How to Grill Asparagus: 5 Methods for Grilling Asparagus

You can make grilled asparagus by searing it on an outdoor grill or with olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or a pan on the stovetop. Chefs frequently flavor the asparagus with savory ingredients, such as onions, garlic, scallions, or shallots, in addition to salt and black pepper.

Here are a few characteristics that many fans of grilled asparagus find appealing:

1. 1. Char marks: Char marks are a sign the asparagus maintained good contact with the grill grates during the cooking process, which translates to enhanced flavor. It’s worth noting that you can cook asparagus on the grill without direct contact with the grates (for example, wrapping the asparagus in foil first), but the resulting flavor will not be the same.
2. 2. Crispy exterior: Grilled asparagus, when cooked properly, is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. There’s no pre-cooking required to achieve this texture combination, but you do have to take care not to burn the asparagus, particularly if the spears are on the thick side. To prevent burning thick asparagus, move the spears to the cooler part of the grill.
3. 3. Smoky flavor: When you cook asparagus on a charcoal grill or a gas grill, the cooking process will infuse the spears with a smoky flavor as they cook. This distinct flavor of grilled asparagus holds up well to a vinaigrette or a marinade, or you can enjoy your smoky-flavored grilled asparagus with a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese, and a pinch of kosher salt.

You can easily make the easy side dish for BBQs or cookouts. Here are tips to make the cooking process as simple as possible:

1. 1. Remove the bottoms of the stalks. Fresh asparagus stalks have tough and fibrous ends, so remove these before you start grilling. Not doing so might give you a false sense of doneness, since no matter how long the woody ends cook, they will never become tender; you risk overcooking the rest of the asparagus spear.
2. 2. Grease the grill grates. Grease the grill grates themselves to minimize sticking. Grilling recipes usually call for a cooking spray or for brushing the grill with a neutral oil. Avoid using olive oil because it has a low smoke point (the temperature at which a substance will begin to start smoking) and is more prone to flaring than other oils.
3. 3. Control the heat. You want a cooking surface with a cooler side and a warmer side. Gas grills have the advantage of temperature control, so you can set one side to be on medium-high heat and the other to be on high heat. It’s more difficult to control the heat on a charcoal grill, though you can move the hot coals to one side of the grill. If the asparagus is getting too charred while it cooks, you can move it to the slightly cooler side or cooking surface.

There are several different methods for grilling asparagus, including:

1. 1. Directly on the grill: Lightly coat your asparagus in an oil with a high smoke point (it requires a very high temperature to begin giving off smoke), such as canola oil or avocado oil, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Using tongs, lay the asparagus directly on the heated grill grates, taking care to arrange them in a single layer.
2. 2. In a foil packet: Inside a large piece of aluminum foil, place the asparagus, olive oil (acceptable in this method since the olive oil won’t directly touch the grill), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon juice. Wrap the foil tightly around the ingredients and cook on the grill at medium-high heat until it becomes fork-tender.
3. 3. On a baking sheet: Find a baking sheet that can withstand high heat, usually one made of stainless steel or aluminum. Place the asparagus and any other veggies or ingredients on the baking sheet, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then put the baking sheet right on the grill grates. Close the lid to the grill, but check the asparagus often, turning it as needed to facilitate even cooking.
4. 4. On skewers: A downside to grilling asparagus directly on the grill is that it’s easy for them to fall through the grates. Skewering the asparagus solves this problem and makes it easier to flip all the asparagus at once. Keep in mind that if you’re using wood skewers (instead of metal ones), you should soak the skewers in water (overnight, if possible) in advance to prevent them from burning on the grill.
5. 5. On the stove: Use a cast-iron grill pan that you can place right on a gas or electric stovetop so that you can mimic the flavor and texture of asparagus grilled on a gas or charcoal grill. Oil the pan, season the asparagus, and cook them right in the pan over medium-high heat.