How to Grill Asparagus in Foil: The Very Easy Way

If you’re a lucky owner of a grill, then your kitchen for sure has a lot of meat in it. All kinds of delectable things from burgers and ribs to chicken kebabs are within the reach of your hand, so both family and guests can be treated to a tasty meal at any time.

Сooking only meat alone can be pretty tiring both physically and mentally. That’s why it’s good news that cooking on a grill is not limited to animal products only.

You can keep using your favorite cooking gear to enrich the diet with grilled peas, mushrooms, carrots, and other vegetable dishes. Grilled asparagus in foil is one of the most noticeable choices among them.

Besides being both tasty and healthy, it also has a simple way of cooking, so in this article, we want to tell you how to grill asparagus in foil and what are the advantages of this cooking method.

Why You Should Try Out Grilled Asparagus in Foil

Asparagus season greatly affects the summer grilling time since your choice of food is extended by another vegetable recipe making it less boring and more colorful.

It makes for a good side dish during dinner, as well as a quick unplanned snack since you don’t need much time to prepare the ingredients and can get to cooking right away.

Since asparagus has zero saturated fat and servings calories are not too big, there’s no need to worry about your waist.

There are only three components in the whole recipe besides the seasoning you can choose to your taste. It can be garlic or garlic powder or onion powder, black pepper, lemon juice or lemon zest, parmesan cheese, etc.

After the grilled asparagus is ready you can have it without any plates since it’s wrapped in aluminum foil. No additional cookware to wash later!

When the asparagus on the grill is ready, you will receive a meal that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and suited for a vegan kitchen, so there shouldn’t be any health problems or people who will be against enjoying it together.

The Convenience of Grilled Asparagus

Just after 15 minutes of following this quick and easy guide, you’ll get yourself a portion of grilled asparagus in foil, ready to serve and enjoy in company.

It doesn’t require much attention, so you can cook grilled asparagus while preparing the rest of the food – you can freely toss thick asparagus stalks on a grill and get focused on other dishes until they’re ready.

You’ll also be using the fuel for your grill more efficiently since you don’t use it for just one snack, but for the entire meal before turning it off.

Why is Aluminum Foil Being Used?

Aluminum foil is often used to wrap up the food during thermal cooking. In a case when you cook asparagus stalks it helps to protect soft asparagus spears from being affected by heat directly.

Since you cook grilled asparagus on grill grates, there is also a problem of asparagus stalks falling through them. In the worst case, they drop right on the burning coals, not only becoming inedible but also creating a possibly dangerous situation. Not to mention, it’s a real hassle to pick them back up.

The asparagus foil packet fixes this problem by holding asparagus stalks together in foil which makes slipping through the grill gates impossible.

If for some reason you’re strongly against using foil packets – the alternative solution is to buy a grill basket that at least will help you retrieve anything that fell through without ruining it.

It’s also worth mentioning that the asparagus foil packet itself is safe to contact with food since in small amounts aluminum doesn’t affect the body at all, which means it causes no health problems whatsoever for the majority of people.

Ingredients for Cooking Easy Grilled Asparagus Stalk

The main ingredient is, of course, fresh asparagus itself. You can use green or white asparagus spears – either of them works. To make sure asparagus is fresh, put it in a glass filled with water (spears are facing upwards). Store it like this in a refrigerator until the prep time comes.

By doing so, you won’t let it wither, since asparagus spears can sustain their condition for some time even after being cut off from the root, as long as there is enough water.

Besides the plant, you’ll need some olive oil. If you want the resulting dish to be filled with an amazing aroma of fruits, then we suggest using extra virgin olive oil, but it can be replaced with your favorite one as well.

A slice of lemon makes asparagus look prettier when placed on top of it or directly on a grill. While this itself is important, fresh lemon juice also sips in the asparagus while mixing with asparagus and making its flavor more appetizing.

All the seasonings go by your choice. There is no need to follow a particular asparagus recipe card here, since there are as many tastes, as there are people.

We suggest you try adding a bit of black pepper together with some sea salt and minced garlic, but you can experiment and become a delicious recipe developer yourself. For example, cook asparagus with crumbled bacon as the basic seasoning.

How to Prepare Asparagus Packets for Cooking

Now that you know how the basic process of cooking grilled asparagus in foil goes, you can go ahead and make a portion to see how it tastes.

Not fancying it too much for now? Then let’s take this to another step and change the way you cook grilled asparagus until there is no more room for improvement. Here are the most frequent questions for the grilling asparagus recipe developer that might have appeared.

