Grilling is an easy way to add smoky flavor to asparagus. You don’t need any special equipment—just a grill, olive oil, sea salt, and of course asparagus!
Roasted asparagus is delicious. But grilled asparagus? Grilling takes it over the top good!
I’ve been tempted by those vegetable pans for the grill. But honestly, you don’t need one for asparagus. It’s one less thing to clean up when you’re done grilling, too.
Grilling asparagus is as simple as placing it on the grill in the opposite direction of the grill grates. Nothing groundbreaking—but it’s really delicious.
Here’s how to grill asparagus:
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F–400°F).
Trimming Asparagus
The whole notion of bending asparagus until it snaps results in a lot of waste. Instead, trim one inch off the bottom of each asparagus spear. That’s the woody/tough part that needs to go. The rest of the spear is perfect for eating.
I start by trimming one inch off of a few spears and then use them to guide my knife as I chop through the rest of the bunch.
Seasoning Asparagus
Next: toss with olive oil and sea salt. I had two bunches of asparagus, and I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a scant ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
Grilling Asparagus
The next step is to place the spears on the grill in the opposite direction of the grill grates. You want roughly a single layer, but some can overlap.
For medium spears, I grill the spears for 2–3 minutes until grill marks appear. Then I use long-handled tongs to gently rotate the spears (it doesn’t have to be perfect). I cook them for 2 minutes longer, and then pull them off the grill.
If you have very thin spears, 1–2 minutes per side will do it. Thicker spears will take 3–4 minutes per side. You may need to place thicker spears on a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking inside once grill marks have formed.
That’s how to grill asparagus!
I serve this simple preparation for grilled asparagus all summer long, along with anything else I’m grilling—steaks, burgers, chicken, pork chops, etc. And I love that I don’t have to clean up a sheet pan like I do with roasted asparagus!
Here are a few of my go-to dishes for grilling that would pair well with asparagus:
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
Grilled Pork Chops with Honey Soy Glaze
Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Peach Salsa
If you want to get a little fancy, here are some great toppings for grilled asparagus:
Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice
Garlic butter
Toasted slivered almonds
Toasted panko breadcrumbs with garlic
Parsley & lemon zest
How to Grill Asparagus
A simple guide for how to cook asparagus. No special equipment needed!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 6
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus (medium thickness)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F–400°F).
- Rinse the asparagus and trim 1 inch off the bottom of each asparagus spear.
- Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and sea salt.
- Place the spears in a single layer on the grill in the opposite direction of the grill grates. Grill for 2–3 minutes, then use a pair of long-handled tongs to gently rotate the spears. Grill for 2 minutes more.
Notes
Thin or thick asparagus spears will require a shorter/longer cooking time. Aim for 1–2 minutes per side for very thin spears and 3–4 minutes per side for thick spears. Thick spears may require cooking on a cooler part of the grill after grill marks have formed, in order to cook them all the way through.
Keywords: grilled asparagus, side dish
Leave a Reply