Crisp-tender oven roasted asparagus is fresh, healthy and ready in 15 minutes. This simple vegetable side dish is easy to make and a great addition to any meal.
If you love asparagus, try this asparagus pasta for dinner or grilled asparagus as a side, or sheet pan salmon dinner with asparagus for a complete meal!
Table of Contents
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Baked asparagus is a go-to side dish of mine. It’s so easy to throw in the oven and only takes 15 minutes to roast. Sometimes we even make bacon-wrapped asparagus if we’re feeling a little fancier. Both are so delicious!
Oven-roasted asparagus is one of my absolute favorite vegetables! I even converted my asparagus-hating husband into liking it. Keep the seasoning simple with salt and pepper or get fancy with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and freshly shaved Parmesan.
Recipe Ingredients
There are only two main ingredients and seasoning to help balance out the flavor of this roasted asparagus. This simple roasted asparagus recipe is perfect for a quick side dish that still has all the flavor!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Asparagus: The main event! Pick your asparagus fresh at the grocery store or farmers market. Thin asparagus is best for this recipe. Remove the woody ends at the bottom of the asparagus. You can either snap off the bottoms or cut with a knife.
- Olive oil: This will help crisp the asparagus as well as give it the flavor and allow the seasoning to stick to the asparagus. It has a lot of important features!
- Salt: Kosher salt or sea salt is best. These are both coarse salt that gives the asparagus texture and a salty taste.
- Black pepper: Crushed black pepper is thicker than regular pepper.
Checking for Freshness
Before roasting asparagus in the oven, it’s definitely important to make sure your asparagus hasn’t gone bad. It’s pretty easy to tell when it’s fresh vs. bad. Just pay attention to the color of the asparagus…if it’s a really dark green and is no longer vibrant, it’s probably bad.
Another way to tell is to closely look at the tips of the asparagus. The tips should be crisp and pointy. If you touch the tips with your fingers and they are mushy and break off, your asparagus has most likely gone bad.
Tip: I like to store my asparagus spears in a glass jar with water. Add the bottoms of the spears to the water, then place the jar in the fridge. I’ve found that this helps them stay fresher for way longer!
How Long to Bake in Oven
I like to bake my asparagus at 400°F for about 10 to 12 minutes. It’s tender but still has a little bite. For crunchier or softer asparagus, I would adjust the baking time by about 2 minutes depending on your preference.
- Lay flat. Place asparagus onto a baking sheet laying flat in a single layer.
- Coat the asparagus. Drizzle olive oil over the top (you can also use a olive oil spray to coat the tops). Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over top.
- Roast. Bake asparagus for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.
- Garnish. Add parmesan cheese and a balsamic glaze if desired. Add more salt and pepper, to taste if needed. Enjoy while hot!
Variations
Try some different variations on asparagus for more flavors. Roasted asparagus is so versatile and easy to make. Add different ingredients to experience more ways of enjoying your fresh asparagus!
- Salt & pepper: This simple combination really helps bring out the natural flavors.
- Balsamic: Drizzle the asparagus with balsamic glaze and top with parmesan cheese.
- Lemon: Right before serving, drizzle with lemon juice and a little lemon zest if desired.
- Garlic: Before roasting, add minced garlic or garlic powder for a more fragrant taste.
- Soy Sauce: Coat with 1-2 Tablespoons before roasting. You could also add in some honey and garlic.
- Butter: Drizzle some melted butter over the asparagus before roasting. Feel free to add in extra seasonings too, like garlic or seasoned salt.
Recipe FAQs
For thin asparagus it takes about about 10 to 12 minutes to cook in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For a thicker asparagus it will take longer around 18 to 20 minutes.
For this recipe I recommend cooking at 400 degrees Farhenheit. This cooks the asparagus quickly and thoroughly from the inside out.
Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit takes a little longer but also doesn’t give the asparagus that crispy outer layer. It takes about 14 to 16 minutes for thin asparagus to cook at 350 oven temp.
5 star review
“I LOVE this recipe and how easy and flavorful it is…thanks for the variation tips, I’ll try one next time!”
-Paige
Do you love roasted vegetables? Try roasted root vegetables, sheet pan veggies or roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, too!
More Vegetable Side Dishes
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Roasted Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces thin asparagus (ends trimmed)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed black pepper
Optional for serving: shaved parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place asparagus onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the top (you can also use a olive oil spray to coat the tops). Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over top.
- Bake asparagus for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.
- Add parmesan cheese and a balsamic glaze if desired. Add more S&P, to taste if needed. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Whole 30
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
We always have a great night every time we have roasted asparagus as a side to our favorite steak. It is so fresh and seasoned well, so pleasing!
This asparagus came out perfectly! It was delicious and the texture was just right.
Thanks Dana! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
How i love asparagus thanks for this!
Asparagus is one of my favorite veggie, this recipe is simple and delicious and perfect side dish.
Delicious! My favorite way to make asparagus. Quick, easy and bursting with flavor.
I LOVE this recipe and how easy and flavorful it is…thanks for the variation tips, I’ll try one next time!
I always fail when it comes to side dishes for dinner. This not only was super easy to make but the sprinkle of cheese and balsamic drizzle was such a flavorful touch. Loved it!
I have to say, I feel I’m similar to your husband in not liking it but everyone continuously tells me I haven’t tried the right recipe. Yours does look really good! Very tempting actually. And beautiful photos! I think I’ll have to give this a try.
Such a lovely, simple side! We eat a lot of asparagus in our house – this looks fab!
This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
I love asparagus soooo much!
Roasting veggies is my favorite way of cooking them! It really brings out the flavor!
This is the perfect quick and easy side dish! I love being able to add in greens so easily.
Mmm, this sounds so good! I can’t WAIT to try this! Thank you for this great recipe!
This looks like the best side dish!
This asparagus looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out soon!
Paige
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! :)