The best oven roasted asparagus! Asparagus is tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with garlic and roasted to crispy perfection, this simple baked asparagus is a favorite vegetable side dish.
Oven roasted asparagus is a simple and addicting vegetable side dish! Made with only 6 ingredients, you will find yourself preparing asparagus this way time and again.
In this recipe, asparagus is tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic.
Then it’s roasted to crispy perfection, which brings out all the best flavors and textures this powerhouse veggie has to offer.
Oven Roasted Asparagus Ingredients & Substitutions
There are only six ingredients in this roasted asparagus recipe (including salt and pepper). Here are a few possible substitutions:
- Fresh asparagus. Make sure to trim the asparagus well (see notes in the recipe card) so you don’t end up roasting any tough parts of the vegetable .
- Olive oil. Avocado oil or herb-infused olive oils also taste great in this recipe.
- Minced garlic. I usually use jarred minced garlic, but fresh minced garlic works well too!
How to trim asparagus
Begin this recipe by trimming the asparagus. This is an important step to ensure you don’t roast any woody/tough parts of the vegetable. To trim asparagus, you use your hands!
- Hold each end of an asparagus spear firmly in between two fingers.
- Slowly bend the asparagus in half.
- Keep bending the asparagus until it snaps.
- Discard the bottom end and keep the top.
In this process, each piece of asparagus will snap in right above the spot where the asparagus is woody and tough, leaving you with the most tender portions of the vegetable to roast and enjoy.
Some bunches are more “woody” than others. This one that I used to show the process was particularly so.
How to Roast Asparagus
Once the asparagus is properly trimmed, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Then, toss the asparagus with olive oil and lemon juice and stir until evenly coated.
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Next, add the sea salt, black pepper and minced garlic and stir until evenly distributed.
Then, arrange the asparagus on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the tops are charred and crispy, stirring once halfway through.
Serve
Once the baked asparagus is roasted, remove it from the oven and serve immediately. I prefer to eat it as-is, but you can add your favorite sauce or chop it up and use it in a salad, etc. Here are some dishes that compliment this roasted asparagus recipe really well:
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To restore its crispiness, reheat it over high heat on the stovetop. Or, you can warm it in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Why is my roasted asparagus mushy?
Sometimes extra-thick asparagus can become mushy when roasting. I suggest increasing the temperature if your asparagus is very thick to avoid mushiness. Also, over-cooking asparagus makes it mushy, be sure to take it out just when it becomes browned.
Do you wash asparagus before roasting?
Yes, always wash and dry your vegetables before roasting.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, you can easily double the recipe. Be sure to use a large baking sheet or lay out the asparagus in a single layer on two baking sheets.
