Pan-Fried Lemon Asparagus

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Pan-fried asparagus is crisp yet tender and dappled with fresh lemon flavor. This is a great weeknight veggie side!

Prep Time2

Cook Time13

Total Time15

Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 80kcal

Snap or slice the end 1-2 inches from each asparagus stem to remove the woody base.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Once hot, add the asparagus spears and salt. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then cover with a lid. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is vibrant green and tender.
Remove the lid. Stir in the butter and minced garlic and return the heat to medium. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant. Once cooked, remove from the heat and serve garnished with lemon zest, Parmesan, and black pepper.

Asparagus size: I've run into asparagus being sold as very thin stalks and very thick. As you might guess, the very thin asparagus cooks more quickly than the thick asparagus. If cooking with very skinny asparagus, check the asparagus after just 3 minutes of covered cook time.
Want to skip the garlic? If you don't want to add garlic, simply omit it but still add the butter. Once melted, you can either continue cooking to further brown the asparagus, or remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Storage notes: Leftover asparagus is best within 2-3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
To make pan-fried asparagus without lemon juice, simply replace lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth when steaming the asparagus.