Literally 5 minutes from start to finish, this stovetop recipe for lemon pepper asparagus with no oil is a quick and easy side dish. Pan seared with a splash of water, they are perfectly crisp tender.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
You'll need 3 ingredients for this super simple asparagus recipe:
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus
- lemon pepper seasoning (I use Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Grinder)
- sea salt or kosher salt
Instead of the lemon pepper seasoning, you can substitute grated lemon zest and freshly cracked black pepper.
To amp up the lemon flavor even more, squeeze a lemon wedge over the finished asparagus.
Can I use frozen asparagus? Yes, you certainly can use frozen asparagus for this recipe. Aldi has a great deal on frozen veggies, like asparagus, broccoli and others throughout the year, so if you have an Aldi near you, check that out.
🔪 Instructions
How do you trim asparagus?
Trimming asparagus ends with a knife works, but often you're still left with tough and woody bites.
To get tender bites all the way through, you need to trim the asparagus at the perfect spot. How can you figure that out?
Put your knife away and instead, follow this method, which is included in the below video, as well.
Hold the cut end of the asparagus stalk with one hand.
Hold the middle of the asparagus stalk with your other hand.
Bend the asparagus.
It will snap in just the right spot!
Discard the tough and woody ends and only cook the tops that are now trimmed.
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
Serve this pan seared lemon pepper asparagus as a side dish to any meal. It is especially good with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes and orzo pasta salad.
For vegan weight loss, this lemon pepper asparagus can be your non-starchy vegetable. Pair it with the starch of your choice.
Try making oil-free healthy hash browns, then transferring them to a plate. In the same pan you made the hash browns, add your asparagus! Serve with BBQ sauce.
For breakfast, consider pre-loading with asparagus, then eating your maple oatmeal with sliced banana or blueberries.
❓ FAQ
In the late winter or during the spring, when it's in season.
You can tell your asparagus is bad if the tips are slimy and wet instead of firm and dry. Also, if your asparagus stalk is yellowing and shriveled instead of firm and green, throw that stalk away.
🔄 Variations
Instead of lemon pepper seasoning, try garlic salt, granulated garlic, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce on this oil-free asparagus side dish.
💭 Tips
Asparagus is in season late winter and during the springtime. So, look for it on sale during that time. When it's less expensive, you can have this recipe on repeat and your budget will thank you.
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📖 Recipe
5-Minute Lemon Pepper Asparagus (oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus ends trimmed
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Instructions
- Heat a wide skillet over medium high heat. We want a wide enough pan that the asparagus can cook in one layer, so they all cook evenly. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan.
- Add asparagus in one layer in the pan. Sprinkle on the salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Cook until asparagus is bright green, flipping, as necessary to cook it evenly.
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