Simple Sesame Asparagus

Name: Simple Sesame Asparagus
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pound asparagus (washed and ends trimmed); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey; 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (can also use black sesame seeds); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

By Maria Lichty

Updated April 30, 2020

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This quick and easy Simple Sesame Asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish for springtime or anytime! It only takes 15 minutes to make!

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Easy Asparagus Recipe

Springtime means asparagus time at our house. Asparagus is one of my all-time favorite vegetables so when it is in season I eat it like crazy. I make as many asparagus recipes as I possibly can: roasted asparagus, sheet pan salmon with asparagus, asparagus quinoa salad, quiche, and even asparagus avocado toast. Yep, I love this green vegetable!

My new favorite asparagus recipe is this Simple Sesame Asparagus. It is the easiest asparagus recipe and has a ton of flavor! I am obsessed!

How to Trim Asparagus

Bend and snap. Asparagus stalks are tender at the tips and hard and woody at the ends, so it is important to trim the ends before using asparagus in a recipe. You can tell where to trim asparagus because asparagus spears have a natural breaking point. To find out where you should trim an asparagus spear, hold up a spear up horizontally, and bend it with your hands and it will break exactly where it needs to be trimmed.

Use a knife. Snapping the ends of works, but I personally prefer to cut the ends of the asparagus off with a sharp knife. I like this method because you can cut the ends off of a bunch of asparagus at once. It is quicker and you can make sure the spears are the same size.

How to Make Sesame Asparagus

You are going to love this asparagus recipe because it only takes 15 minutes tops to make. It is SO easy and SO delicious!

For this asparagus recipe, we use a skillet on the stove, nothing fancy. You don’t even have to turn on the oven.
After you trim your asparagus, cut the asparagus spears into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar or honey, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Use fresh ginger instead ground ginger for this asparagus recipe. Fresh ginger adds the best flavor. Pro tip-keep ginger in your freezer at all times. It will keep for months and it is easier to grate when it is frozen.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir until all the asparagus pieces are well coated. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or until the asparagus pieces are tender but still crisp. Don’t over cook asparagus. You want the pieces to have a little bite and not be mushy.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil. A little sesame oil goes a long way so be careful to only add a teaspoon. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the asparagus warm.

Asparagus, An Easy Spring Side Dish

I love making this simple sesame asparagus because it is so easy and because I always have the ingredients on hand. The sesame flavor is delicious and a fun way to jazz up a bunch of asparagus.

Asparagus is a great side dish to any spring meal. You can make this easy asparagus recipe for Easter, Mother’s Day, or to go with any weeknight dinner. The recipe can easily be doubled if you are feeding a crowd or if you want leftovers.

More Asparagus Recipes:

Side Dishes