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Home » Produce guides » How to cook asparagus: 10 methods & 50 recipes

Modified: Mar 6, 2023 by Vee

How to cook asparagus: 10 methods & 50 recipes

Raw asparagus is grassy with slight bitter notes, similar to broccoli or green beans. Cooking will change that flavor.

How you cook asparagus will determine how the flavor changes. Gentler cooking methods, like steaming or boiling, remove the bitter notes but keeps the bright, grassy flavor. More intense cooking methods, like roasting or grilling, caramelize the sugars and transform the flavor into a sweeter, but still slightly vegetal flavor.

Asparagus produce guide: everything you need to know

Jump to:
  • How to know when asparagus is done
  • Cooking times chart
  • Raw
  • Blanch
  • Steam
  • Boil
  • Sauté
  • Bake & roast
  • Grill
  • Smoke
  • Deep fry
  • Resources & Questions

How to know when asparagus is done

In general, the best texture for cooked asparagus is crisp-tender. It's soft enough to bite but still maintains a crispness. It will be easier to bend than when raw, but can still snap if bent to an extreme.

Overcooked asparagus will be mushy and fall apart with pierced with a fork. It will be limp, never snap when bent, and be a very drab green or graying color.

Under-cooked asparagus won't be easily pierced with a fork and will barely bend without snapping.

That said, some methods of cooking will require a different texture (like when pureed into a soup, or kept raw & crunch on purpose).

Cooking times chart

Cooking methodDuration
Raw0
Blanch1-3 minutes
Steam4-8 minutes
Boil5-8 minutes
Sauté3-6 minutes
Roast at 425° F (218° C)15-20 minutes
Grill over direct heat3-7 minutes
Smoker at 225° F (107° C)50 minutes
Deep fry at 350° F (176° C) 1-3 minutes
Microwave with ¼ cup water4-7 minutes on high
How to cook asparagus chart

Raw

Raw asparagus is underappreciated, in my opinion. It has an excellent crunch and flavor. Don't prep raw asparagus too far in advanced, however, or it can get chewy. Either prep it right before serving, or maintain the crispness in a bowl of water in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Recipes with raw asparagus:

Raw asparagus salad with walnuts & parmesan recipe by Alexandra Cooks
Raw asparagus salad with walnuts & parmesan
Raw asparagus salad with pistachios recipe by The Delicious Spoon
Raw asparagus salad with pistachios
Asparagus noodles with pesto, peas, and bacon recipe by Pinch of Yum
Asparagus noodles with pesto, peas, and bacon
Asparagus and egg salad with walnuts & mint recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Asparagus and egg salad with walnuts & mint
Raw asparagus salad with feta, dates, hazelnuts, and kumquats recipe by Feed Me Dearly
Raw asparagus salad with feta, dates, hazelnuts, and kumquats
Baguette roll with sliced asapragus, goat cheese, olives, and lettuce
Asparagus goat cheese picnic sandwich

Blanch

How to blanch asparagus: Bring a pot of heavily-salted water to boil. Add asparagus and cook for 1-3 minutes, followed by a shock in an ice water bath.

The salt seasons the asparagus and the ice-water stops the cooking process and preserves the bright green color.

Blanching is often used before other cooking methods as a way to season and tenderize the spears.

Recipes that use blanching:

Chilled asparagus with citrus vinaigrette by Recipe Runner
Chilled asparagus with citrus vinaigrette
Chicken madeira recipe by House of Nash Eats
Chicken madeira
Prosciutto pea & pesto pasta salad with asparagus recipe by Broma Bakery
Prosciutto pea & pesto pasta salad with asparagus
Risotto with asparagus sauce, mushrooms, basil, and pine nuts by Feasting At Home
Risotto with asparagus sauce, mushrooms, basil, and pine nuts
Asparagus soufflé by Simply Recipes
Asparagus soufflé
Cheese and asparagus puff pastry tarts recipe by Supergolden Bakes
Cheese and asparagus puff pastry tarts
BLT pasta salad with asparagus recipe by Carlsbad Cravings
BLT pasta salad with asparagus
Green veggie eggs benedict recipe by Life as a Strawberry
Green veggie eggs benedict

Steam

How to steam asparagus: Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a pot. Place asparagus in a steamer basket over the water and steam for about 4 minutes for thin spears and 8 minutes for larger ones. If you've pre-cut the asparagus, steam it for 2-4 minutes.

Steaming asparagus is one of the best ways to preserve their bright flavor. It's best when fresh from the farmers market with thin or medium-sized spears.

Recipe for easy steamed asparagus.

Boil

Boiling is used to cook the asparagus until tender. This is similar to steaming, but the vegetables are submerged in the water (which also makes them easier to overcook).

How to boil asparagus: add spears to boiling water for 5 minutes for medium-sized spears and up to 8 minutes for larger spears. Very thin spears will be easy to overcook and I recommend steaming instead.

Recipes that boil asparagus:

Asparagus shakshuka by Recipes from a Pantry
Asparagus shakshuka
Asparagus macaroni & cheese by Recipes from a Pantry
Asparagus macaroni & cheese
Asparagus-spinach pesto pasta with blackened shrimp recipe by Gimme Some Oven
Asparagus-spinach pesto pasta with blackened shrimp

Sauté

Asparagus doesn't need much time in a hot pan to cook to a crisp-tender consistency - 3 minutes is often enough for medium spears. Because of this, it's usually best to add them to the pan at the very end of the cooking process.

Sautéing still keeps the grassy vegetal flavor in the forefront and doesn't caramelize the sugars like roasting or grilling does.

