Make the most of fresh spring vegetables and flavors with this super easy Sautéed Lemon Asparagus recipe. A quick sauté, then finished in the oven – this yummy side goes perfect with everything!
Fresh asparagus is such a yummy spring vegetable, that can be cooked in lots of different ways. The cook time is less than 15 minutes!
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Sauteed asparagus is one of the best veggie side dishes, because it is so easy!
Spring veggies are awesome! You will start to see a lot of asparagus in the grocery store that is pretty inexpensive. It goes amazing with roasted chicken, pork or beef, but you can really serve this recipe with anything.
There are many ways to cook asparagus, like roasting, grilling, steaming or baking, but this is my favorite way to prepare it.
A little fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, and a lemon and you will have a delicious side dish that your family will love. The fact that you add butter doesn’t hurt the flavor, either – but you could sub olive oil, coconut oil or any other healthy oil instead if you must.
I mess around with different herbs and seasonings, based on what is fresh, what I have in the fridge/pantry and what I’m serving it alongside. You can grate a sprinkle of parmesan cheese over the top too!
It’s great for when you need a side – and don’t want to spend a lot of time (or don’t have a lot of time).
If you love asparagus recipes, try this Roasted Chicken Dinner in a Skillet, or try my Grilled Vegetable Recipe.
Why you’ll love this Roasted Asparagus with Lemon recipe
- Lemon garlic asparagus makes the perfect side dish for pork, chicken or fish and is mostly hands off if you saute first, then finish in the oven.
Very adaptable. Just use the same technique and flavor it however you like! - Easy to make. A quick sauté in the skillet with the garlic and rosemary, and a little time in the oven, and it’s done!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to choose asparagus
Avoid asparagus that is wilted or “floppy”, The tips should be closed pretty tightly. Fresh spring asparagus tends to be thinner asparagus stalks, so you’ll get more spears per bundle, but thicker ones are better for roasting. Try to grab a bunch of asparagus that has stalks with similar sizes and lengths so they cook evenly.
When is asparagus season?
In the USA, asparagus is at its best in late March to early June. Other times of year you can find it in the store, but it likely isn’t local and won’t taste as good out of season.
How to trim asparagus
The end of an asparagus stalk is tough and woody. Instead of cutting the tough ends from the asparagus off, bend each spear until it naturally snaps. It will snap closer to the woody end – and that’s the best spot!
You want to keep the asparagus tips intact though, so don’t chop off that end!
You can cut asparagus of course, but you don’t want to waste any of it!
Key Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Butter. I use salted butter, but if you use unsalted – add a pinch of salt to your finished dish.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic cloves, minced.
- Rosemary. Fresh rosemary adds fresh flavor that pairs well with the garlic and lemon.
- Asparagus. Pick asparagus spears that are on the smaller side for the best flavor. The good asparagus are mainly found in late March to early June.
- Lemon. I use fresh lemon juice to flavor up the asparagus. You can zest the lemon and include a sprinkle of zest as a garnish or to boost the lemon flavor. Serve with extra lemon wedges for those that want an extra squeeze of lemon!
How to cook Asparagus with Lemon
Scroll for Recipe
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Heat the oven to 350°F, and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wash and trim the asparagus, mince the garlic.
Sauté the garlic
Melt the butter, then add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Cook the asparagus
Add asparagus in a single layer, fresh rosemary and salt and pepper. Sauté the asparagus 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Roast in the oven, or continue cooking on stovetop.
Transfer skillet to the oven and roast for 10 minutes until asparagus is tender. Asparagus should still be bright green, so add a few minutes if it isn’t quite tender.
Add lemon, and extra rosemary
Remove from the oven, and place in serving dish.
Drizzle some lemon juice over the top (you can decorate with lemon zest if you want to be fancy)
Devour.
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
You could skip the oven and do this solely in the skillet – I just like the roasted flavor, and the hands-off technique.
I pair this Roasted Asparagus with some pork tenderloin and it is a great springtime dinner. Light, but satisfying.
Once the asparagus is trimmed, you leave it whole, or cut into bite sized pieces if you prefer.
More vegetable side dish recipes
- Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Roasted Brussels sprouts, paired with delicate shallots, salty bacon and a bit of parmesan – YES PLEASE
- Roasted Broccoli. The unsung hero of weeknight dinner sides. This easy recipe is hands-off and super delicious! If you want your family to eat broccoli and LOVE it, give this a try!
- Bacon Wrapped Green Beans. The BEST side for holidays! Fresh green bean bundles are easy to grab and soon to be family favorite!
- Grilled Zucchini. Perfectly Grilled Zucchini with a hint of lime, this easy recipe makes a great side dish and is super fast!
- Glazed Carrots. A simple side dish, using the sweetness of brown sugar combined with fresh rosemary. These Rosemary Glazed Carrots are great for holidays or just a regular Tuesday!
- Sauteed Green Beans. Garlic and shallots gently flavor these sautéed green beans making them a wonderful weeknight or holiday side dish!
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Lemon Asparagus with Rosemary and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 2 teaspoon garlic (freshly minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (a sprig, with the leaves stripped)
- 1 lb fresh asparagus (trimmed to remove woody ends)
- salt and pepper
- 1 lemon
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium high, and melt the 1 tablespoon butter.
- Sauté the 2 teaspoon garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 lb fresh asparagus and salt and pepper
- Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer skillet to the oven and roast for 10 minutes (or less, depending on how well you like yours cooked).
- Remove from the oven, and place on serving dish.
- Squeeze half 1 lemon over the top.
- Devour.
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Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This recipe was originally published in April of 2017. It was updated and republished in April of 2024.
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