Grilled Asparagus

This grilled asparagus recipe is our favorite summer side dish. The asparagus is tender, juicy, and full of smoky flavor. It cooks in minutes, too!

Grilled asparagus is the best summer side dish! It’s tender, juicy, and lightly charred, and it cooks in minutes on the grill. Seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice, it pairs perfectly with almost any meal.

Below, you’ll find my easy method for how to grill asparagus, along with my favorite ways to serve it.

Even if you’re an asparagus skeptic, I hope you’ll try this recipe. My husband Jack used to claim he hated asparagus, but once he tried it grilled, he became a convert. Who knows? You might love it too!

How to Grill Asparagus

Ready to learn how to grill asparagus? Here’s what you need to do:

Preparing the asparagus

To prepare asparagus for grilling, start by trimming it. Use a sharp knife to cut off the woody ends of the spears, or use your hands to gently bend each stalk until it snaps. It should split where the woody end of the spear meets the tender stalk. Discard the woody part.

Then, season it. Toss the trimmed asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper. These simple seasonings will help the asparagus soften and char on the grill.

Grilling the asparagus

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Let it get nice and hot, and then use tongs to place the asparagus on the hot grill grates.

Grill until the asparagus is lightly charred and bright green underneath. Flip the spears with tongs and grill until they’re fork-tender and lightly charred on all sides.

Remove from the grill. Season to taste, and, if you like, squeeze with lemon juice before serving.

Find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post.

What to Serve with Grilled Asparagus

I love to season grilled asparagus simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. But if you’d like to dress it up more, feel free! Top it with any of these garnishes for a fresh, flavorful side dish:

• Fresh herbs like basil, dill, or parsley
• Toasted nuts like pine nuts or almonds
• A sprinkle of cheese like feta cheese or grated Parmesan cheese
• Drizzles of a dressing or sauce like chimichurri, a balsamic vinegar reduction, or my lemon vinaigrette

Pair it with your favorite protein for an easy weeknight dinner, or serve it alongside veggie burgers, black bean burgers, or portobello mushroom burgers at a cookout.

Grilled asparagus is also a great addition to salads, pastas, and more! Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it when I’m not serving it as a side dish:

• In a salad. Make the Farro Salad with Grilled Asparagus pictured above, or toss it into any green salad or grain salad.
• With eggs. Stuff grilled asparagus into an omelette or add it to a frittata.
• Over polenta. Add roasted chickpeas and drizzles of pesto to make it a meal.
• In pasta. I especially love to add chopped grilled asparagus to my easy pesto pasta recipe.

How do you like to serve grilled asparagus? Let me know in the comments!

More Favorite Grilling Recipes

If you loved learning how to grill asparagus, try one of these easy grilling recipes next:

• Perfect Grilled Zucchini
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Eggplant
• Mixed Grilled Vegetables
• Or any of these 31 Best Grill Recipes!

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Grilled Asparagus

rate this recipe:

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

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Learn how to grill asparagus perfectly every time! Seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice, it's an easy, delicious summer side dish. Tip: For extra depth of flavor, grill lemon halves along with the asparagus and squeeze them over the veggies before serving. Find instructions in the notes below!

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges*, optional, for squeezing
• Lemon Vinaigrette, optional

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Instructions

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Toss the asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on the hot grill grates and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, or until charred but still bright green, flipping or rolling once.
• Squeeze with lemon juice or drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

Note: I grill lemon halves cut-side down until heated through and charred, about 3 minutes. Use the charred lemons for squeezing unless you're serving the asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette.