Tender, smoky, and sweet, the best grilled asparagus is the simplest. Toss the asparagus in olive oil and season with salt and pepper for the perfect 15-minute side dish.
Side dishes are the connectors of the dinner table, the unifiers that bring the meal together. And because there’s usually more than one side dish to your dinner menu, it’s a good idea to keep the recipes easy.
So when I have a main dish that calls for a few ingredients and techniques to employ, I turn to my tried and true simple recipes.
This 15-minute grilled asparagus recipe is definitely at the top of that list. Behold, these are the simple steps for making this vegetable side dish creation the easy way.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Grilling asparagus gives it a smoky and sweetly caramelized flavor.
- The outside of these bright green spears becomes lightly charred and crisped, while the interior remains soft and tender.
- It’s the perfect base recipe to customize using your favorite seasoning blends and marinades.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Asparagus — While I love pencil-thin spears for roasting in the oven, when it comes to grilling I buy thick asparagus spears. Thick asparagus spears won’t overcook or char to a crisp, and you won’t have the challenge of losing them through the grill grates as they cook on the fire.
- Olive oil — Choose extra virgin olive oil for a robust flavor.
- Seasonings — Because the fire and grill add so much flavor, season the asparagus simply with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice for dynamite flavor.
How to Prepare Asparagus for Grilling
- Get rid of the woody ends. The ends of asparagus are woody and tough to eat. Be gone, woody ends!
- Trim asparagus with a snap. To prepare the asparagus, simply snap the ends to trim by bending each stalk gently about ⅔ of the way down the stalk. The asparagus will naturally break where the woody part begins, leaving tender stalks perfect for eating.
- Or, line them up and cut them all at once. If patience is not your virtue and snapping asparagus sounds blasé, line up a handful of the asparagus in a row and use a sharp knife to cut the asparagus ⅔ of the way down the stalk. Likewise, use a knife to tidy up the ends of the snapped asparagus if desired.
How to Grill Asparagus
- Prep and season the asparagus. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and toss the spears with your hands to coat. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again.
Heidi’s Tip: You can do this step right before cooking the asparagus on the grill, or any time before cooking. Asparagus is sturdy so it won’t wilt or soften with the addition of the oil or kosher salt.
- No need for grilled asparagus on foil. Preheat the grill to medium heat (between 350°F- 400°F) and brush the grill grates clean. Place the asparagus across the grill grates perpendicular to the bars so they don’t fall through—forget the foil!
- Grill until crisp-tender. Grill with the lid closed until the spears are tender and crisp. Use tongs to roll the spears for even grill marks.
FAQs
You’ll need to grill thick asparagus spears for roughly 6 to 10 minutes over medium heat.
If you struggle to tell when asparagus is finished grilling, I recommend poking it with a fork to test its doneness. The asparagus should be softened, but not mushy. It should also be bright green.
Choose thin spears when roasting asparagus and thick spears for grilling.
When cooking asparagus on the grill, the goal is to create a perfectly crisp-tender bite. Thin spears will will turn to mush and / or char too quickly.
Look for thick spears that are firm and green with ends that aren’t withered.
Topping and Seasoning Ideas
I prefer seasoning my grilled asparagus with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. If you’re looking for more ways to jazz up this simple green, try one of these ideas:
- Add browned butter and nuts, like in my recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Almonds.
- Drizzle the grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar then sprinkle with goat cheese and toasted pine nuts
- Top with smoky cooked bacon and Parmesan cheese
- Go Mediterranean-style and top with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped kalamata olives
- Try it Asian-style with ponzu sauce and toasted sesame seeds
- Sprinkle (after grilling) with fresh herbs like mint, parsley, or basil
- Drizzle with a garlicky vinaigrette or garlic-infused olive oil
- Season with your favorite seasoning blends to suit any main dish
Heidi’s Tip: Leftover grilled asparagus can be repurposed so many ways — on sandwiches, in frittatas and egg bakes, in salads, in risotto and orzo, and more. It’s delicious cold or room temperature! Here are my favorite asparagus recipes to get you started.
What to Serve With Grilled Asparagus
- Juicy Grilled Pork Chops
- The Best BBQ Chicken
- Grilled Shrimp
- Flaky Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
How to Grill Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus , (choose thick spears)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- lemon wedges , if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat, about 350°F to 400°F, and brush the grill grates clean.
- Remove the woody ends of the asparagus by snapping the ends off. Bend each stalk gently about ⅔ of the way down the stalk until it naturally breaks where the woody part begins. If desired, use a knife to trim the ends of the stalks to tidy up the cuts. Discard the ends.
- Place the asparagus spears in a shallow bowl or on a platter or baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss the spears with your hands to coat. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again.
- Place the asparagus across the grill grates perpendicular to the bars. Grill with the lid closed for 6 to 10 minutes or until the spears are tender and crisp. Use tongs to roll the spears for even grill marks.
- Transfer to a platter and if desired, drizzle with more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
More Grilled Vegetable Side Dishes
- Grilled Mixed Vegetables
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- Grilled Eggplant
- Grilled Veggie Skewers
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Anne
Excellent!
nim
delicious
Nyssa
These were the best asparagus! Even my super picky 5 year old who normally won’t touch veggies liked them. I added a bit of garlic powder to them before cooking too.
I’m glad it was a success Nyssa!
Dawn
We grilled our asparagus using lava stones! Toss it with butter and some seasonings.
Kade
1 tsp of kosher salt was WAY too much for our family. We had smaller spears as well so it was spread out over more pieces and it was still too much
Tom T.
Your recipe was a big hit with a dinner I made for friends. They all wanted the recipe! Thank you! Tom
I’m glad you enjoyed Tom!
Bob
I toss the asparagus with melted butter, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper while it is still cold from the refrigerator. It butter solidifies and sticks to the asparagus until it is on the grill. It seems to make a difference with the flavor the longer I let it “marinade”.
Cindi L
We cooked the asparagus on the Blackstone. Delicious!! My husband said, “We have a new way to always cook asparagus now.”
Steve Severt
Grilling is easier if you use tooth picks and make racks of four or five spears. It makes it easier to turn and it keeps your asparagus from falling thru grate. Also after coating with olive oil sprinkle with sesame seeds. Gives a great flavor.
michael lamonica
thanx
Sapana
I always struggled eating asparagus growing up but that changed when I started grilling them!! Love your idea of drizzling the asparagus with balsamic vinegar and toasted pine nuts!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I agree, much better on the grill!