Discover the secret to this perfectly Sautéed Asparagus Recipe With Lemon. Caramelized and crispy outside with a tender and crisp inside. Ready in 12 minutes for a quick, elegant side dish you'll crave.
Have you ever overcooked asparagus? Ya, me too. Mushy asparagus makes me mad 😡.
Asparagus is an acquired taste for some with a grassy, slightly sweet flavor but also some bitterness with hints of sulfur.
I confess. I’m not crazy about asparagus (unless it's in season) so we don’t eat a lot of it. But when we do, I prefer to omit the water from steaming and boiling and blister them in a hot pan to intensify their flavor.
In the lower midwest region of the US, the asparagus harvest season is around mid-April, when the Redbud trees are blooming, through the end of May. It can now be found year-round in our grocery stores but the quality is not as good. Perhaps, you can locate a local farm nearby or a farmers market to buy some freshly grown asparagus every spring. It's worth it.
The secret to sautéed asparagus? Use a hot skillet and leave them alone while they caramelize then get them out of the skillet to keep them from overcooking. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to compliment its grassy flavor and tame its bitterness. It’s the perfect way to celebrate this spring peak-season veggie. Serve with sheet pan bone-in chicken breasts or thick pan-seared pork chops for a simple weeknight meal.
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Why You Will Like This Recipe
- It's ready in just under 12 minutes! Sauteed asparagus beats oven-roasted asparagus in total cook time, getting your veggies to the table even faster.
- It’s SO easy—you can make it with 5 ingredients.
- They taste great at room temperature.
How To Choose Perfect Asparagus
- Choose your asparagus on how crisp and firm it is, not by how thick or thin. Pinch it to find out.
- Thinner spears are not necessarily more tender or less fibrous than big fat spears.
- An asparagus plant will produce thin, medium, and thick spears at the same time.
- Look for tightly closed flowery tips and cut ends that don't look too dried out.
- Store your asparagus with the cut ends standing in a container of water in the refrigerator. This keeps the asparagus fresh for an additional 2-3 days.
Ingredients
You only need 5 ingredients to make this simple recipe!
- Fresh Asparagus Spears - Pinch some spears at the store to make sure they are firm. Check out How To Choose Perfect Asparagus for more tips.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Taste various olive oils to find the one that you like the best. My favorite is from California Olive Ranch.
- Lemon Juice - Adds some acid and brightness. When shopping, choose a lemon that is heavy. Weigh it to help you find the best one with more juice.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations
- Top it with a shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, or chopped pistachios.
- Top with soft-boiled eggs or fried eggs.
- Add grated hard-boiled eggs - Mimosa style.
- Reduce or omit the lemon juice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place a skillet over a burner set to medium-high heat. I like to use a 12-inch cast iron skillet, but a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet works. Allow it to heat up for 5 minutes.
If you have too many spears to fit in a single layer on the skillet, you will need to cook a second batch.
Step 1: Prepare asparagus by washing and drying it.
Step 2: The base of the spears are tough, woody, and no fun to eat. To trim them, bend one stalk from the bunch until it snaps at the sweet spot.
Step 3: Once the spear has snapped, line up the rest of the spears so the flowery tips are lined up with each other.
Step 4: Simply cut the rest at about the same point using the stalk you snapped as a guide on where to cut with your knife.
Step 5: Add the olive oil to the hot skillet. Wait 30 seconds for the oil to heat up then add the asparagus spears to the skillet and toss to coat.
Make sure each spear is touching the skillet's bottom so they can get a good sear. Use a spatula, if needed, to push down to help.
Step 6: Allow them to saute for 5-6 minutes for ½-inch thick spears or 3-4 minutes for ¼-inch thick or thinner spears.
Don't move the asparagus except to peek under a piece to see if it is starting to brown.
Step 7: Once brown, season with salt and pepper, then carefully add the lemon juice to the pan. Mix the asparagus with thongs. Turn off the burner. Taste a spear to see if the seasoning is OK in case you want more lemon or salt.
Step 8: Serve immediately.
If not serving immediately, transfer the asparagus to a dish so it will stop cooking and prevent steaming.
What Is The Best Way To Preserve Asparagus?
Local, farmstand asparagus is more flavorful, tender, and fresh than anything at a store. Its season is short-lived and there are not many ways to make it last.
My favorite way to preserve is the freezer:
- Blanch one-inch segments for 30 seconds in salted boiling water.
- Plunge them into an ice bath until chilled.
- Place the asparagus pieces on clean dish towels to dry.
- Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Pop the cookie sheet into the freezer until they are frozen for about 4 hours.
- Transfer the frozen asparagus pieces into freezer containers, like freezer bags, and remove all the air.
- Pull a handful out from the freezer and let them rest on the counter for 45 minutes before topping a salad or pizza or adding them to soup or the final phase of your risotto.
Storage Information
For the best-sautéed asparagus, make it right before serving. It takes just minutes to cook and the texture is just not the same later.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that reheated asparagus will be softer. Consider chopping leftover spears to use in salads.
This recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
Make Ahead Instructions
Within 2 hours of serving, place the sautéed asparagus on a serving dish or cookie sheet and set them aside on the counter. Serve them at room temperature. Asparagus does not retain heat for long, yet they are very tasty at room temperature.
If you want to reheat sautéed asparagus, place a cookie sheet of room temperature asparagus in a 350℉ for 2-3 minutes. Their texture will be softer.
FAQ
Absolutely! While lemon brightens the flavor, you can finish with a splash of good white wine vinegar, a sprinkle of parmesan, or simply season with salt and pepper.
Check for doneness with the edge of your knife or just taste one. If you feel too much resistance, let the asparagus simmer on low heat for another minute. If they are ready, remove them from heat and reserve for plating.
The most common culprits are overcrowding the pan and cooking at too low a temperature. Use a large pan or make 2 batches, arrange spears in a single layer, and cook on medium-high heat. Stick with searing 3-4 minutes for skinny spears or 5-6 minutes for thicker spears.
Sauté asparagus at the end of your meal prep. If you are still waiting for the rest of the meal, transfer the spears to a cookie sheet and place them towards the back of the stove to keep warm. Also, warm your plates before plating to help retain some heat.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Sautéed Asparagus With Lemon
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Place skillet over a burner set to medium-high. Allow it to heat up for 5 minutes.
- Prepare asparagus by washing, drying, then trimming the woody ends from the base of the spears.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil. Wait 30 seconds for the oil to heat up then add the asparagus spears to the skillet and toss to coat. Make sure each spear is touching the skillet's bottom so they can get a good sear. Use a spatula, if needed, to push down to help the spears touch the skillet. If you have too many spears to fit the skillet, pull some out for a second batch.
- Sauté for 5-6 minutes for ½-inch thick spears or 3-4 minutes for ¼-inch thick or less spears. Don't move the asparagus except to peek under a piece to see if it is starting to brown.
- When brown, season with salt and pepper, then carefully add the lemon juice to the pan. Mix the asparagus with thongs. Turn off the burner. Taste a spear to see if the seasoning is OK and texture is slightly firm, but not too soft. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, transfer the asparagus to a serving dish so it will stop cooking.
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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