If you haven’t tried grilled asparagus, you’re really missing out on one of the true pleasures of Spring. Asparagus is in season early to mid spring, and it always tastes best if you can get it locally grown.
There are lots of grilled asparagus recipes you can try, simplest being a light coat of oil with a dash of salt and pepper. The spears can also be marinated in a good asparagus marinade before grilling to add more flavor. The grilled asparagus recipe I really like takes advantage of the great flavor of bacon… everything’s better with bacon!
About Asparagus
Asparagus is a perennial member of the lily family that when allowed to grow looks similar to a large fern. Berries set onto the plants, eventually turning red later in the season.
Asparagus does best when grown in rich soil, and additions of fertilizer or composted manure go a long way in helping the plants produce heavily. My grandpa would always spread a layer of manure over the plants in the fall, just after the first killing freeze.
Tips for Grilled Asparagus
Trimming Asparagus
Like with any asparagus recipe, the spears need to be trimmed and seasoned before hitting the grill. After 5 to 8 minutes of cooking, the asparagus is slightly browned and crispy, yet tender. The browning adds a great, nutty flavor to the asparagus, which is something you just don’t get with steamed or boiled asparagus.
The lower part of the stems can have a tough outer layer which needs to be removed. The tough part of the stems can be trimmed away with a sharp knife, or the ends can just be snapped off. The stalk will naturally break where the toughness begins.
If you’re frugal like me, you don’t want to waste any of that tasty asparagus. What I do is trim off a bit of the end of each stalk, then use a regular vegetable peeler or an asparagus peeler to remove the tough outer layer.
Grilling Asparagus
With the tough layer removed, asparagus cooks fairly quickly on the grill. You can cook it with your indoor grill, or using indirect heat or direct heat on your gas or charcoal grill outdoors. When grilled over direct heat, the outer surface will get lightly browned here and there, which adds incredible flavor to an already great tasting vegetable.
If you want easy, just coat the trimmed spears with a bit of olive oil and season with a bit of salt, and maybe a dash or two of black pepper. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes using your indoor grill, or over direct medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes on your outdoor grill. Actual grilling time for asparagus depends on grill heat, and your desired level of doneness. I like my grilled asparagus browned a bit, ’cause that nutty flavor is awesome!
For more flavor, try this marinated asparagus recipe on your grill. It includes dill, garlic and black pepper in the marinade. Rice wine vinegar with the olive oil really livens things up. Lemon juice can be substituted for the vinegar if you like.
For even more flavor, the spears can be wrapped with thinly sliced ham or bacon before grilling. Try this gourmet quality proscuitto wrapped asparagus recipe if you want something really special.
Asparagus Nutrition
Besides tasting great, asparagus is very nutritious. Low in calories, fat free and low in sodium, asparagus is great for weight loss and is a heart healthy food. Just take it easy on the olive oil and butter if fat is your diet’s enemy.
More Asparagus Recipes
Asparagus Appetizer Recipe — Finger food servings of asparagus, grilled to perfection and brushed with garlicky butter. A squeeze of lemon adds a bright, clean flavor.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus — Very tasty recipe, no doubt! Asparagus is seasoned, wrapped with bacon, and grilled until nice and crispy. Makes a great appetizer or can be served as a satisfying side dish.
Marinated Asparagus Recipe — Served chilled, the marinated spears can even be eaten with the fingers. That’s my kind of appetizer!
Asparagus Stuffed Chicken — Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are stuffed with lightly grilled spears of asparagus, then seasoned and finished over medium direct heat.
BBQ Asparagus — This asparagus recipe uses lemon pepper for flavor. Grill outdoor or on your indoor grill.
How to Roast Asparagus — Roasting asparagus is easy in the gas grill, the charcoal grill. You can even roast it in foil, so there are no pans to clean. Yippee!
Grill Roasted Asparagus — This in-the-grill, pan roasted asparagus is seasoned with tarragon and garlic, then finished with butter and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice. To make it really special, top with a few almond slivers.
Grilled Asparagus Soup — A wonderfully green blended asparagus soup is topped with chopped sun dried tomatoes and grilled asparagus tips. Homemade seasoned and toasted bread cubes finish this tasty soup recipe.
Grilled Asparagus Salad — This colorful salad combines chopped asparagus, red bell peppers, mushrooms and more in a fun rotini pasta. It can be served hot or cold.
Grilling Asparagus — Grilling asparagus on the gas grill or your Weber charcoal grill can be done successfully with just a bit of knowledge, that you’ll find on this page.
Asparagus is one of those things you either love with a passion, or hate like heck. Since you’ve read to the bottom of the page, you must be a lover, like me! Three cheers for the fantastic food that is grilled asparagus.