Grilled Asparagus in Foil

This simple grilled asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish to make on your next camping trip or backyard BBQ.

Sometimes we can get so hyper-focused on the main dish that we completely forget to make a side. That’s one of the reasons we love making this foil-packet grilled asparagus! It’s so incredibly easy to make, requires very few ingredients, and can be ready in virtually no time.

Grilled asparagus spears can be a little plain on their own, which is why we like to zhuzh it up a little with salt and pepper, garlic powder, shredded parmesan, and a little bit of lemon zest. 

So if looking for a quick and easy grilling side to your bag of tricks, this recipe is for you! 

Why We Love It:

• A super easy side dish that comes together in minutes–perfect for camping
• Great way to add a side to your meal without dirtying another piece of cookware
• Make the most of the bountiful season, when fresh asparagus is seemingly everywhere!

Ingredients

Asparagus: Look for medium-sized spears. Really thin stalks are prone to overcooking and the super thick asparagus stalks are usually too woody to be enjoyable. 

Olive Oil: A little goes a long way when cooking in a foil packet. Just enough to brush on the salt and garlic.

Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper: This is a power trio that goes well on just about anything.

Lemon: Just a little bit of lemon zest can really make this dish pop. That bright acidity does a lot to balance out the other savory flavors. If you don’t want to zest it, you can just add a squeeze of lemon juice over the top at the end.

Parmesan (optional): What doesn’t taste better with a little grated parmesan? Very little! A sprinkling of parmesan not only brings some nice umami flavor, but it also makes the asparagus visually look amazing.

Equipment

Parchment Paper: When cooking in foil, we really like to sandwich our food between two layers of parchment paper for a few reasons. 1) It prevents sticking. 2) Keeps the aluminum foil clean so it can be easily reused or recycled. 3) We don’t like cooking directly over high heat on untreated aluminum.

Aluminum Foil: Just the regular heavy-duty aluminum foil has been our go-to when making foil packets. Reynolds Wrap makes a large format grilling foil, which can be helpful for larger groups.

Cheese Grater: A cheese grater with a zester side, or a microplane if you have one, makes quick work of zesting a bit of lemon over the top of the asparagus.

How To Cook Asparagus on the Grill—step by step

The first step will be to get your fire started or preheat the grill. You want to cook asparagus over medium heat.  So take the necessary steps to make sure your campfire is on track to line up with your desired meal time.

Next, prepare the asparagus spears. You’ll want to cut off the bottoms, but how much will depend on how your asparagus look. You want to get rid of the white, woody ends of the asparagus, even if that means taking off 2” inches.

Roll out a piece of aluminum foil, then a slightly smaller piece of parchment paper on top of it. Place the asparagus spears in an even layer on top of the parchment paper. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle on the salt and garlic powder, and then use a silicone brush to make sure all the spears are coated with a thin layer of oil. You can also toss the asparagus by hand. 

Now roll out another piece of parchment paper, and then a large piece of aluminum foil. With the asparagus sandwiched between the two parchment paper layers, you can now start to crimp or fold the edges of the aluminum foil top and bottom to create a sealed foil packet.

Place the asparagus on the grill. Depending on the heat of your fire and the thickness of the spears, you’re looking at roughly 6-8 minutes on each side, for 12-16 minutes total. You can also take them off and peel open one side of the packet to check how they’re looking. 

Once the asparagus are fork tender, they’re ready to come off. Remove the top foil and parchment paper layer. You can now add your lemon zest (or lemon juice) and grated parmesan cheese.

If grill marks are important, you might be able to pick up some nice directional char marks by placing the asparagus across the grill grate (diagonally, so they don’t fall through the grates) after they are done cooking in the foil, before you add the lemon and cheese.

Tips for the Best Grilled Asparagus 

• Select medium-sized asparagus spears. Really thick asparagus spears are too fibrous to be enjoyable. 
• Cook the asparagus in a foil packet for the soft, tender, and lightly charred asparagus.
• For the best results, grill the asparagus over medium heat.  
• Don’t overcook. Remove when spears are soft but still retain some structure. 
• Topping with freshly grated parmesan and lemon zest really takes this recipe to the next level.