This easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus bundles are oven roasted in under 30 minutes, until crispy, tender, and juicy. When finished with a drizzle of lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt, these low carb appetizers are irresistible!
You could even try them as part of your summer healthy grill recipes!
Asparagus is highly nutritious, incredibly delicious bright green veggie that is a staple around here. From asparagus in air fryer to oven roasted asparagus to broiled asparagus and even to make asparagus salad!
Table of contents
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Let’s talk about why bacon wrapped asparagus NEEDS to be on your dinner plate ASAP. We know that anything with bacon makes life better. Take my brussel sprouts with bacon and pecans, for example. It wouldn’t be the dish it is without the bacon!
A simple appetizer that is in fact a legitimate serving of vegetables but with bacon. Also low carb, gluten free, whole 30, and paleo friendly if you need it to be. Yes please! Roasted asparagus wrapped in bacon delivers on all of this and then some.
Bacon wrapped asparagus recipe requires shy of 10 minutes of prep. It’s basically hands-off once they’re in the oven doing their thing. It’s kind of the beauty of any roasted side dish, like roasted cauliflower.
They’re easy to throw in the oven and end up with this gorgeous char. When all of their natural juices come out, you’ve got an insanely salty, crispy and overall delicious crowd-pleaser that won’t last long!
Bacon wrapped asparagus looks fancy enough to serve a crowd for healthy dinner sides. And let’s be honest – bacon always wins at a party table! Make ahead? Oh yes! Once you learn how to make bacon wrapped asparagus, you could prep it ahead of time and throw in the oven just before you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
As you can imagine there aren’t many ingredients to a bacon wrapped asparagus recipe!
- Asparagus: Trimmed and rinsed. We show below how to trim asparagus.
- Bacon: You can use either 4 thick cut or 8 regular bacon slices. Sugar can be a sneaky ingredient that finds its way into things it has no business being in. So just read the ingredients in your bacon and you’re good to go!
- Oil: Olive oil or avocado oil, whichever you prefer for baking.
- Salt & pepper: A sprinkling for seasoning and taste. Black pepper and bacon are the bomb combo!
- Lemon slice & Coarse sea salt/pink salt to finish: Both are optional. Lemon adds a nice pop of citrus that cuts the fat. The salt adds a crunchy salty texture! Can also use pink salt, it’s the best finishing salt!
How to Trim Asparagus
As delicious as asparagus is, especially when it’s roasted, there is a part of it you don’t want to eat! The end opposite to the spear is woody and chewy and shouldn’t be eaten. Below are two ways how to trim asparagus:
- Cut: A very simple way is to grab one asparagus and gently bend until it snaps. Then lay it next to the bundle on a cutting board, line up by the tops and cut off the ends with a knife by the snapped piece’s length. It is the fastest method to trim asparagus!
- Break: This way is a little more fun! Take one asparagus at a time (or a couple), and gently bend until it snaps. It should automatically break off where the woody part begins. Easy peasy.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Once you learn how to make bacon wrapped asparagus, I can guarantee you it will appear on your dinner and party table regularly.
- Prep: Start by preheating the oven and lining a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Trim and wash your asparagus, no need to dry completely.
- Toss to coat: Lay asparagus right out on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Gently toss with your fingers and make sure to get everything coated evenly.
- Bundle: Grab a few asparagus at a time, making about 4 – 8 groups and wrap a bacon slice around each bunch. Asparagus is thin enough that one slice of bacon is enough per bundle. Tuck the end of the bacon in tightly.
- Bake: Place bacon and asparagus in the oven until bacon is slightly crispy. You won’t get super crispy bacon with this recipe because if you leave it too long, the asparagus will be overcooked.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with finishing salt, if desired. Serve hot.
More Recipe Tips
- Buying asparagus: Choose wisely. Asparagus comes in a variety of sizes and you’ll want to aim for medium to large-sized. They need to be sturdy enough to hold up to the roasting without shriveling up by the time the bacon is cooked. You also don’t want asparagus spears drowning in the grease.
- Bacon thickness and bundle sizes: Depending on how thick or thin your bacon is will usually tell you how many bundles you have. If I use thick slices, I’m able to wrap more asparagus at a time, which gives me 4 bundles. If I use regular bacon it will give me 8 bundles.
