Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Oven-Roasted Asparagus is coated in a lemon garlic sauce and cooked in a 400-degree oven until perfectly crisp and tender.  Serve this low-carb, vegan, and Whole30 dinner recipe for a quick, easy, and healthy side dish.

Want a few other healthy asparagus recipes?  You might also enjoy this Cream of Asparagus Soup, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles, and these Parmesan Asparagus Fries.

Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Sometimes there are dishes I make at home that do not seem initially worthy enough to make an appearance on the site.

They’re either too quick to make…

Don’t need that many ingredients…

Or, quite honestly, I think you all know how to make something similar already!

Like this lemon garlic roasted asparagus recipe.

Simple Side Dish Recipe

Thinking everyone already knew how to roast asparagus in the oven, I was quite shocked to get a text from a good friend asking,

“How long do I bake asparagus?”

It was in that moment I realized – we all have completely different skills and levels when it comes to cooking!

So today I promise to you – there is no more holding back on sharing recipes or cooking techniques with you lovelies!

You’re getting it all from the super simple How to Cut an Onion posts to the more complex Homemade Chicken Pot Pie recipes.

Ingredients

This roasted asparagus recipe is so quick and simple to make.  You will only need a few easy-to-find ingredients:

• Asparagus – You can find this vegetable in one-pound bunches in the produce area at your grocery store.  Thinner spears will cook more quickly versus larger.
• Lemon – Fresh lemon juice and zest are both used at the end of roasting to give a zest of citrus.
  • Do not add the lemon juice before cooking as it will develop a more bitter flavor when baked in the oven.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves are a big component to this recipe.  While garlic powder can be used, it will not deliver the same punch of flavor.
• Oil – A relatively good quality olive oil should be used.  Avocado oil or another mildly flavored oil can also be substituted.
• Salt and Pepper – Add as little or as much as you’d like depending on your taste preference.

Best Baking Sheet

One of the most important steps when roasting asparagus is to make sure you have a large enough baking sheet.

You will want all of the spears to be in a single layer with none of them overlapping.

Additionally, using a rimmed baking sheet will ensure none of the delicious garlic oil runs off into the oven.

A rimmed baker’s half-sheet pan is my preferred baking sheet to use when roasting vegetables.

Trimming Asparagus

Not to get too graphic, but my sweet husband had to react quickly and give me the Heimleich maneuver when we were staying in a secluded resort in Costa Rica.

And yes… it was due to a very fibrous piece of asparagus that fit perfectly into my trachea.

Since that experience I have always been extremely diligent to remove every centimeter of the tough, woody part of an asparagus spear.

But how do you know where to trim it?  The answer is quite simple.

While yes, you can take a sharp knife and quickly slice at the junction where the light brown turns to green.

But there’s a better and more effective way…

1. Pick up one asparagus spear.
2. Hold the spear in both hands and place your thumb at the junction of the light brown and green part.
3. Press lightly until you can feel where the asparagus is soft versus where it is hard.
4. Continue pressing until the spear snaps.  Repeat this process with the remaining asparagus spears.

How to Roast Asparagus in Oven

Now that you have your ingredients gathered together, and you’ve prepared the spears – it’s time to get to roasting!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Whisk together the oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic.

3. Place asparagus spears on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

4. Brush garlic oil over all sides of the spears using a pastry brush.

5. Bake in the 400 degree oven for 11-13 minutes, or until tender and bright green.

6. Zest half of a lemon and squeeze juice over the asparagus before serving. 

Tips and Tricks

How long to roast asparagus at 375, 400, and 425 degrees?

Sometimes you already have another dish in the oven and you can’t change the temperature.  I totally get it!

In these cases it’s actually quite simple to change the length of time you roast the asparagus depending on the oven temperature you’re currently using.

Roast asparagus in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, in a 400 degree oven for 11-13 minutes, and in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

How to get it crisp and not soggy?

There are two main culprits for ending up with soggy and not crisp asparagus: overcooking and using too much liquid.

• Pull it out as soon as it gets tender and turns bright green.
• Add only as much olive oil as you need to lightly coat all of the spears.

How long can I store leftovers in the refrigerator?

Roasted asparagus will last in a refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.  However, it has the best texture when it is served immediately after roasting and will get mushy if refrigerated between servings.

What goes good with asparagus?

This low-carb and Whole30 side is so amazing because it goes with almost ANY main dish!

A few of my favorite entrees to serve it with include:

Filet Mignon

Honey Balsamic Chicken

Baked Salmon in Foil

Pan-Seared Bacon Wrapped Scallops

5 from 2 votes

Print

Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Oven Roasted Asparagus is coated in a lemon garlic sauce and cooked in a 400-degree oven until perfectly crisp and tender. 

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword garlic asparagus, how to roast asparagus, lemon asparagus, roasted asparagus

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 77 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 1 lb. asparagus spears tough ends removed
• 1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• ½ lemon juice and zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the tough ends of the asparagus spears by snapping at the junction where the hard and tender parts meet. Repeat with all asparagus spears.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic.
4. Place asparagus spears on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Brush garlic oil over all sides of the spears using a pastry brush.
6. Bake asparagus in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or until tender and bright green.
7. Just before serving zest half of a lemon and squeeze juice over the asparagus. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Amount Per Serving

Calories 77 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 242mg11%

Potassium 248mg7%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 857IU17%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.