Easy Broiled Asparagus

This Easy Broiled Asparagus recipe shows how to trim and cook asparagus under a broiler to make the best roasted asparagus with or without parmesan cheese.

Easy Broiled Asparagus

When you think about vegetables, asparagus may not be the first that comes to mind. Although a sensation in Europe, in North America it is growing in popularity and for good reason.

It has been said that eating asparagus can increase sexual desire. There may be some truth in that as it contains Vitamin E which is not only good for the skin, it aids in hormonal production.

Dating as far back as 3000 BC, asparagus was depicted in Egyptian art and Queen Nefertiti called it “food of the Gods”.  

If that doesn’t entice you, consider eating asparagus for its health benefits. Loaded with fiber and vitamins, it also has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants which may keep certain types of cancers at bay. 

I feel fortunate that  I can grow vegetables in my garden and there’s a special place I dedicate to growing quality asparagus. There’s nothing like cooking seasonal fresh asparagus but, I love it so much, I make it all year round. 

I can’t get enough of it.

In this recipe, and my other easy asparagus recipes, I will teach you how to cook asparagus in a variety of ways. It is easier than you might think to do.

You will also learn how to trim and peel asparagus too!

Still not sure about eating asparagus? If you try this easy broiled asparagus dish, you may have a change of heart. It has a mild and earthy flavor and is easy on the palette.

This Easy Broiled Asparagus dish is the first of 5 of our favorite asparagus recipes posted on this site.  So, I have no doubt, you will find an asparagus recipe you will in love with.

Easy is the operative word in this easy broiled asparagus side dish and it takes only minutes to prepare.

All you need is three basic ingredients; olive oil, salt and pepper. That’s it!  When it’s just about time to eat, pop it in the oven the last minute. It’s that quick.  

For added flavor, use garlic salt instead of regular. This definitely accelerates the taste of the asparagus.

Lemon juice is also a terrific addition. Add a splash to your cooked asparagus and the acidity gives this Easy Broiled Asparagus some vitality.

Drizzling broiled asparagus with melted butter and sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes over it, will kick it up a notch.

For the cheese lover, add Parmesan cheese to this easy broiled asparagus  and you won’t regret it.

Give these ingredients a try and I guarantee this easy broiled asparagus dish will be anything but boring!

Roasted Asparagus Parmesan

There’s nothing like roasted asparagus, especially when it’s broiled asparagus with parmesan cheese.

It is one of my favorite ways of making it because it comes out of the oven so crisp and golden brown. I’m going to show you how to cook it that way!

Put the roasted asparagus on a serving plate and, while it’s still hot, sprinkle it with grated Parmesan cheese and use garlic salt instead of regular salt while baking.

With the texture of the cheese and the fragrance of garlic salt, this roasted asparagus parmesan is one amazing side dish. Oh sooooo good!

My son Patrick was known for not loving new vegetables and asparagus was no exception. He said they reminded him of real spears.

So he aimed and shot them across the table at my dogs, Billie and Lucille.

Billie would catch those spears without missing a beat. Yes, he actually ate asparagus!

Lucille, on the other hand, was not a fan and would actually duck.

Ken and I weren’t amused, but Patrick thought it was great fun.

I had to think of a way to get Patrick to eat roasted asparagus.  So I added Parmesan cheese and that was a game changer. He actually would ask for them! Now that’s miraculous!

So, if you’ve got kids that dislike asparagus (but like cheese), give this broiled asparagus with parmesan cheese try.

It just might work.  

How to Choose Asparagus

Before you learn how to cook asparagus, you need to know how to choose it!

When selecting fresh asparagus, look for firm spears with tight, compact heads that aren’t dried out or droopy.

Consider the size of the stalks. Some say thin ones are more tender than the heavier ones. Others say thicker stalks have a slightly better texture. 

Both sizes have fiber and contain the same amount of vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health.

Thin spears have higher concentrations of fiber which makes them ideal for salads, stir fries, soups and lightly-grilled recipes.

Thick spears are better for broiling and roasting as they stand up to a hot dry oven that would emaciate thin ones.

Either way, choose a bunch that is hearty and has a rich green color.