- Finishing salt is the best: Bacon is naturally salty, which is why I don’t use much to season asparagus ahead of time. I will say, however, that the added coarse salt or Himalayan pink salt at the end is a beautiful finishing touch that is a must! So good.
FAQs
Yes. You can wrap up your bundles ahead of time, refrigerate covered for up to 24 hours and only roast just before serving. If you have room in the fridge, store right on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic or in a container with lid. Warm up on a counter for 10-15 minutes while oven is preheating. Easy weeknight dinners, lazy weekends, or just a way to make prepping for a crowd simple!
Prep asparagus as per recipe but I recommend to secure bacon with toothpicks because we will be turning the bundles over a few times. Grill over medium heat, covered, turning a few times to crisp up the bacon on all sides. Should take about 12 to 15 minutes.
Yes, so easy. Prep asparagus as per this recipe and use this air fryer asparagus recipe cooking directions.
You can but I find this method quite messy. I even prefer to cook my bacon in the oven instead of frying on the stovetop.
Preheat large non-stick skillet (cast iron will stick!) and add a bit of oil. Fry bunches in batches, placing bacon seam side down without touching each other and leaving enough room for air to circulate and bacon to crisp up. Should take 3-4 minutes per side.
Yes. I love broiling asparagus and you can follow the same cooking method with this bacon wrapped asparagus recipe.
Yes and no. But I think it is. When it comes to bacon, it is all about moderation and buying nitrate and nitrite free bacon makes it a more healthy option. Plus if you wrap more asparagus into same one slice of bacon, you get more veggie serving with the same amount of bacon flavor.
What Does It Go With?
If you’re serving bacon wrapped asparagus as a side dish, you can imagine these work with almost anything! Grilled, baked or roasted main dishes all would welcome this delicious side or as an appetizer. They’re awesome served hot, but you can also serve asparagus in bacon at room temperature.
For more main dish inspiration check out my full list of healthy dinner recipes or healthy grill recipes!
Storing & Reheating
Store: Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This will tend to get soggy over time, so you won’t want to keep it any longer.
Can you freeze it? Freezing is not recommended because once thawed asparagus and bacon will be soggy. And when you reheat it, it will become even more soggy and overcooked. Eat fresh or make ahead!
Reheat: To warm back up again, you can pop them back in the oven, the toaster oven, on the stove top, the microwave or even an air fryer if you have one. Lots of options for this one!
More Asparagus Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus rinsed
- 4 thick slices of bacon or 8 regular
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Lemon slices optional
- Coarse sea or pink salt, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- To trim asparagus, snap the end of one spear and cut remaining asparagus same length with a knife. Usually 2-3" off, that's the chewy stringy part you don't wanna eat.
- Lay asparagus in a bunch on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tos to coat with your hands. Divide into 4 or 8 groups, and wrap bacon slice around each bunch, tucking it in under tightly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until bacon is a bit crispy. Do not overbake to crispy bacon because asparagus will be overcooked.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with finishing salt, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This will tend to get soggy over time, so you won’t want to keep it any longer. Do not freeze.
- Reheat: To warm back up again, you can pop them back in the oven, the toaster oven, on the stove top, the microwave or even an air fryer if you have one. Lots of options for this one!
- Type of bacon: I used thickly slices bacon, therefore 4 bundles. You can use regular bacon and make 8 bunches. This keeps asparagus dish healthier. Depends on how many people you serve as well.
- Which asparagus? Because of longer cook time re: bacon, I recommend you choose thicker asparagus at the store for this recipe.
- Finishing salt: Coarse sea salt or kosher salt or himalayan pink salt are wonderful finishing salts. You have to try! That’s why I barely salt asparagus before baking.
- Can it be made ahead of time? Yes. You can wrap up your bundles ahead of time, refrigerate covered for up to 24 hours and only roast just before serving. If you have room in the fridge, store right on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic or in a container with lid. Warm up on a counter for 10-15 minutes while oven is preheating.
Nutrition
Bacon really does make everything better, this was so elegant for a recent dinner.
True, everything in moderation!