Roasted Asparagus is the first green vegetable I loved as a kid. With its tender stalks and crispy tips, baked asparagus will open the way for more vegetables on your plate!

My Grammy introduced me to roasted asparagus.

She’d let me help snap off the ends to prep it for cooking.

Later, when I was old enough, she passed me the potholder and let me wiggle the pan halfway through cooking so that the asparagus would roast evenly.

I loved watching the asparagus spears roll in the olive oil, then caramelize under the oven’s heat.

While Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Beets, and Roasted Broccoli took me until adulthood to embrace, savory fresh asparagus and I got along right away.

I know if you try this best-ever roasted asparagus recipe, you’ll fall in love with the easy vegetable side dish too.

When it comes to roasted vegetables that can be on the table fast, roasted asparagus is hard to beat.

Combine the quick cook time with how fast asparagus is to prep, and you have the makings for a go-to healthy side pronto.

Asparagus is also healthy!

• It’s packed with fiber, vitamin K, and folate.
• Asparagus is also rich in key nutrients such as vitamin A and vitamin C.

Tips for Perfect Roasted Asparagus

When you’re not having Air Fryer Asparagus, baking perfect roast asparagus comes down to a few easy but essential tips.

Trim the Asparagus Properly

Every stalk of asparagus has a tough, woody end that should be removed before roasting. Where this woody section stops and starts varies from stalk to stalk.

There are two methods for trimming asparagus to consider: bend and break (the best method) or trimming with a knife.

• While trimming the entire bunch of asparagus at once is faster, you’ll inevitably waste edible flesh on some spears, and miss some of the woody parts of others—resulting in a few tough, stringy bites.
• Bending and breaking asparagus ensures you only remove the tough portions of each stalk, resulting in less waste and guaranteed tenderness on every stalk.

Wash the Asparagus

Like Roasted Green Beans and other veggies, asparagus should be washed before it is roasted. You can do this either before or after trimming it.

• After you rinse, be sure to dry the asparagus well on a kitchen towel to make sure it crisps nicely in the oven.
• I like to wash prior to trimming to give the asparagus extra time to dry.

Don’t Crowd the Pan

This is the cardinal rule for all roasted vegetables, whether we’re talking about Oven Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Tomatoes, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

• If you crowd the pan, the air won’t circulate properly. The vegetables will steam instead of roast and won’t become as crispy.
• For perfect, crispy asparagus, make sure the spears aren’t touching one another.

Season and Oil

Proper oil and seasoning are critical to helping food taste its best, and roasted vegetables are no exception.

• Be sure to use kosher salt or sea salt (which have a better, more natural taste than table salt).
• For more variation, add black pepper or try one of the other recipe variations listed in “The Ingredients” section below.
• Use enough oil to give the spears a light coating on all sides. If you don’t, the spears’ tender tips (the best part!) will burn.
• Roasting is one of the healthiest ways to cook asparagus, so don’t worry about using olive oil; it’s critical to making it taste delicious. Plus, olive oil is high in antioxidants and beneficial fats.

Roast at a High Temperature

I tested roasted asparagus at 350, 375, 400, 425, and 450 F.

• 425 degrees F is the ideal oven temperature for roasting asparagus. The high heat yields the crispy outside, caramelized inside texture we are looking for without burning the spears.
• If you are baking other dishes with the asparagus in the oven (or adding it to this Sheet Pan Chicken with Rainbow Vegetables) and need to tweak the oven temperature to accommodate, my second recommendation would be asparagus at 400 F.

Don’t Overcook

If you overcook asparagus, it will become mushy, and it can burn. It happens more quickly than you’d expect.

• The best way to tell if asparagus is done and to keep it from becoming soggy is to pierce it with a fork. As soon as the fork can pierce the stalks easily, the asparagus is done.

How to Season Asparagus

Here are some tasty ways to season roasted asparagus with everyday simple ingredients.

• Roasted Asparagus Parmesan. Sprinkle the roasted asparagus with freshly grated Parmesan cheese just before serving. You also can sprinkle on the cheese, then pop the asparagus back into the oven for a minute or two if you’d like the cheese more melty.
• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon. Add a thinly sliced lemon to the pan with the asparagus prior to roasting. Finish the dish with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Spicy Roasted Asparagus. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes. This variation is especially good combined with the lemon and Parmesan suggested above.
• Balsamic Roasted Asparagus. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Herbed Roasted Asparagus. Add dried herbs like basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning (before roasting), or finish with chopped fresh herbs like parsley (after roasting).
• Nutty Roasted Asparagus. Top the asparagus with a sprinkle of toasted slivered almonds, chopped toasted pecans, or toasted pine nuts.
• Caramelized Onion Roasted Asparagus. Caramelize 1 large red onion. Place the asparagus on a serving platter and top with the onion.
• Garlic Asparagus. Sprinkle and toss the asparagus in garlic powder prior to roasting.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Refrigerate asparagus in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. 
• To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F. 
• To Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing roasted asparagus, as it becomes mushy. If you must, freeze asparagus in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

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If you have vegetable skeptics in your family, this roasted asparagus can be a gateway for them, the way it was for me (this Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is likely to help your cause too).

With its fast prep, tender stalks, and crispy tips, this simple, spectacular roasted vegetable deserves to be a regular on your menu.