Asparagus is at the top of our list of spring produce—and it’s probably your favorite, too. Knowing how to cook asparagus is important if you want to enjoy all that the vegetable has to offer. April and May are peak season for the bright green stalks, and while you can generally find them during other times of the year, they are at their sweetest and most tender in the spring. 

One of the reasons we love asparagus so much is that it’s incredibly versatile. It adds a pop of green color to a one-pot pasta and brightens an indulgent casserole. It can even be enjoyed raw in salads and grain bowls. However, we use asparagus most as a quick and easy dinner side dish. But don’t worry—we never get in a rut because we use all 10 of these ways to cook it.

How to Prepare Asparagus

Before it can be cooked, asparagus needs to be prepped. The good news it’s super simple. All you have to do is rinse the spears and trim the ends, which can be fibrous and tough to chew, even when cooked. 

Start by holding one asparagus spear from the bunch and bending it toward the bottom third. The tough end should snap right off. Once you have an idea of where they need to be trimmed, line up the remaining asparagus spears and use a knife to trim off their ends.

Ways to Cook Asparagus

You’ll want to try all of them but yes, you will have favorites!

Roast

Roasting is one of the most popular ways to cook asparagus—and in our opinion, it’s also one of the best ways. This is especially true if you’re already using the oven for another part of the meal. Other bonuses: Roasting requires minimal ingredients and is almost entirely hands-off. Asparagus can roast at super high temperatures (425 degrees Fahrenheit or so) or more moderate temperatures (around 375 degrees), making roasting one of the easiest ways to cook this spring vegetable. 

How to Roast Asparagus 

1. Preheat the oven: An ideal temperature is between 375-400 degrees, but asparagus can adapt to both lower and higher temperatures as needed. 
2. Season the asparagus: Toss the asparagus spears with a good glug of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and any dried herbs and spices you like. Arrange the spears in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Cook: Roast the asparagus until tender and browned in places. At 400 degrees, this should take around 15 minutes total. Flip the spears once halfway through.

Steam

We rate steaming as one of the best ways to cook asparagus; it’s right up there with roasting. This gentle cooking technique allows the flavor of the asparagus to really shine through. It also absorbs whatever flavors are trapped inside the steaming system, so in addition to the mandatory salt, consider adding a few crushed garlic cloves or fresh herb stems to the pan. 

How to Steam Asparagus 

1. Bring the water to a simmer: Choose a wide, shallow pan and place a steamer basket inside. Add at least 1 inch of water to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. 
2. Salt the water: Add one or two generous pinches of salt to the water. 
3. Cook: Lay the asparagus onto the steamer basket in an even layer, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Allow to steam just until tender, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Pro tip: keep the water at a steady simmer the entire time—this might require adjusting the temperature from time to time.

Blanch

The blanching technique cooks asparagus very quickly. Blanching essentially is boiling the vegetable for a very short amount of time and then dunking it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Spears can be blanched and served with a simple squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. 

How to Boil Asparagus 

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil: Choose a pot that is large enough to accommodate all the asparagus you have, giving the spears some room to float around. Bring the water to a rolling boi. 
2. Salt the water: Just as with pasta water, it is important to salt the blanching liquid. Use about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water. 
3. Cook: Add the asparagus to the boiling water and give it a stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. 
4. Drain and shock: Drain the water and transfer the asparagus to a bowl of clean ice water, ensuring that they remain submerged. When they are cool, drain again.

Sauté

After roasting, sautéeing is the next easiest way to cook asparagus. It’s a simple technique and a good one to use when you need to cook the spears quickly and without much hassle. All that’s needed is a skillet, some olive oil, and a pinch of salt. A little something acidic at the end, like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, never hurts. 

How to Sauté Asparagus

1. Heat the oil: Start by warming a splash of olive or neutral vegetable oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Choose a pan that can comfortably fit all of the asparagus without crowding, especially if leaving the asparagus spears whole. 
2. Add everything to the skillet: Once the oil is hot, add the asparagus and seasonings to the skillet, tossing to coat them in the oil. 
3. Cook: Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the asparagus is fork-tender. This takes around 10 minutes, depending on if the asparagus spears are whole or cut into smaller planks.

Grill

When the weather is nice, grilling is a great way to enjoy asparagus. Just as with roasting or sautéeing, grilling asparagus requires minimal pantry ingredients—just be sure to have some olive oil, salt, and pepper on hand. It’s also fast, grilling asparagus takes less than 5 minutes, so it can come in handy when you realize you need a side for your cookout. 

