Name: Lemon Garlic Oven Roasted Asparagus
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 pound asparagus, washed and tough ends trimmed away; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated with a microplane; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper; Squeeze of fresh lemon, just before serving

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This simple lemon garlic oven roasted asparagus is an incredibly easy side dish that is SO delicious! The best asparagus recipe that’s great on its own or added to other dishes. Perfectly seasoned, ready in 20 minutes, dairy free, and super flavorful.

Overhead image of tender and caramelized bright green lemon garlic asparagus spears. On a large white speckled plate, next to a few slices of lemon.

The best oven roasted asparagus

Bright green and perfectly roasted asparagus studded with bits of crispy garlic and brightened up with a squeeze of fresh lemon is our ideal quick side dish!

There’s something about the combination of roasted asparagus with lemon and garlic that works so well. An exceptional pairing that always hits the spot! And not only is this recipe super delicious, it’s also super simple to make.

Not fussy, tons of flavor, and ready in less than 20 minutes are a few of the reasons I think that this is the absolute best way to cook asparagus.

If you’re looking for more easy side dish ideas be sure to check out our recipes for 15-Minute Oven Roasted Broccolini, Mexican Roasted Cauliflower, Crispy 5-Ingredient Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Turmeric Oven Roasted Cauliflower!

Why you’ll love this asparagus recipe

It is:

Fresh & flavorful
Simple to make
Super delicious
Garlicky
Quick
Dairy free, gluten free, Whole30, and low carb friendly
SO dang tasty!

Super close up shot of tender and caramelized bright green lemon garlic asparagus spears. On a large white speckled plate, next to a slice of lemon.

Ingredients

(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full printable recipe!)

Asparagus – When picking asparagus at the store look for stalks that are firm and smooth to the touch, with compact and healthy looking tips. The stalks shouldn’t be limp or look wrinkled, and keep an eye out for tips that are starting to soften and spoil.
Olive oil – Olive oil, avocado oil, even melted ghee are all good options for this roasted asparagus recipe.
Fresh garlic – Grated or minced garlic both work to make the garlicky mixture that coats the asparagus before baking. If you have a microplane I highly recommend grating your garlic for more of a paste like consistency. This also creates the most delicious little crispy bits of garlic when the asparagus is done cooking. Such good seasoning!
Garlic powder – Just for that extra little bit of savory garlic flavor. If you don’t have any garlic powder on hand don’t fret, you can skip it.
Salt + pepper
Fresh lemon juice – Just the tiniest squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving takes this roasted asparagus recipe to an entire next level of YUM!

How to clean and prep asparagus

Okay, so before we get into how to make this roasted asparagus recipe, let’s chat about how to clean and prep asparagus.

Asparagus is a pretty simple veggie to prep. By following a few basic steps you’ll be ready to pop it in the oven in no time.

How to trim asparagus

Asparagus has a tough, somewhat woody end to each spear that should be trimmed away before you start cooking.

There are a few different popular opinions out there about trimming asparagus.

Some say that snapping each spear where it naturally breaks is the best way, and others prefer trimming the ends away with a knife.

Personally I prefer trimming the asparagus ends with a knife.

Snapping each piece of asparagus can be time consuming and you can end up breaking off more than you need to.

So where should you cut asparagus?

Line up all the asparagus spears in a row on a cutting board and cut where they turn from white (or light green) to a deeper green.

Close up overhead shot of a small bowl with olive oil, grated garlic, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Close up straight on shot of a few raw asparagus spears on a light background.

How to make oven roasted asparagus

This baked asparagus recipe is really quite easy to make. It comes together quickly, and only requires about 10-15 minutes in the oven.

Here’s the step-by-step:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place cleaned and trimmed asparagus on a large baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, chopped or grated garlic, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Pour olive oil mixture over the asparagus and toss to coat. Spread out again so the asparagus is in a single layer (no overlapping spears!).
Move to the oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until bright green and tender.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and more salt to taste if needed.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

How long does asparagus take to cook in the oven

How long to roast asparagus depends on the size of your asparagus spears. Super skinny pieces will roast much more quickly than thick ones.

For average sized asparagus spears (like pictured in this blog post) it will take about 12 minutes to cook at 425 degrees.

How do you know when asparagus is done?

You can tell that your asparagus is done in the oven when it is tender and slightly caramelized on the tips, but still bright green.

You can test to see if it’s tender by piercing the thick part of the stalk with the point of a paring knife. If the knife can pierce the asparagus without much resistance than it’s ready!

Overhead landscape style image of crispy oven roasted asparagus with lots of garlic.

Overhead super close up image of crispy oven roasted asparagus with lots of garlic.

How long does asparagus last?

Fresh: Depending on how fresh it was when you purchased it, asparagus should keep anywhere from 4 days to a week in the refrigerator.

Cooked: Once cooked, this asparagus recipe should be eaten within a day or two for the best flavor.

Overhead image of tender and caramelized bright green lemon garlic asparagus spears. On a large white speckled plate with a serving removed, next to a few slices of lemon.

Pinterest pin for lemon garlic asparagus

Want some more side dish ideas? Check out these recipes!

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