Bacon Wrapped Asparagus takes your favorite green stalky vegetable to a whole new level! This make-ahead side dish is so easy to throw together and ready in right around 30 minutes! It's salty and sweet, sprinkled with a little brown sugar before baking. This is the ultimate vegetable side for family dinners and holiday meals!
Table of Contents
I love seeing asparagus pop up when it's in season, usually February-June, with plenty on the grocery shelves in April. Long, stalky, and bright green, it can be difficult to know how to properly cook a bundle of asparagus! What to do with it? When in doubt: add bacon. I think this can be a general rule for all green vegetables: broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, kale, zucchini - they all go SO well with bacon!
This bacon wrapped asparagus recipe is easy to throw together. However, one thing you must remember with asparagus is to trim the ends. The ends are really tough, almost woody, and they don't improve when roasted in the oven. You can use a peeler to peel away the tough outer skin from the ends and eat the tender insides, but I find it's just easy to chop off the bottom part.
Aside from trimming off the ends, all you have to do for this bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe is season it with a little salt and pepper along with olive oil, wrap it in bacon, sprinkle a little brown sugar over it (optional but absolutely delicious!), and roast the little bundles until they are tender-crisp.
This easy side dish is great for all occasions, especially when Asparagus is in season, and you can also make it ahead of time. For prep, I like to do everything apart from baking it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, but you can also pre-roast it, and just reheat it when dinner is almost ready.
Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables! It's versatile, a little different than the standard green veg like broccoli, and it roasts beautifully. Our Oven Roasted Asparagus with Garlic, Parmesan, & Lemon is really easy to make and brings out all of the asparagus' fresh flavors, and our Asparagus Tart is so elegant and perfect for brunch throughout the year!
What You'll Need
- Asparagus stalks: You'll want to trim off the tough woody ends of the asparagus - they're not fun to eat! I do this by bending one of the stalks towards the bottom until it snaps, and then cutting the rest of the asparagus spears to the same length.
- Bacon: Bacon is the easiest meat to wrap around vegetables like asparagus. It sticks perfectly without the need to hold it together with a toothpick. Not to mention, it's bacon: it's delicious!
- Seasoning: Simple salt and pepper bring out the flavors and season this bacon wrapped asparagus so well.
- Sugar: I love the flavor of brown sugar with bacon! It tastes almost candied when finished baking. This is entirely optional, but I personally wouldn't skip it!
How to Make Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon
- Prep. First of all, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Wash & trim. Secondly, wash and trim tough, woody ends of asparagus by bending one of the stalks towards the bottom until it snaps, and then cut the remaining asparagus to the same length.
- Season and toss. Next, drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Divide, wrap and sweeten. Divide the asparagus into 8 groups (usually 3 or 4 spears) and wrap each group with a piece of bacon. Set them seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat using all of the asparagus and bacon. For a salty-sweet finish, you can sprinkle the brown sugar over the bacon before baking. It's so good!
- Bake! Bake for 22 to 28 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and the asparagus is tender-crisp. Serve warm.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prep the ingredients for asparagus wrapped in bacon up to 3 days ahead of time, and just bake it when you're ready! You can even bake it ahead of time as well, and reheat it before serving.
How do you clean Asparagus before cooking?
- Wash the asparagus thoroughly.
- Bend the tip of the asparagus down towards the stalk. It will naturally snap where the soft and tough flesh meet.
- Cut the asparagus neatly where it breaks.
- Use the initial cut asparagus as a guide and cut the rest to the same length.
Does this recipe fit any specific diets?
Yes! If you leave off the optional sugar, this bacon wrapped asparagus can be eaten on a paleo, whole30, low carb, or keto diet. It's also naturally gluten-free!
More Recipes Like This
- The Best Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
- Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower
- Zucchini Fries
- Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Parmesan and Lemon
- Tender Roasted Green Beans
- Haricot Verts with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Green Beans with Bacon & Pine Nuts
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus stalks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 strips bacon
- â…“ cup brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Wash and trim tough, woody ends of asparagus by bending one of the stalks towards the bottom until it snaps. Cut remaining asparagus to the same length.
- Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Divide the asparagus into 8 groups (usually 3-4 spears) and wrap each group with a piece of bacon. Set them seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat using all of the asparagus and bacon. For a salty-sweet finish, you can sprinkle the brown sugar over the bacon before baking.
- Bake for 22 to 28 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and the asparagus is tender-crisp. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make-ahead: You can assemble and even bake up to 3 days in advance, then bake or reheat just before serving.
I used to not like asparagus growing up because my mom always used the canned stuff but now I am huge fan of it! And you just made it even more irresistible with BACON!!
Pair this with an "easy no fail hollandaise sauce" and win the day. These are great on our pellet grill too!