The best way to cook asparagus in the oven for a quick and easy side dish.
Hey, friends, popping in today with a super quick and simple vegetable side dish for you. Asparagus in the oven AKA roasted asparagus.
This is one of my favorite easy, no-fuss side dishes, AND it’s the first vegetable I ever learned to cook as a kid. Now that it’s asparagus season here in California, it seemed like the perfect time to post this recipe.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Good quality olive oil will help enhance the flavor of the asparagus and keep it from sticking to the roasting pan as it cooks.
- Asparagus: Choose asparagus with tightly closed tips that have a bright, vibrant color not faded or dull. Spear size is a matter of preference, but keep in mind that it will affect cooking time quite a lot.
- Salt and pepper: Salt and pepper are all you really need for excellent roasted asparagus, but you can add powdered garlic, onion powder, or whatever spices you prefer.
How to Prep Asparagus
Start with washed and dried asparagus and trim off the tough woody end of the stem, usually a couple inches from the bottom.
How to Trim Asparagus
If you’ve never worked with asparagus before, and you’re not sure how to far up the stalk to trim, take a single spear, and bend the bottom third until it snaps. The place where it snaps should be just above the woody end.
Find that place on the rest of the bunch, line up a handful of them, and use a sharp knife to slice off the ends.
How to Cook Asparagus in the Oven
Place asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Shake the pan a few times so the asparagus rolls around and gets coated on all sides.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 425°F for 8 to 15 minutes (cooking time can differ quite a bit depending on asparagus size), until asparagus is tender but not mushy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Variations
Want to switch things up? Try one of these flavor variations:
- Lemon Asparagus: Add 1 tablespoon of (preferable freshly squeezed) lemon juice per pound of asparagus at the same time that you add the olive oil. Toss to coat.
- Garlic Asparagus: Mince 3 cloves of garlic and stir them together with the olive oil before pouring it over the asparagus and roasting.
- Cheesy Asparagus: After tossing with olive oil, line the asparagus spears up and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan.
How to Store Asparagus
Right when you get home from the grocery store, trim about a half inch off the very bottom of the asparagus spears like you would a bouquet of flowers.
In a heavy cup, liquid measuring cup or wide-mouth mason jar , add about an inch of water.
Place spears in the water and loosely cover the top of the asparagus with a bread bag. You can also use the produce bag you brought the asparagus home in (if it’s damp, turn it inside out). Store in the refrigerator.
Asparagus will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days, 5 if it was really fresh when you bought it.
What to Serve With Roasted Asparagus
Oven-baked asparagus goes extremely well with meaty mains because it has such a light, clean flavor. Try serving it with Tri-tip , Country-style Pork Ribs , and Chicken Francaise .
More Fool-proof Vegetable Sides
- Butter and Garlic Green Beans
- The Best Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Green Beans
- Quick Microwave-steamed Broccoli
- Oven-roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 bunch ( about 1 pound ) asparagus washed and dried
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Trim or snap woody ends from asparagus spears and dry well. Place in a single layer on your baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and shake the tray a couple times to coat the asparagus.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 8 to 15 minutes, until asparagus is tender crisp. Serve and enjoy.
This simple Carne Asada Salad is made with my favorite homemade carne asada, a light chipotle lime yogurt dressing, red onions, and tomatoes served over a bed of crisp romaine lettuce.
Last week, I shared Carne Asada Burrito Bowls made with my favorite Carne Asada recipe . And friends, I’m still on a carne asada kick (the best, most delicious sort of kick), so today I have another carne asada recipe for you: Carne Asada Salad.
Carne Asada for Salad
I know it’s not necessarily the first meat that comes to mind when you think of a protein for salad, but carne asada is actually pretty perfect for the job. Cooked right, it’s plenty tender, so it’s great over a bed of crunchy romaine. And it packs a ton of flavor, so no sad, boring salads here.
For this recipe, we’re using the same citrus-based carne asada marinade and broiler method that I shared in my favorite Carne Asada recipe. The meat needs at least four hours of marinating, but is at its best with a full twenty four, so I recommend starting the marinating process the night before.
And, if you marinate your meat the night before, everything else about this dish is so quick and easy that you can have dinner on the table in less than half an hour.
Chipotle Lime Yogurt Dressing
In the recipe below, I’ve included the recipe for chipotle lime yogurt dressing, a really simple dressing made of lime juice, chipotle chili powder, yogurt, and milk. Since it’s yogurt-based, it’s creamy, tangy, and satisfying, but very low in calories.
If you don’t like yogurt or don’t feel like making your own dressing, not a problem. Use whatever dressing sounds good to you. A Cilantro Ranch or South-western Style dressing would be top of my list.
Carne Asada Salad Recipe Notes
- This recipe calls for romaine lettuce, but you can use your favorite salad mix or whatever you have in your fridge. If you’re looking for a speedy way to chop romaine, take a look at How to Cut Romaine for Salads .
