This easy baked asparagus with lemon is quick, delicious, and goes with almost any meal. The recipe can be made in just 20 minutes and with 5 simple ingredients for a healthy side dish that is both vegetarian and gluten free. For a quick overview of this recipe, check out my web story for this oven baked asparagus!
Asparagus is one of my favorite spring time vegetables. It's so easy to make and goes with almost any meal. My kids especially love asparagus when it's baked till a bit crispy. They are especially good when you can get them in peak season when they are thin and full of flavor.
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🍋 Ingredient notes
- Asparagus - Choose asparagus that is thin if you can. It tends to be more tender and have a better flavor. It should be a rich green color that fades to white towards the bottom of the stalk. Make sure it's firm to the touch and not soft or shriveled.
- Lemon - you will use a whole lemon for this recipe, but just the zest and the juice. The zest will be used on the asparagus when baking it and then the juice will be squeeze onto the asparagus just after cooking.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, wash the asparagus and chop off the bottom 1-2 inches of the stalks and discard.
Place prepared asparagus on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Zest the entire lemon and sprinkle the zest over the asparagus.
Place in oven and bake at 350˚ for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus are tender and lightly browned. Cooking times may vary depending on thickness of asparagus.
Squeeze asparagus with the juice of the zested lemon and serve!
⭐ Top tip
Chop off the last inch or two of the the ends of the asparagus. Sometimes they can be tough and woody and it's best to not use them.
📖 Recipe
Baked Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus approximately 1 pound
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon zest and juice only
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Wash asparagus and trim off the bottom 1-2 inches of the asparagus stalks and discard.
- Place asparagus stalks on the prepared sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Zest lemon and sprinkle the zest on the asparagus. Save the lemon for juicing.
- Bake asparagus in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until asparagus is tender and lightly browned.
- Squeeze juice from zested lemon over asparagus and serve.
Nutrition
📋 Variations
- Cheese - sprinkled finished asparagus with finely shredded parmesan
- Spicy - add ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes before baking
💭 Frequently asked questions
If your asparagus has been sitting in the fridge too long, it may wilt a bit. The best way to firm it up is to trim off the bottom inch of the stalks and place them in a couple of inches of water. Place a plastic bag over the top of the stalks and let them sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
The bottom pale parts of the stalks of asparagus tend to be tough and woody. You don't have to trim them off, but it's best to, as it is not the best tasting.
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
- Grill - This asparagus can be cooked on the grill or a grill pan on medium heat until the asparagus is tender and lightly browned from the grill.
- Pan sear - Cook these asparagus in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat until lightly browned and tender.
🥗 More vegetable side dishes
If you loved this recipe for my baked asparagus, try these other tasty vegetable recipes.
Don't forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.
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