How to Trim Asparagus

Now that you know how to choose asparagus, here is all the information you need on how to trim asparagus!

You may rinse the asparagus before or after you trim the asparagus. Then you must pat it dry. Be careful not to soak the asparagus spears too long or they will wilt.

There are a couple of ways to trim asparagus:

1. Work with one spear at a time and use a knife to slice off the woody ends.
2. Snap it off by hand. Grab both ends of the asparagus spear with your fingers and bend until you feel or hear a snapping sound.

It never ceases to amaze me that asparagus spears naturally break in just the right place where the fleshy part meets the woody end.

You don’t really need to know how to trim asparagus, the asparagus almost trims itself!

Using a knife is better for accuracy and presentation, but the snapping method works very well to trim asparagus.

Don’t throw out those woody ends. Freeze them and make asparagus soup when you’re in the mood.

Once your asparagus is trimmed, it can be used as part of a main course, as a side, in a salad or soup. It’s very adaptable!

Asparagus can become a household staple because it is so versatile and there are so many great recipes to make with it.

How to Peel Asparagus

For most, just trimming asparagus is enough. Some will want to learn how to peel asparagus and this is how you do it.

Just a side note: peeling asparagus may look attractive but, it’s a lot of work and is not really necessary. You might end up with tiny little pieces.

Preserving what you can of the asparagus spear and getting rid of the woody parts is all that really matters, in my opinion.

Personally, it is a rare occasion that I would peel large, thick asparagus, but if you’re keen on giving it a try, here goes:

• Similar to peeling a carrot but, instead of peeling it in the air, lay the asparagus down flat so it won’t bend under pressure. 
• Working with one at a time, start by holding the flat spear by the tip.
• Using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, peel off the skin from the lower half of the spear. This will expose the white and lighter green parts of the stem.

Try not to go too deep as you don’t want to waste any of that precious asparagus flesh!

How to Store Asparagus

There are two ways of storing Asparagus and it will last 2-3 days in the fridge. Don’t wash asparagus until you’re ready to use it as water wilts the spears and they will easily spoil.

Option 1: Place the spears in a large jar or vase with cold water, about an inch or two deep. The ends need to sit in water. To keep the tips as fresh as possible, cover the jar or vase with a produce bag.

Option 2: Wrap the ends of the spears with a very damp paper towel and store inside the fridge with the tips covered by the produce bag.

If you plan to use your asparagus the day you purchased it, keep it inside the produce bag.

Place the asparagus inside the crisper drawer (if you have one) as it has a higher humidity than the rest of your fridge and will keep it fresher longer.

How to Freeze Asparagus

Asparagus needs to be used within 2-3 days, so if you don’t plan on consuming it within that time frame, freeze it. 

Freezing asparagus is easy and, if you blanch it first, I guarantee you will be happy with the results. 

Blanching preserves the color and maintains the texture of your asparagus. If done correctly, put asparagus in resealable freezer bags or airtight containers and it will last up to 6 months in the freezer. 

Think about how you mostly use asparagus. You can freeze the spears whole or chopped. For the most part, I freeze my asparagus whole as it can always be chopped later.

Years ago, there was an occasion when I needed whole asparagus and all I had were 3 inch long pieces. So freezing asparagus whole was a lesson that I never forgot. 

To blanch asparagus, you can either boil or steam it.

Boiling: Add prepared asparagus to a large skillet pot of salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.

Steaming: Bring water to a boil, place your asparagus in the top half of the steamer and cover for 4 to 6 minutes, again, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. 

Steaming is my preferred method as less nutrients are lost and it preserves the color of the asparagus. So, if you choose to steam your asparagus, you might want to check out these asparagus steamers.

I rely on this asparagus steamer a lot. It is reasonably priced and is a delight to work with. This steamer is absolutely wonderful and makes cooking asparagus easy. Although this may not be your brand of choice, using a steamer can be a good investment.

Now, back to freezing asparagus.

No matter how you blanch it, once your asparagus is tender and bright green, remove it from the heat and immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Leave it there for a few minutes, then drain the asparagus in a strainer.

You can avoid spears from clumping together by flash freezing them and this will allow you to take out the exact amount you need from the freezer at any time.

