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 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.
How to trim asparagus
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.
The whole notion of bending asparagus until it snaps results in a lot of waste.
Start by trimming one inch off of a few spears and then use them to guide your knife as you trim the rest.
Seasoning the asparagus
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.
How to grill asparagus
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F–400°F).
Place the trimmed and seasoned spears on the grill in the opposite direction of the grill grates. You want a single layer, but some can overlap.
For medium spears, grill the spears for 2–3 minutes until grill marks appear. Then use long-handled tongs to gently rotate the spears (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Cook them for 2 minutes longer, and then pull them off the grill.
If you have very thin spears, 1–2 minutes per side is enough.
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!
Toppings for asparagus
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
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
How to Grill Asparagus
Equipment
- Grill (gas or charcoal)
- Tongs (long-handled tongs are best)
Materials
- 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.
Babatunde Ogundipe says
This is simple and easy
pete says
growing up, I hated asparagus…maybe if my mom made it like this I would have loved asparagus,…I’m sharing with my mom!!!!
Sandra Federici says
I usually cook my asparagus inside. Definitely going to try it on the grill this weekend
Chris says
Cant wait to use this tonight with some steaks!
Stefan says
Love this recipe! Spend so much time focusing on grilling meats, I forget about the simplicity of grilling vegetables too. Look forward to reading more of these grilling recipes. With the COVID-19 circumstances, I find myself grilling a lot more and these recipes are so helpful.