray the olive oil in a pan whenever cooking with it, and I always spritz my veggies with oil when I’m roasting them.
Christy, I roast asparagus like this all the time, as well as many other vegetables. My favorite is cauliflower. It’s so good roasted in the oven; it caramelizes and gets a nice nutty flavor. Spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and some garlic powder. I do broccoli like that all the time too. Sometimes I add some red and yellow bell pepper strips to the broccoli. They also taste wonderful roasted, and they add some nice color to the dish with the broccoli.
Thanks for sharing Samantha!!! Sounds wonderful
This is the way I always make asparagus, sometimes I cook it on the grill, but this is my favorite way. I always add a squirt of lemon juice to the asparagus after cooking. Amazing.
Do what you have done so far and add a good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and cover and bake in oven. It is even better.