Microwave asparagus is one of my favorite kitchen hacks. In minutes, you can turn fresh spears into a bright, tender side dish - no pot, steamer, or cleanup.
Microwave asparagus is so easy that I often default to this cooking method. Roasted asparagus is delicious, but it requires heating up the oven. Microwave cooking is perfect anytime, and especially in the summer. It's quick, easy, and doesn't heat up your kitchen. If you love asparagus and are looking for an easy way to prepare it, this recipe is perfect for you!
Ingredients
The very basic recipe has just one ingredient - an asparagus bunch. Once the asparagus is cooked, you can dress it however you like. So, depending on what you'll do with it, other ingredients might include melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and perhaps onion powder.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Wash, dry, and trim the asparagus. Depending on the size of your microwave-safe bowl, you may need to trim a significant portion off the ends, or you could cut the spears in half to minimize waste.
Place the asparagus in a large microwave-safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high until the spears are tender-crisp. Depending on their thickness, this should take approximately 2-3 minutes.
Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave using oven mitts. Be even more careful when removing the lid - hot steam will escape. Now, if you want, dress the asparagus. The section "serving suggestions" below contains a few delicious ideas.
Best way to make asparagus. Good and easy.
Deanna
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Best way to make asparagus. Good and easy.Recipe Tip
The most important thing when making this recipe is to make sure the asparagus isn't overcooked. You don't want it stringy and mushy! You want it tender, but not limp.
It's the same idea as cooking pasta until it's al dente. You want it to retain some firmness. So, while three minutes is a good guideline, if the spears you're using are very thin, consider starting with just 2 minutes. You can always add more microwave time if needed.
Recipe FAQs
Hands down, it's the microwave. Roasting asparagus takes a total of 25 minutes (including prep time). Steaming asparagus takes about 15 minutes. Microwaving takes less than 10 minutes, including the prep time.
There's no need to peel it. You should, however, trim the ends, which can be fibrous and woody.
No. It should be tender-crisp, meaning it shouldn't be limp and mushy, but you want it tender and creamy, not crunchy. It's definitely a balancing act, but the more you do it, the better you'll be at it (like everything in life).
That's not recommended. When you place asparagus spears in a microwave-safe bowl and add water before covering, you create steam, which ensures the spears cook evenly and don't dry out. If you skip the water, the outer parts may overcook while the inside remains firm.
Serving Suggestions
If you've used young, fresh, in-season asparagus, all it needs is a light sprinkle of kosher salt. But if you want to be a bit more elaborate, here are a few delicious ideas:
- Drizzle it with melted butter and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Make a quick dressing of olive oil (1 tablespoon), white wine vinegar (1 tablespoon), a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard (to help emulsify the dressing). Whisk the dressing and drizzle it on the asparagus.
- As for main dishes, anything goes! Microwave asparagus pairs perfectly with rich, meaty dishes like country-style ribs or pulled beef, but it also complements light seafood main courses such as baked cod, and, as shown in the photo below, salmon cakes. Also on the plate for dipping: sriracha mayo.
- Sometimes, I serve the asparagus with fried or poached eggs for brunch (or a light lunch), as shown in the photo below:
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, as shown in the photo below.
I like to chop them and add them cold to salads - they are obviously perfect in this asparagus salad, but they also make a great addition to arugula salad or avocado chicken salad. In the image below, you can see them added to a simple salad of lettuce and tomatoes, dressed with this homemade vinaigrette.
Recipe Card
Quick Microwave Asparagus
Video
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
Optional ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter - melted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Wash and dry the asparagus spears. Trim their ends. You can either trim enough of the ends so that the spears fit into your microwave-safe bowl, or, after trimming just the ends, cut them in half (or even chop them).
- Place the trimmed spears in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water.
- Cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. (See notes).
- Use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the microwave, and be careful when removing the lid - hot steam will escape.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving plate. Sprinkle it with kosher salt and serve. You can also dress with melted butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Notes
- The nutrition info assumes that the optional toppings were used.
- There's no need to peel asparagus. However, if the ends are thick and fibrous, you might want to peel the very bottom of the spears after trimming the ends.
- The most important thing when making this recipe is to avoid overcooking the asparagus. You don't want it stringy and mushy! You want it tender, but not limp. It's the same idea as cooking pasta until it's al dente. You want it to retain some firmness. So, while three minutes is a good guideline, if the spears you're using are very thin, consider starting with just 2 minutes. You can always add more microwave time if needed.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like to chop them and add them cold to salads.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Deanna says
Best way to make asparagus. Good and easy.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Deanna! Thank you very much for the review.