Enjoy grilled asparagus dressed with a simple vinaigrette or chop the spears into bite-sized pieces and add to pasta salad or grain salads. 

How to Grill Asparagus 

1. Heat the grill for direct heat: Whether using a gas, charcoal grill, or indoor grill pan, start by preheating for direct heat cooking. Once heated, brush the grates with a light coating of oil to prevent sticking. 
2. Prep the asparagus: Drizzle the asparagus spears very lightly with oil and season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings, if desired. 
3. Cook: Toss the asparagus onto the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender and charred all over.

Stew

Stewing is a cooking technique that combines both wet and dry methods. Think of it as a halfway point between sautéeing and blanching. The vegetable isn’t fully submerged in water, but it does have plenty of liquid to keep it from drying out. Asparagus can be stewed super simply with just some water and seasonings, but it’s nice when paired with a saucy tomato mixture as well. 

How to Stew

1. Sauté the asparagus: Start by sautéeing the asparagus for just 1 minute. 
2. Add the liquid: Add enough water, broth, or tomato sauce to the pan to cover about one-third of the asparagus. Bring the mixture to a simmer. 
3. Cook: Pop a lid on the pan, but leave it askew so some steam can escape. Cook until the asparagus is tender and the liquid has mostly absorbed—less than 5 minutes. Asparagus will stew much more quickly than a heartier food such as meat or beans, but it will still absorb plenty of good flavor in its short cook time. 
4. Finish with butter (optional): If there’s too much liquid left in the pan, remove the lid, add a pat of butter, and let the liquid simmer and evaporate. The remaining butter will leave the asparagus nicely glazed.

Broil

Broiling will yield tender asparagus spears with a nice char—and it takes mere minutes. It’s a great technique to use with sheet-pan meals. Simply add the asparagus to the pan during the last few minutes of cooking and pop it under the broiler. 

How to Broil Asparagus 

1. Preheat the broiler: Place the broiler on high heat and carefully adjust an oven rack so that it sits about 6 inches below the heating element. 
2. Season the asparagus: Toss the asparagus with a glug of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you like. Arrange the spears in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Cook: Broil the asparagus for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping the spears once halfway through, until tender and charred.

Microwave

The microwave is good for more than reheating leftovers. It’s actually a great way to cook vegetables, including asparagus—and it’s by far the fastest technique. As it creates plenty of steam, microwaved vegetables are tender and moist. 

How to Microwave Asparagus 

1. Place the asparagus on a microwave-safe plate: Arrange the asparagus in a mostly even layer on a microwave-safe plate. 
2. Season and cover: Sprinkle the spears with a pinch of salt, then cover completely with a damp paper towel. This will keep the asparagus from drying out. 
3. Cook: Microwave on high heat until crisp-tender. This should take 3 to 4 minutes per pound of asparagus.

Air-Fry

Air-fried asparagus is similar to roasted asparagus but slightly crispier. It’s a hands-off technique is that is especially nice if the oven and stovetop are full with other dishes. 

How to Air Fry Asparagus 

1. Preheat the air-fryer: Heat the air-fryer to 390 degrees and let it warm up while you prep the asparagus. 
2. Season the asparagus: You don’t need much fat when using the air-fryer. Toss the spears with a very light splash of oil or spritz them a few times with cooking spray. Be sure to season with salt and pepper. 
3. Cook: Spread the asparagus in the air fryer basket and place it in the air fryer. Cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the basket a few times during the cooking until the asparagus is tender and slightly crunchy.

Stir-Fry

Stir-frying is one of the most popular quick-cooking techniques, and we love it for so many vegetables, not only asparagus. Stir-frying is similar to sautéeing, but everything happens much faster because it’s done at a very high heat. It’s best to cut the asparagus into smaller bite-sized pieces for this technique rather than using whole stalks. 

How to Stir-Fry Asparagus 

1. Heat the pan or wok: The pan needs to be ripping hot. Once you see steam coming off the surface, you know it’s ready. 
2. Add the oil and asparagus: Swirl in a small splash of vegetable oil (it has a higher smoke point than olive oil) and add the asparagus. 
3. Cook: Fry the spears for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and browned in places. If you’re using other vegetables in the stir-fry, add everything at the same time—just make sure they are all cut into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Add other seasonings, like grated garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, or soy sauce, during the last few seconds of cooking.