Flash Freezing:  Lay out blanched spears on a baking sheet in a single layer, leaving space between each spear so they don’t stick together. Freeze for about 2 hours and then place the asparagus into resealable freezer bags or an airtight container.

Lay the spears as flat as possible if using resealable bags. Face half the tips on one side and the other half in the opposite direction. 

Whether you decide to freeze your asparagus in bunches or flash freeze it, you have to decide what works best for you and your family.

Canning is another way of preserving asparagus, but it has been my experience that it causes the asparagus to become too soft and is difficult to work with.  

How to Cook Asparagus

There are so many ways to cook and prepare asparagus. Try one or try them all and see which is your favorite.

Options

Boiling: Add prepared asparagus to a large skillet or pot with at least an inch of salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes (depending on the thickness of your asparagus).

Steaming: Bring water to a boil. Place your asparagus in the basket of your steamer, on top of the boiling water and cover for 4 to 6 minutes (again, depending on the thickness of asparagus).

Stir fry: Cut the spears into 2-inch pieces and stir-fry with a tablespoon (or so) of oil for up to 5 minutes.

Microwave: Place your asparagus in a single layer, spaced apart, in a microwave safe dish. Add ¼ cup of liquid, water, wine, broth etc. and some salt. Cover and heat for 4 to 5 minutes on high.

Grill: Coat the spears with oil and place on a  preheated grill over medium heat. For complete directions have a look at our Grilled Asparagus recipe.

Roasting: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a bowl, toss asparagus lightly in oil. On a baking sheet, arrange in a single layer and bake 12-15 minutes.   

This Easy Broiled Asparagus recipe below shows you how to cook one of the best roasted asparagus recipes ever, if I don’t say so myself! ?

Hopefully I have showed you how to cook, trim, peel and prepare asparagus to be stored and frozen. 

I hope you have found this information helpful. Feel free to leave me your comments. I love hearing people’s experiences.

Ingredients in Easy Roasted Asparagus  

• asparagus
• olive or another vegetable oil
• salt or garlic salt
• pepper
• freshly squeezed lemon juice (if desired)
• grated Parmesan (if desired)
• melted butter (if desired)
• crushed red pepper flakes (if desired)

Consider adding a  splash of balsamic vinegar or a bottled vinaigrette dressing of your choice. Top with toasted almonds or walnuts.

How to make Easy Broiled Asparagus

1. Adjust oven rack to about 4 inches from the upper heating element. 
2. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil.
4. In a resealable bag or on the tinfoil, pour enough olive oil to coat your asparagus and toss.
5. Spread asparagus out on the tin foil covered baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle asparagus with salt and pepper.
7. Broil for 4 minutes, shake pan enough to move and rotate the asparagus.
8. Broil 4-6 more minutes until asparagus is tender and lightly browned.

Total time: 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Broiled Asparagus with Garlic or Lemon

Although it is easy to enjoy broiled asparagus without any additional flavors, sometimes, it is nice to switch things up. You can do this easily too.

I add some garlic salt, instead of regular salt, when broiling.

Add freshly squeezed lemon or lemon juice right after asparagus is out of the oven.

Drizzle some melted butter all over top of the asparagus.

Sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes all over your asparagus.

Separately, or in combination, consider giving these a try sometime.

My close friend Julie drizzles her asparagus with melted butter that has garlic in it or crushed red pepper flakes. She just loves it and her kids do too!

Broiled Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese  

I do think that the favorite addition has got to be parmesan cheese. As soon as the asparagus is out of your oven, sprinkle it with parmesan cheese! 

Easy peasy. Parmesan roasted asparagus.

There are a lot of Parmesan cheeses on the market today. Although not cheap, consider buying Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It’s made in a certain area of Italy and it’s the real deal.

Other Parmesan cheeses pale in comparison.

Be sure to store it in the fridge or freezer.

The final touch to making this fabulous Broiled Asparagus is the Parmesan Cheese, of course! It gives an already delicious dish that special something; it’s like the icing on a cake!

Parmesan roasted asparagus is a favorite in our house and will be in yurs too!

Easy Asparagus Recipes

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette

Italian Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

Easy Broiled Asparagus Video