How Long Do I Need to Cook Grilled Asparagus?

As was mentioned, the usual prep time is up to 15 minutes, but it can depend on some factors. The most important of them is how thick the asparagus spears are. The time we specified is for medium-sized ones.

In case you’re using thinner stalks for your dish, the cooking time can be reduced. Deduct a few minutes from it and try out the result. On a contrary, the thicker stalks of asparagus require more time to grill to perfection.

You can see if the time you picked is right by tasting the asparagus to see if it meets your expectations.

How to Stop Asparagus From Becoming Chewy?

Chewiness in your greens is a sign of them wilting while waiting for you. As mentioned above, a glass of water can save the plants stored in the refrigerator so they will be as good as new when the time comes.

Another possible reason is that you’re chewing on a low part of the asparagus spear that has a wood-like texture – there is nothing you can do about it so removing a bit more of it is the only solution.

Should I Grill Asparagus Until It’s Soft?

This vegetable, initially crunchy and juicy, becomes softer after being grilled, but you shouldn’t overdo it. Don’t cook asparagus in foil packets stalk until it turns into a cream – there are not many things more upsetting than mushy vegetables on a plate.

How Do I Know That the Asparagus is Ready?

Asparagus stems can be enjoyed even in a raw state so it’s better to take them from the fire sooner than earlier. Once the color of asparagus turns light green – it’s time to check if it softened already.

If you don’t want asparagus to be too hard – slightly pierce it with a knife and see if it went in easily. This way you’ll feel if they are tender enough or could use a few more minutes of grilling.

To make checking up on it easier – put asparagus directly on grill grates so you won’t need to unwrap it each time. Just make sure you place asparagus perpendicularly to them.

Is it Better to Boil Asparagus Before Grilling?

I do not recommend boiling asparagus before grilling it. Boiling asparagus will lose many of its nutrients! Likewise, I don’t recommend blanching asparagus before grilling.

What Else Can I Change in the Grilled Asparagus Recipe?

Just as any grilled vegetables, for example, smoked paprika over Parmesan cheese, asparagus in foil is pretty straightforward so not too much can be changed, but there is still room for creativity.

• Try adding other fresh herbs. Asparagus can be combined with mint, parsley, or thyme. Place trimmed asparagus di to sun-dried tomatoes.
• Throw in some red pepper flakes to heat the asparagus if you find the recipe too boring.
• Right before you served the asparagus, top it up with balsamic vinegar (but don’t add it right on a grill).
• Use zesty lime or another exotic citrus to replace the lemon wedges.
• Increase the protein values by cutting or grating fresh parmesan cheese into thin pieces. This will add some nutrition calories and make your dinner table more lively. You can also use feta cheese instead.

Advice on How to Grill Asparagus in Foil Even More Delicious

When you trim asparagus, cutting the woody ends with a sharp knife is not necessary. Instead, just bend it until it snaps – this way the herb will rip right where it ends so you’ll end up with the biggest part of the stem suitable for cooking.

To grill the asparagus evenly and thoroughly, spread it in a layer until there are no more than two stems of asparagus stacked on top of each other. Ideally, it is done until there is at least some space left between each of the separate stems.

Sea salt (or kosher salt) and black pepper are usually added in a small amount to slightly change the taste. If you’re feeling adventurous – add a generous amount of the seasonings and you’ll be working with a brand new recipe.

Can Grilled Asparagus be Reheated?

Yes! If you didn’t manage to finish your asparagus in one go, put it into a refrigerator for later. Wrap it up in foil once again and reheat grilled asparagus using the oven or a grill. Don’t overdo it and overcook the herb by accident – in this case, it would be better to eat asparagus cold which is also possible.

The Correct Way to Serve Grilled Asparagus

The only suggestion for serving grilled asparagus in foil is to not serve it alone. As a part of a side dish cuisine, it goes well with chicken breast, crumbled bacon, or any other meat you might’ve prepared on the same grill.

It can also replace french fries as a healthier counterpart due to a low concentration of carbohydrates.

You will also be interested in reading: How to grill shrimp in foil.

Conclusion

So, after reading this article, you learned how to grill asparagus in foil. If you want another delicious recipe similar to grilling asparagus in foil posted here, don’t hesitate to let us know! Stay tuned for more articles about grilling and other ways to cook tasty meals with family-friendly recipes that will leave you satisfied. Now let’s not waste your time and enjoy some asparagus!