- You might also enjoy Chicken Shawarma Salad , Asian Chicken Salad , Chicken Fajita Salad , and BLT Salad .
Ingredients
Carne Asada
- ▢ 1/2 cup orange juice bottled is fine
- ▢ 1/2 cup soy sauce low-sodium is fine
- ▢ 1/4 cup lemon juice bottled is fine
- ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice bottled is fine
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper OR 1 teaspoon finely chopped canned chipotle pepper optional
- ▢ 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped about 3/4-1 cup very loosely packed
- ▢ 1 1/2 pounds skirt, flank, or flap steak
Salad
- ▢ 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
- ▢ 1 avocado sliced
- ▢ 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes or tomatoes of your choosing
- ▢ 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- ▢ 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese OR shredded Mexican cheese blend
Chipotle Lime Yogurt Dressing
- ▢ 1 5-ounce container plain, unsweetened yogurt Greek is fine
- ▢ Juice from 1/2 lime about 1 1/2 teaspoons juice
- ▢ 1 teaspoon milk any percentage, plus more as needed
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or 1 teaspoon sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- ▢ 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ Pepper to taste
Instructions
Carne Asada Marinade
- In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, stir together all marinade ingredients. Place beef in a gallon plastic bag or container and pour marinade over the top. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably 24, flipping the meat halfway through.
Carne Asada
- Adjust the top rack in your oven so it’s about 4 inches from the broiler and heat broiler on high. Transfer meat to a foil-lined heavy-duty baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer reads 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium.
- Allow meat to rest before slicing for 5 to 10 minutes while you assemble the rest of your salad.
Chipotle Lime Yogurt Dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients. Add milk by the teaspoon until your dressing reaches your desired consistency and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Salad
- Top romaine lettuce with sliced carne asada, avocado, tomatoes, and onion, and sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese over the top. Serve with the chipotle lime dressing and enjoy!
These Small-batch Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are the perfect cookie hybrid. They’re rich and peanut buttery, bendy and chewy, and absolutely the best of both worlds.
A few weeks ago, I posted these (AMAZING) Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies . It was a big-batch recipe meant for sharing and freezing, so I promised that I’d add a small-batch version ASAP for those of you who are here for small-batch desserts .
So here we go. Let’s make a cute little batch of Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies and share with no one.
If you haven’t ever tried this combo, do yourself a favor and make these immediately, because PB and Oatmeal are basically a perfect pairing. The hybrid cookies are rich and peanut buttery, bendy and chewy, and absolutely the best of both worlds.
Even if you’re someone who doesn’t usually go for oatmeal cookies (I am one of those people), you might be surprised at how much you like these.
This recipe uses quick-cook oats, which are processed into thinner, smaller pieces, so they’re much less “oat-y” than a lot of oatmeal cookies, and the chewiness the oats add to the peanut butter cookie is surprisingly appealing.
And, I feel like I say this about all of my small-batch cookie recipes , but it’s true of all of my small-batch cookie recipes, these are some super easy cookies to make. You just need one bowl and about 10 minutes to mix everything together, and you’ll have cookie dough ready to go into the oven.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Notes
- This recipe calls for quick-cook oats (also called instant or minute oats). If you only have old-fashioned oats, you can use them, but the cookies will have a more rustic texture. You can also pulse a slightly heaping 1/3 cup of old-fashioned oats in a food processor or the chopper attachment for an immersion blender (those things are SO handy) until most of the oats have been cut into smaller pieces.
- This recipe does use softened butter, so you will need to plan ahead, but if you’re in a real hurry for cookies, chop your butter into little pieces, set it somewhere warm, and it should be ready to use by the time your oven is preheated and you’ve measured out the rest of your ingredients.
- This recipe uses just one egg yolk. Check out these Egg White Recipes for ideas on what to do with the leftover egg white.
- Looking for more small-batch recipes? Try these Oatmeal Cookies , Peanut Butter Cookies , Small-batch Monster Bars , and Chocolate Chip Cookies .
Ingredients
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 2oz ) salted butter softened
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 50g ) brown sugar
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 38g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 64g ) peanut butter creamy or chunky*
- ▢ 1 large egg yolk
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons milk any percentage
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ( 45g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ Pinch of salt
- ▢ 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well-combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Use a wooden spoon to stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Drop golf-ball-size spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet as far apart as possible—these cookies will spread.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops of the cookies look set.
- Cool on the baking tray for at least 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Asparagus in the Oven (Roasted Asparagus)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch ( about 1 pound ) asparagus washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Trim or snap woody ends from asparagus spears and dry well. Place in a single layer on your baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and shake the tray a couple times to coat the asparagus.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 8 to 15 minutes, until asparagus is tender crisp. Serve and enjoy.