Spring "mojito" stir fry with toasted bar nuts recipe by Ask The Food Geek
Spring "mojito" stir fry with toasted bar nuts
Fried rice with asparagus and peas recipe by The View from Great Island
Fried rice with asparagus and peas
Cheddar, mushroom, and asparagus quiche recipe by The Bojon Gourmet
Cheddar, mushroom, and asparagus quiche
Salmon tacos with green onion & asparagus salsa recipe by Snixy Kitchen
Salmon tacos with green onion & asparagus salsa
Fennel crusted halibut with asparagus sauce recipe by Feasting At Home
Fennel crusted halibut with asparagus sauce
Lemon chicken with asparagus recipe by Pinch of Yum
Lemon chicken with asparagus
Coconut curry noodle bowls with asparagus recipe by Pinch of Yum
Coconut curry noodle bowls with asparagus
Lemon orzo salad with asparagus, spinach, and feta recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Lemon orzo salad with asparagus, spinach, and feta
Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce recipe by Rhubarbarians
Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce
Artichoke, asparagus, pea, and green onion risotto recipe by Heather Christo
Artichoke, asparagus, pea, and green onion risotto
Steak fajita roll-ups recipe by A Spicy Perspective
Steak fajita roll-ups
Spring vegetable potstickers recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Spring vegetable potstickers

Bake & roast

How to roast asparagus: preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Toss asparagus on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and other seasonings. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning half way through the cooking process.

Medium or large asparagus spears work well for roasting, as they can handle the high heat. Very thin spears won't work as well here, and are best for raw, steamed, or sautéed methods.

Baking and roasting differ on a few technicalities. Baking usually refers to lower temperatures and changing the structure of a food (like cooking eggs into a quiche). Roasting is done at higher temperatures, above 400° F, and is used on solid foods (like vegetables).

For these asparagus recipes, baking and roasting are basically used interchangeably, so I've grouped them together.

Asparagus and pea curry naan pizza recipe by Floating Kitchen
Asparagus and pea curry naan pizza
Bruschetta chicken sheet pan dinner recipe by A Spicy Perspective
Bruschetta chicken sheet pan dinner
Asparagus gratin recipe by The View from Great Island
Asparagus gratin
Baked asparagus fries recipe by Damn Delicious
Baked asparagus fries
Shaved roasted asparagus on toast with hollandaise recipe by Hummingbird High
Shaved roasted asparagus on toast with hollandaise
Honeyed ricotta and asparagus wrapped in puff pastry recipe by Whole Food Bellies
Honeyed ricotta and asparagus wrapped in puff pastry
Berry, asparagus, quinoa, and feta salad with sweet crispy chickpeas by Recipe Runner
Berry, asparagus, quinoa, and feta salad with sweet crispy chickpeas
Asparagus stuffed chicken piccata recipe by Carlsbad Cravings
Asparagus stuffed chicken piccata
Springtime strawberry spinach salad with lemon poppy seed dressing recipe by Keepin It Kind
Springtime strawberry spinach salad with lemon poppy seed dressing
Cream of roasted asparagus soup recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
Cream of roasted asparagus soup
Everything roasted asparagus recipe by Gimme Some Oven
"Everything" roasted asparagus
Roasted asparagus with sautéed shallots & kumquats recipe by Floating Kitchen
Roasted asparagus with sautéed shallots & kumquats

Grill

How to grill asparagus: place spears directly over the heat and cook for 3-7 minutes. Turn half way through the cooking time by rolling the spears across the grate.

Larger spears hold up quite well on the grill, but medium spears will also turn out nice.

Some people blanch asparagus before grilling, especially if the spears are larger. This is to help the centers soften ahead of time, so the high heat on the grill doesn't just cook the outside, leaving the inside raw.

Garlic butter prosciutto wrapped asparagus recipe by Cafe Delites
Garlic butter prosciutto wrapped asparagus
Grilled halloumi, peach, and asparagus salad with lemon pesto recipe by Kitchen Sanctuary
Grilled halloumi, peach, and asparagus salad with lemon pesto
Fennel crusted halibut with asparagus sauce recipe by Feasting At Home
Fennel crusted halibut with asparagus sauce
Grilled asparagus recipe by Jessica Gavin
Grilled asparagus
Spring veggie & lemon moroccan chicken skewers with minted goat cheese yogurt recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Spring veggie & lemon moroccan chicken skewers with minted goat cheese yogurt
Panzanella style caprese salad with Asparagus recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Panzanella style caprese salad with Asparagus

Smoke

Adding a smokey flavor to the bright, grassy asparagus flavor is an unexpected twist to a seasonal dish. If you don't own a smoker, you can turn your grill into one.

While you're smoking, look up some other recipes to make at the same time, like this smoked chuck roast.

Smoked asparagus soup recipe by Traeger
Smoked asparagus soup
Smoked bacon wrapped asparagus by Recipes Worth Repeating
Smoked bacon wrapped asparagus
Smoked asparagus recipe by The Wooden Skillet
Smoked asparagus

Deep fry

A quick deep fry can turn any asparagus into a delicious appetizer or side dish. This can be a great way to save mediocre asparagus too. It only needs 1-3 minutes in the hot oil (350° F) to be cooked through.

Fried asparagus recipe by Spicy Southern Kitchen
Fried asparagus
Beer battered asparagus recipe by Onion rings and things
Beer battered asparagus
Tempura asparagus with matcha salt recipe by Snixy Kitchen
Tempura asparagus with matcha salt
Air fryer asparagus fritters recipe by The Healthy Epicurean
Air fryer asparagus fritters

Resources & Questions

Have any questions? Leave a comment.

Check out other early spring seasonal guides:

Rhubarb recipes
Rhubarb recipes
asparagus in season
Asparagus
Rhubarb is in season from April through July.
Rhubarb
Artichokes are in season
Artichokes

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