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This easy grilled asparagus recipe is sure to become your go-to summer side dish. A squeeze of warm juice from the charred lemons really makes this recipe stand out. The best part? This is a side that could pair with just about any main—from a juicy turkey burger to grilled Mahi Mahi.
Table of Contents
Grilling vegetables is just as easy as roasting them! But because grilled veggies taste like summer-y goodness, we prefer them during the warmer months. For this grilled asparagus recipe, all you need is some tin foil and some tongs and you’re good to go. Toss them around once in a while so they’re charred evenly. Those grill marks aren’t just pretty—they add flavor! As for the charred lemon, when citrus fruits are heated through, they become way juicier. Additionally, the char from the grill give you a deeper, richer flavor.
Looking for more awesome veggie sides? Try my parmesan roasted zucchini with everything bagel seasoning or these delicious hot honey roasted carrots.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal ingredients—There’s nothing fancy here—just pantry staples! And yet the asparagus turns out to be so incredibly flavorful.
- It’s quick & easy—I love this grilled asparagus recipe because you can just throw it on the grill next to your main and you hardly have to keep an eye on it. Just a gentle toss with the tongs halfway through and you’re good.
Ingredient Notes
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Asparagus—Note that asparagus spears come in many sizes. The grocery store will typically have an abundance of very thin spears, while your local farmer’s market will likely carry some nice thick trunks! This will affect the grilling time, so use your best judgement and take them off the heat when they are lightly charred and tender.
- Lemon—Sure, you can just use a regular squeeze of lemon juice at the end. But cutting lemons in half and placing them face down on the grill creates a nice smoky char and really loosens up the juices in the fruit. You also get a richer flavor with less tartness! Feel free to grate some of that lemon zest over your spears, too.
Recipe Modifications
- Parmesan—I get it. People love their grated Parmesan over green vegetables. (My air fryer green beans are proof that I do, too.) Though this grilled asparagus doesn’t need it, it certainly welcomes it! Just add it at the end after being plated on a platter before serving.
- Garlic—For a more garlicky flavor, you could add about 1/2 tsp of garlic powder or replace the sea salt with garlic salt. You could also use a few fresh cloves, minced.
- Balsamic—A drizzle of balsamic glaze never hurt a grilled vegetable!
- Like it spicy?—Add some red pepper flakes
Preparation Tip
To rid of the tough, woody ends of your asparagus spears, gently bend the spears near the bottom half, about 1-1.5 inches away from the end. The spear will snap exactly where it should. No guesswork!
Storage, Reheating, & Freezing
- Leftover grilled asparagus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- To reheat, pop them in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate and heat in increments of 10 seconds until warmed through.
- Freezing already cooked veggies is not something I recommend, BUT my gal Madison over at Cook at Home Mom has some great tips on how to freeze asparagus prior to cooking so you don’t let it go to waste in your crisper.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe calls for 7 minutes on the grill, but this will depend on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Thicker spears will take a little more time. You can easily judge its doneness by the char and the tenderness.
Yes, you can do this. But you will be grilling the lemon directly on the grates because highly acidic foods cooked on high heat in foil can increase aluminum transmission to the food. I don’t really like cooking on foil, but with asparagus, it just makes sense. Otherwise you’ll be losing your spears through the grates!
Keep it simple! I like using olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. As noted above though, you could throw in some garlic powder or use garlic salt in place of sea salt for a garlicky twist.
More Tasty Vegetable Sides to Try…
If you try this Grilled Asparagus With Charred Lemon, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Grilled Asparagus Recipe With Charred Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus, This recipe uses thinner spears; see notes for thicker spears.
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- A few pinches of sea salt
- A few generous cranks for cracked black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut in half
Instructions
- Heat your grill on high to about 400º F (200º C). This is a safe temperature when cooking with aluminum foil.
- While the grill heats up, wash your asparagus spears, then break off the woody ends by gently bending the spears near the end of the spear—about 1-1.5 inches away from the end. The spear will snap off exactly where it should, which takes the guesswork out of getting rid of those rough ends.
- Place the asparagus spears into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, then hit then with some sea salt and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
- Using clean hands, gently toss the spears, massaging the oil over them to ensure even coverage.
- Place a large piece of tin foil onto the hot grill (a piece large enough to contain the asparagus) and carefully dump the asparagus onto the tin foil. They should start sizzling immediately. With tongs, spread them out for an even cook.
- Close the lid of the grill and let the spears cook for about 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, give the spears a gentle toss with the tongs.
- Place the lemon halves, cut-side down, directly onto the grill grates (not the foil) and close the lid. Let the spears cook for another 3 minutes.
- Open the lid and, with tongs, flip the lemons over. They should be nicely charred. Place them onto a serving plate.
- Check the tenderness of the asparagus with a fork. When they're ready, they will be tender and should be bright green in color with some nice char marks.
- Squeeze the charred lemons over the spears and serve.
A beautiful side dish and the charred lemon was amazing. Grilled asparagus will be on the menu again for sure.
Love grilled asparagus but with the charred lemon it set this veggie over the top for me!
The charred lemon is a gamechanger, isn’t it?
This was so easy to make on the grill! Will be making again!
Awesome news!
Such a great idea for a side dish! That charred lemon is the perfect finishing touch. :)
Thanks, Carrie! Glad you agree!
This turned out wonderfully! The charred lemon is such a nice touch.
Happy to hear it, Mike! And I agree about the charred lemon. So glad you appreciated that little touch :)
So yummy you really can’t beat how easy it is. I’m glad it’s the season for asparagus too.
Love asparagus season! I always miss it when it’s gone.
The charred lemon adds such a great flavor to this grilled asparagus. It is a perfect summer side dish.
Thanks, Andrea!
I love grilled asparagus, but it was the charred lemon that did it for me in this recipe. So delicious!
I’m so glad!
Oh yum! This definitely is the perfect summertime side dish. I love that you charred the lemon too. Such wonderful flavors.
Thanks! :)
Absolutely wonderful side dish to just about anything! And the charred lemon juice is my new favourite thing to squeeze over things – not just asparagus! It’s just wonderful!
Charred lemon needs to be used more often, I completely agree :)