Marinated Asparagus

This marinated asparagus is a very flavorful side dish to serve year round. You can cook on the stovetop, roast it in the oven during the cooler months or grill it during the warmer ones. As a bonus, it adapts well to many different seasonings.

Why this recipe is just so good....

• It is quick cooking, whether by roasting, sautéing or grilling.
• And rather than serving it as a side dish for dinner, you can also cook it ahead and serve as a cold salad.
• Although many may feel that asparagus has a strong taste, its flavor is enhanced by the ingredients it is paired with. The zesty marinade has a citrusy, seasoned flavor and the asparagus absorbs it well.
• We love this versatile vegetable and it can be served as an Asparagus and Potato Soup, or Roasted with Carrots for a family or Holiday dinner or even for brunch or light supper like my Asparagus and Ham Quiche.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions

• When choosing asparagus, the thinner spears will be more tender with a milder flavor and the thicker stalks taste a bit stronger. The thicker spears may also be better for outdoor grilling since they are less likely to fall through the grates.
• Use fresh lemon juice for the best citrus flavor in the marinade.
• The recipe uses a combination of fresh and dried herbs. You can use either or both as you prefer.
• For the asparagus marinade in this recipe, you can substitute white wine vinegar for the rice wine or sherry vinegar. Balsamic vinegar and wine vinegar is a bit stronger flavor if you choose that.
• Add more garlic or red pepper flakes if you like a spicy flavor.

How to cook Marinated Asparagus

• Combine ingredients in a cup and stir well.
• Wash and pat dry asparagus with paper towel. Snap off the bottom few inches of the tough ends of the stalk. When you lightly bend the asparagus, it will naturally break off the woody piece on the bottom. It may seem wasteful, but the bottom part is chewier and not as flavorful.
• If you have a large amount or are in a hurry, you can lay them out on a cutting board and cut off ⅓ at the bottom. That will remove most of the woody stem quickly.
• Place asparagus in a plastic storage bag or shallow glass dish and pour marinade over them. Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to three hours for most flavor.

• Drain the marinade, pat dry with a paper towel and place asparagus on indoor grill pan or a large skillet, lightly sprayed with olive oil nonstick spray. The stovetop flame should be set to medium high heat.
• Let them cook a few minutes and turn to continue cooking until asparagus are tender, about 5-10 minutes.
• On an outdoor grill, wipe the grates with a lightly oiled paper towel to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
• Preheat the grill to medium temperature. The grilled asparagus will cook in about 5-10 minutes or until tender.

Recipe Testing Notes

• Thicker stalks are preferable for the outdoor grill since there is less chance of them getting too charred.
• If you are using an outdoor grill and the asparagus are on the thinner side, place them horizontally across the grates so they don't fall through.
• To roast in the oven, preheat oven to 400° and lightly spray a baking sheet. Spread out the drained asparagus and bake for about 10 minutes and check for doneness. They should easily cut through with a knife and fork and be tender but not too soft.
• Serve the marinated asparagus warm or at room temperature.

Storage and Reheating

• If you are not using the asparagus right away, place them upright in a cup or jar with a few inches of water and keep in the refrigerator. After a day or two, cut off the bottom inch of the asparagus and refresh the water and put back in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within 4-5 days.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can reheat them in a large skillet on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes until hot. Or don't reheat and put them in a salad. I don't suggest freezing since they will get mushy, unless you plan to put them in a soup.

If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!

Try some of these delicious vegetable recipes:

Print

Marinated Asparagus

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Deb
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Marinate: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

Marinated asparagus are a delicious side dish to serve any night of the week.  Lemons and herbs give them a zesty flavor and they are perfect on the stovetop, grill or in the oven.

---

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine or rice wine vinegar* see Notes for options
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar*
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt - *
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper
• 1 ½ pound of fresh asparagus, washed, trimmed **

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Combine marinade ingredients and stir well.
2. Trim asparagus by bending each spear and snapping off the bottom where it naturally breaks off.*
3. Place them in plastic bag and pour marinade into bag.  Keep in refrigerator for at least 3o minutes, up to 3 hours.
4. Drain marinade.  Heat the indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat.
5. Grill for 3- 5 minutes, turn the asparagus and grill another 5 minutes or until they are fork tender but not overly charred.**

---

Notes

*You can substitute any type of vinegar that you prefer.   If you substitute the rice and/or sherry vinegar for white,  red wine or balsamic vinegar, you may want to add just a pinch of sugar since they are a tiny bit sweeter.

* I used an all purpose seasoning blend by McCormick that combines salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.

**Trim the asparagus where the woody stalk naturally breaks, approximately 1 ½-2 inches from the bottom.

***To roast asparagus, preheat oven to 400°F.  Lightly spray a baking sheet and place asparagus on pan and bake for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

****Note-the nutrition info is adjusted to include 2 teaspoons of olive oil for the entire recipe.  When I drained all the marinade, most of it was in the measuring cup.