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Sauteed Asparagus – super simple side dish with asparagus sauteed in butter, garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper. Ready in just minutes, healthy, and goes with just about everything.
Bright, crisp, and ready in minutes—sautéed asparagus is one of those simple side dishes that never goes out of style. With just a handful of ingredients and a skillet, this easy recipe is ready in minutes. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, spring gatherings, or anytime you want a healthy veggie on the table without much work.
Roasted Asparagus was the first way I started eating it, but have experimented with other ways and pretty much enjoy it any way I can lately.
When it comes to side dishes, I want them to come together quickly. They often seem like an after thought with a meal, so I like to have stuff on hand I can get ready in just a few minutes.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Asparagus
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Salt & Pepper – you can really use any seasoning you like, I kept this basic and am mainly sharing a method you can use however you like.
How Do You Sauté Asparagus
- Add Fat. In a large skillet add the butter and olive oil and let it melt and start to sizzle.
- Add Asparagus. Add the asparagus to the pan and let it cook for a few minutes. You will want to use a tongs to rotate it, so all of the sides get cooked. You want it to get a dark bright green color.
- Season. Add the garlic and seasoning and toss to coat. Cook for another minute until you can start to smell the garlic. That is it, then it is ready to serve!
What to Serve With Sauteed Asparagus
This is one of those recipes that you can really serve with just about anything. It is lightly seasoned, so won’t compete with anything. Here are just a couple of my favorites.
- Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Honey Dijon Chicken
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Turkey Meatloaf
- Garlic Tomato Baked Chicken
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Fresh Asparagus. Asparagus is in peak season in the spring. So that is the best time to buy it. You can usually find it in stores year round, but want to buy it when the stems are about the thickness of a pencil. The really thin ones often turn mushy really fast, and the thick fat ones tend to be tough.
- Seasoning. I seasoned with just salt and pepper in this version, but a little bit of Italian seasoning is delicious. Or a drizzle of lemon juice right before serving really brightens it up.
- Trimming Asparagus. The base of asparagus is woody and tough. The best thing to do is hold the piece of asparagus and gently bend to see where it naturally breaks. Continue with the rest of the asparagus. Or the other way is to break just 1 piece, and then use a knife to trim the rest of them to that same length.
- Use a large skillet. Even if you aren’t cooking a lot of asparagus I like to use a large skillet so there is enough room for all of the pieces to touch the pan. This makes sure they all get browned and plenty of flavor.
Asparagus is such a great vegetable and something that goes with just about everything! And when it can be on the table in about 10 minutes, that makes it a win all around!
And if you love roasted asparagus don’t miss Air Fryer Asparagus that is ready in no time and gets it nice and browned.
More Side Dish Recipes
- Zucchini Fritters
- Crispy Cauliflower Fritters
- Asian Napa Cabbage Slaw
- Mushroom Rice Pilaf
- Smashed Potatoes
Sauteed Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus, approx 1 pound
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the asparagus by holding up one piece and bending until it breaks. Cut all of the pieces at that point. Discard the ends.1 bunch of asparagus
- In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil together over medium high heat.1 Tablespoon butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Add asparagus and cook for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned and still slightly crisp.
- Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute until you can start to smell it.1 clove garlic
- Season with salt and pepper to serve.salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Such a simple side dish! I love asparagus. 🙂
We eat asparagus almost weekly it’s our favorite side dish. I usually bake it in the over, however, I am going to give your recipe a try this week.
I LOVE how simple and delicious this is!! A must make!
The perfect side dish! So easy and so delicious! Love it!
I love a simple recipe! Delicious and healthy
Garlic, salt and pepper and butter are a match made in any heaven. I just love asparagus and I like to keep it simple. This is a great recipe for that.
We planted asparagus in our garden a couple of years ago and THIS is the year we’ll finally be able to harvest it, yayyyy! This sauteed asparagus looks like the perfect way to celebrate our first harvest! 🙂
We are HUGE asparagus fans. We eat it several times a week!