Asparagus is one of my favorite side dishes, but I stayed away from making them at home because I was afraid I’d mess up. Little did I know sauteed asparagus was one of the easiest recipes you could make. 

This recipe for sauteed asparagus contains less than 5 ingredients. It also takes about 10 minutes to make (prep included).

How do you prepare asparagus for sauteeing?

Before you attempt to sautee or cook your asparagus, it’s important to trim off the hard ends. The hard ends are not edible.

There are two ways to trim your asparagus. The first method is to trim the hard ends off with cooking shears.

The second method is to trim your asparagus with your hands. I prefer this method.  

To trim your asparagus with your hands, you simply hold the top part of the asparagus with one hand and use the other hand to bend the hard end. The asparagus will snap naturally, leaving only the part that is edible. 

How do you sautee asparagus? 

Sauteeing asparagus is no different than sauteeing other vegetables like onions. You simply heat butter or another cooking fat in a skillet and add your asparagus.

I use tongs to mix them occasionally and stop cooking them when they are bright green and tender. After sauteeing, I remove them from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. 

What are good add-ins to this recipe?

This sauteed asparagus recipe is meant to be super easy. In some ways, I’d describe it as a starter recipe of sorts.

If you want to add other things to the asparagus here are some variations and add-ins:

Add Bacon Fat & Bacon Crumbles

In place of sauteeing your asparagus in butter, you can cook them in bacon fat. Simply cook 3-4 slices of bacon in a pan then set the bacon aside. 

Sautee the asparagus in the bacon fat and top the finished asparagus with the bacon crumbles. 

Add Grated Parmesan

Another way to elevate this recipe is to finish the asparagus with grated parmesan. After sauteeing, you simply add 2-3 tbsp of grated parmesan and toss the cooked asparagus in the cheese. 

Since parmesan is slightly salty, you should toss the asparagus in the cheese then decide if you need to add extra salt and pepper. 

What are good main dishes to pair this with?

Every great side dish needs a main dish! Here are some drool-worthy options:

The Ultimate Keto Surf & Turf

Ranch Spiced Steak

Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Risotto

Easy Sauteed Asparagus

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

An easy recipe for sauteed asparagus that can be adjusted to include lemon, parmesan, and bacon. 

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Indian Keto Recipes, Paleo, Quick, Vegetable, Whole30

Servings: 4

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Davinah S. Smith

Ingredients

• 1 lb Asparagus trimmed
• 3 tbsp Salted Butter
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 Lemon
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the salted butter in a skillet
• Add the garlic and asparagus. Sautee until the asparagus are bright green (~5 minutes). Remove from heat
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice
• Add salt and pepper to taste

Recipe Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Easy Sauteed Asparagus

Amount Per Serving

Calories 105 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g 12%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 22mg 7%

Sodium 78mg 3%

Potassium 247mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 2g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 22.5%

Vitamin C 16.9%

Calcium 3.6%

Iron 13.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Use #DrDavinahS when posting your photo of this dish, and follow @DrDavinahS on Instagram