Smoked Asparagus
This smoked asparagus recipe is easy to follow and will take this spring vegetable to the next level with its complex, rich flavor. Add this recipe to your must-try list!
As a food lover, I’m always on the lookout for fun, new ways to prepare foods to keep our menu fresh and exciting! If you know, you know!
Smoking asparagus is such a great example.
Not only is this a super easy smoked side dish, but tossing your asparagus on the Traeger also adds complex, rich flavor to this vegetable. If you’re ever stuck in a veggie rut and need something delicious that takes minimal effort, this asparagus is it!
This Traeger smoked asparagus is dedicated to freshness.
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Tips
- Properly cooked asparagus is bright green and retains some crunch when you taste test – as with any asparagus recipe, taste testing for doneness is super important, and also, delicious!
- Got leftover roasted asparagus? Use it up in my steak pasta salad recipe, it’s full of smoked steak, crumbled bacon, salty Parmigiano Reggiano, pasta, and tender-crisp asparagus tossed in a creamy dressing!
- This is a great recipe to make when you’re looking to fill empty space on the Traeger! All of the following smoked recipes use the same temperatures, so you can cook your asparagus along with a tender filet mignon, at the tail end of your juicy pork butt or melt-in-your-mouth brisket cook, irresistible pork tenderloin, or next-level meatloaf.
- Smoking the asparagus on a grill tray makes it easier to transport from the kitchen to the smoker and helps to prevent dropping spears through the grill grates. You can smoke right on the grill grates if you like, but a wire mesh cooling rack, a cookie sheet, or even a tray made from heavy-duty aluminum foil will work!
- Consider coarsely chopping up your smoked asparagus and add it to this smoked salmon pasta!
Key Ingredients
Asparagus: I prefer to buy thinner asparagus spears because I find them more tender, while larger spears can be woody in texture. Opt for stalks that are firm to the touch, stand upright, and have smooth skin.
Olive Oil: Olive oil plays two important roles in this recipe. Tossing the spears in oil helps to protect them from drying out. A coating of oil also improves the uptake of smoke flavor, as fats absorb a wide variety of aromas in the smoke spectrum.
Lemon: Adding a squeeze of lemon to your asparagus is totally optional, but it adds a bit of sourness and acidity which helps to balance the smoky flavor and richness of the olive oil.
How To Make Smoked Asparagus
Prepare:
- Start your smoker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Setting the temperature to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean 1 pound of asparagus by holding the stems at the base and near the midway point and bending until they snap. Finish cleaning the spears by running them under cold running water. Set on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Snapping each asparagus spear takes a little bit longer than chopping each one, but it also helps to slow the process down, helping you easily identify any less-than-fresh spears and remove them from the batch.
- Toss the asparagus in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then season with 1 teaspoon of coarse ground sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Massage to coat. I like to use a baking sheet to contain the oil and seasonings during this process, it really helps to keep clean-up quick and simple.
Smoke:
- Spread seasoned asparagus on a grill tray, and add lemon quarters if desired.
- Place the grill tray on the lower rack of your smoker and smoke asparagus at 225 f for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, toss the asparagus, and sprinkle it with sliced bacon, and continue smoking for 15 minutes, or until tender-crisp – this may take longer if you’re smoking larger spears.
Serve:
- Remove the grill tray from the smoker, and transfer the asparagus to a serving dish. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over the asparagus and a squeeze of smoked lemon juice if desired.
Best Pellets For Smoking Asparagus
Generally, when you’re smoking asparagus, you’re going to be using whatever pellets you’re using to smoke your main course. That said, any burning pellet is gonna impart more flavor than a cooking method without wood involved, so don’t fret too much about the pellets.
Personally, we almost always use Lumberjack Competition Blend pellets in the Traeger, it’s a good, all-around blend of hickory, maple, and cherry.
Batch + Storage
Batch:
1 pound of asparagus is generally enough to feed my family of 4 as a side dish! If you’re hosting a larger dinner, I would at least double the recipe.
Storage:
Leftover smoked asparagus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be reheated in a hot skillet, microwaved for a few seconds, reheated in the air fryer for a few minutes, or even eaten cold. If you’ve got leftovers, try using them up in my creamy steak and pasta salad recipe!
Variations + Substitutions
- Lemon: Squeezing a bit of lemon juice onto the asparagus helps to brighten the flavor of the entire dish. It does not require a lot of lemon juice, I like quartering a lemon and adding it to the smoker with the asparagus, this helps to impart a hint of smoke to the lemon too.
- Spicy: If you like it hot, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the asparagus along with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Or even better, add a few dashes of some spicy mango habanero hot sauce to the olive oil before tossing your spears!
- Cheesy: Using a strong-tasting, salty, dry cheese is perfect for this recipe. If you don’t have freshly grated parmesan on hand, consider pecorino, asiago, or romano.
- Bacon: We make our own home-cured and smoked bacon so we always have bacon on hand, if you don’t have any thick-cut bacon at home, it can be omitted or substituted for ribboned prosciutto, beef bacon, or even pancetta.
More Pellet Smoker Recipes To Try
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Traeger Smoked Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus fresh
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt coarse
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper coarse
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- ¼ lemon optional
- â…™ cup fresh grated parmesan
Instructions
- Start your smoker according to the manufacturer's directions. Setting the temperature to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean 1 pound of asparagus by holding the stems at the base and near the midway point and bending until they snap. Finish cleaning the spears by running them under cold running water. Set on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
- Toss the asparagus in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then season with 1 teaspoon of coarse ground sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Massage to coat.
- Spread seasoned asparagus on a grill tray, and add lemon quarters, if desired.
- Place the grill tray on the lower rack of your smoker and cook asparagus at 225 f for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, toss the asparagus, and sprinkle it with 2 slices of thick-cut bacon coarsely chopped, and continue smoking for 15 minutes.
- Remove the grill tray from the smoker, and transfer the asparagus to a serving dish. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of freshly grated parmesan over the asparagus and a squeeze of smoked lemon juice, if desired.
Notes
Batch:
Storage:
Leftover smoked asparagus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be reheated in a hot skillet, microwaved for a few seconds, or even eaten cold. If you've got leftovers, try using them up in my CREAMY STEAK AND PASTA SALAD RECIPE!variations + substitutions
- Lemon:Â Squeezing a bit of lemon juice onto the asparagus helps to brighten the flavor of the entire dish. It does not require a lot of lemon juice, I like quartering a lemon and adding it to the smoker with the asparagus, this helps to impart a hint of smoke to the lemon too.
- Spicy: If you like it hot, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the asparagus along with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Or even better, add a few dashes of some SPICY MANGO HABANERO HOT SAUCE to the olive oil before tossing your spears!
- Cheesy:Â Using a strong-tasting, salty, dry cheese is perfect for this recipe. If you don't have freshly grated parmesan on hand, consider pecorino, asiago, or romano.
- Bacon: We make our own HOME-CURED AND SMOKED BACON so we always have bacon on hand, if you don't have any thick-cut bacon at home, it can be omitted or substituted for ribboned prosciutto, beef bacon, or even pancetta.
Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
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