Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Sea Salt

5 from 2 votes

This asparagus is prepared on a grill or in a cast iron grill pan. It is coated in olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sea salt.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 119kcal

Wash the asparagus spears and trim the tough ends on a cutting board. You can do this by holding each end of the asparagus spear and gently bending it until it snaps. How do you know where to cut the ends? Find the area where the green color begins to fade.
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat on a stove top and let it get hot. A regular, non-stick large skillet will work fine if you don’t have a grill pan. I used a cast iron grill pan in this recipe.
Once the grill pan is hot, place the asparagus spears on the pan in a single layer.
Cook for about 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the asparagus is tender and has nice grill marks. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the asparagus. You can choose the doneness per your taste; I typically take it off the heat when the spears start having a nice brown color, but do not get too charred. This way, you will end up with a crisp, tender stem.
Once the asparagus is cooked to your liking, transfer it to a serving plate. Sprinkle with olive oil, add salt, and squeeze some fresh lemon over the stalks. You can also sprinkle them with black pepper if you prefer.
For added flavor, sprinkle some lemon zest over the grilled asparagus before serving. Grated Parmesan cheese or a drizzle of balsamic glaze can also enhance the taste.

The nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on the specific ingredients used.
Olive oil. I used cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. If you do not have olive oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil will also work.
Salt. Any salt will be ok to use here, but coarse sea salt goes exceptionally well when sprinkled on grilled asparagus.
Lemon. Nothing will beat the fresh lemon juice. Cut the lemon in half and keep it close for a quick squeeze of lemon juice when the asparagus grills.
Fresh asparagus. Asparagus is usually packed in a grocery store as a bunch. Now, there are two options here. You can buy thick or thin asparagus. The thicker spears are considered better quality since they contain more fiber. But both options will provide good health benefits. The thicker ones might be better for grilling as they become more crunchy. I prepared the thin asparagus stalks in this recipe, but not long ago, I also prepared the thicker stalks. It is simply my personal opinion that thicker stalks are crunchier.

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