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Grilled asparagus on a wooden board with lemon and parmesan.
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5 from 9 votes

Best Grilled Asparagus

Our Best Grilled Asparagus is a super simple low carb less than 15-minute 5 ingredient side dish with lemon zest and fresh parmesan.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time13 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 95kcal
Author: HWC Magazine

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus spears raw - bigger is better for the grill- about the size diameter of your pointer finger.
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese or more to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to 450 degrees F or 232. Clean and prep the grill
  • In the meantime, wash the asparagus and remove the stem at the bottom where it breaks off easily or you can use a knife to trim.
  • (optional) Use a vegetable peeler or knife to peel the bottom ⅓ of the asparagus stalk. If your stalks are large you may want to do this to make sure they stay tender.
  • Toss asparagus well with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place asparagus directly on the grill facing in the opposite direction as the grates so that your asparagus do not fall through. You can also grill on a grill pan or use a vegetable grill grate for smaller diameter asparagus.
  • Grill larger asparagus for about 6-10 minutes directly on the grill. Turning halfway through the cooking process. It depends on the size of your asparagus and also it depends how you like your asparagus cooked. We like ours a little aldente but with a nice char so for us that was about 3-4minutes on each side until you can piece your fork into the asparagus easily.If you like your asparagus more well done, depending on the size of the asparagus, it can take up to 10 minutes. For smaller asparagus that you need to cook on a vegetable grill these can be done in 4-6 minutes.
  • Be sure to turn and check on your asparagus a couple of times during the cooking process and turn as needed. Some of the asparagus might get done first if they are smaller compared to the rest. You can take these off the grill or place on indirect area of the grill until the rest are done cooking.
  • Remove the best grilled asparagus off the grill and top with lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
  • Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days. We do not recommend freezing leftovers as the thawing process can leave your asparagus mushy. No one likes mushy asparagus. Take Care

Notes

The best sized asparagus to grill directly over the grill are asparagus about the size of your pointer finger. That was they are less likely to fall through the grill grates and aslo can hold up to the grilling process. 
We like to both trim and peel the bottom ⅓ of the asparagus for a deliciously tender asparagus. If you trim your asparagus at the point where it breaks easily, it is not imperative that you also peel your asparagus. However, we like to do this as it makes the asparagus extra tender. 
However, you can also grill smaller diameter asparagus is you use a vegetable grill grate or laid on top of aluminum foil. If you do not have an outdoor grill, bring the party inside and cook your asparagus on your stovetop grill pan or in an iron skillet. 
We grill our asparagus in about a 450 F degree (232 degrees C) grill with the lid closed but we check on and turn our asparagus often so they chargrill on all side. The goal is for aldente asparagus. A fork should be able to pierce your asparagus easily and it should be lightly charred on all sides. 
To help keep your raw asparagus fresh, store your fresh stalks in the refrigerator with a little damp towel on the bottom of the stems. It is best to use up your fresh produce within 4 days of purchase.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 877IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg