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Smoked Asparagus

Amazingly flavorful Smoked Asparagus is your perfect summer side dish!  It’s easy to cook asparagus with the flavor and texture of roasted asparagus combined with the rich, fragrant smoky flavors!

It is our whole family favorite side dish which you can easily prepare alongside the hearty main dish! Tender and tasty asparagus that everyone can enjoy!

Smoked Asparagus on a piece of foil on a pellet grill.
Smoked Asparagus

This is an excellent recipe for cooking farm to table asparagus and it’s going to make you think about what other recipes you can smoke. Asparagus is an early spring vegetable, and it is always great to incorporate into any meal.

Using smoke in the nutrient-rich dish will enhance your taste buds.  Some foods do not smoke up great, but others, such as this smoked asparagus, have awesome smoky flavor and taste.

Asparagus and steaks make the perfect combination for a delicious meal! When we’re smoking our main dish, I fill up the extra grill room for other things such as side dishes.  

Smoked asparagus spears are a simple side dish on the Rec Teq pellet smoker while grilling your protein. You get a natural sweet asparagus with a bit of smokey flavor.

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Can You Smoke Asparagus?

Yes, you can smoke asparagus!  Asparagus on the smoker is super easy to do, and it has amazing flavor! 

My husband normally does not like to eat cooked asparagus, but he loves this delicious smoked asparagus recipe!! This healthy vegetable is very kid friendly and easy for them to eat.

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Required Tools Needed to Make Smoked Asparagus

Pellet Grill – Rec Teq, Traeger Pellet Grill, or any smoker will do.

Smoker PelletsCompetition blend pellets work great but experiment with different flavors!

Grilling Basket – I have one of these on the way!

A Pair of Tongs

Heavy Duty Foil – If you are not using a grill basket, make an aluminum foil boat with a piece of aluminum foil.

Ingredients Needed for Smoking Asparagus

Buy fresh asparagus during spring’s peak growth to have an excellent taste.

  • Fresh Asparagus
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

When Buying Asparagus

Local farmers markets or farmers stands are a perfect spot to purchase great tasting asparagus.  Your supermarket might carry a local supplier for great asparagus.  

Only buy fresh asparagus!!  Asparagus spears should be solid, bright green, and have a moist texture. Stay away from asparagus which appears limp, slimy, or dried out. 

If given a choice to pick the individual asparagus stalks, pick the smaller pieces and stay away from large stalks.  The smaller pieces will be nice and tender whereas the larger stalks can be stringy and tougher.  

Try to find asparagus bundled with similar lengths and sizes.  Look for bundles that are as green as possible.

How to Clean Asparagus

Trimmed asparagus is a must!! Make sure to prepare asparagus properly before you cook the green spears. The fibrous woody ends of asparagus need to be snapped off before smoking. 

To do this grab the piece of asparagus with both hands so that one hand is holding the cut end of the asparagus and your other hand is about halfway up the stalk.  Then, bend both hands out and up to “snap” the stalk. 

Cleaning Asparagus Stalks by snapping the ends off.
Cleaning Asparagus Stalks

You should have a crisp snap, otherwise your asparagus is not fresh.  Discard the small end pieces.  Continue with all the asparagus pieces until they are all “snapped”. 

Wash the asparagus stalks off in cold water to remove any dirt.  The last thing that you want is to bite into sandy asparagus!!  

What Temperature Should I Smoke Asparagus?

One thing to remember when using a pellet smoker is that if you want a lot of smoky flavors on your food start the smoker at a lower temperature such as 225°F to 250°F.  Smoke the asparagus for 30 to 40 minutes and check for desired doneness. 

Remove if it is cooked to your liking or  turn up the heat to 350°F to 400°F and continue cooking until the desired tenderness is achieved. 

I like to make smoked asparagus and steak at the same time, so the pellet smoker gets set at 400°F and is cooked all together.  The asparagus still has smoky flavor but is not overpowering and is cooked so the spears are very tender, which is just how I like them!!

Smoking Asparagus and Steak on a Pellet Grill.
Smoking Asparagus and Steak

Best Pellets for Smoking Asparagus

Most often your pellet choice will be the protein you smoke along with the asparagus to eat that day. Competition blend pellets make a great choice, but you might want to experiment with different pellet flavors. 

Smoked asparagus makes an excellent side dish or if you make something completely different with it like an ingredient in an egg dish such as a quiche, omelets, or frittata.

How to make Smoked Asparagus

Learning how to smoke asparagus is so easy!  Preheat your smoker grill.  Fill the bin with smoker pellets if needed. 

Set the Pellet Smoker to 400°F.
Set the Pellet Smoker to 400°F.

I like a falling apart piece of asparagus, so the pellet smoker is set at 400°F.  With a sheet of heavy-duty foil, create a large aluminum foil boat or line a small pan with the foil. You can also use a grilling basket.  

Place the freshly “snapped” and cleaned asparagus stalks on the foil boat. Then drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 

Carefully toss the asparagus pieces around to coat them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Transport the foil boat to the smoker and place on one side of the grill.  

Asparagus on the Smoker.
Asparagus on the Smoker.

Spread the asparagus pieces so that they are in a single layer on the foil if possible.  Close the lid and make sure your smoker is filled with your desired pellets. 

Smoke for about 20 minutes and open the lid.  Check the smoked asparagus and toss with a pair of tongs to coat the olive oil and seasonings.  Try to spread the asparagus back into a single layer if possible. 

Tossing the Asparagus half way through smoking on a pellet grill.
Tossing the Asparagus half way through smoking.

How Long to Smoke Asparagus?

The asparagus cooking time is based on three things: the “crispiness” that you want your asparagus to taste, the size of the asparagus that you are cooking, and the temperature of the smoker.  

Perfect cooked asparagus is usually tender, crispy, but not too soft. When asparagus is roasted in a grill or smoker the bright green color may fade a little. That’s okay.

I think the most precise test for asparagus is taste testing the cooked pieces. You should have several extra pieces of these spears to test while cooking.

When you think the final smoking stage has been completed, take some bites. Then you can take it and repeat this process with another piece until the taste is perfect.

Best Seasonings for Smoked Asparagus

Why does everyone neglect to season their veggies and meat? Drizzle the olive oil on the smoking asparagus and keep them moist when cooking.

Asparagus will need salt and pepper, at least, regardless of their way of cooking. Use your favorite seasonings for best results. 

Add some butter and minced garlic or just go wild with a splash of sriracha hot sauce.

Smoking Asparagus Tips

  • Add some cheese to the top of the grilled asparagus recipe. You can use a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or other rich and savory cheese options.
  • Wrap some asparagus stalks in bacon slices in a bundle!  Cook the asparagus until it is done and the bacon is crispy.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can be added to the roasted vegetables before or after smoking.

How To Store Cooked Asparagus

The asparagus recipe has always been my favorite and this smoked asparagus does not freeze well. It will be watery and mushy if frozen. This vegetable is best eaten when fresh. Store any cooled leftover smoked asparagus in the refrigerator for up to 6 days in an airtight container.  

Reheat leftover asparagus in the microwave using 30 second intervals until desired temperature is reached.  The asparagus can also be reheated in the air fryer or back on the smoker or grill.

What to Serve with Asparagus on Pellet Smoker

Smoked Asparagus is perfect with ground turkey sheperd’s pie, shrimp, fish, chicken, and beef… well… Almost everything!!  Try smoked chicken thighs, BBQ chicken kabobs on the pellet smoker, garlic butter chicken, sweet potato ground beef casserole, smoked tri tip, smoked picanha, smoked burgers, and butter steak.

You will also like Mississippi Pot Roast and Air Fryer Pork Steak to go along with your asparagus recipe also! If you are looking for a healthy recipe to pair with this fresh vegetable, then try this chicken mediterranean recipe.

Asparagus Calories

The calories in asparagus is very low so make sure to fill up!!  The asparagus has 90 calories per serving. 

Other Smoker Recipes

Asparagus on Pellet Smoker in a foil boat.
Asparagus on Pellet Smoker

Smoked Asparagus – FAQ

How long do you smoke asparagus?

Smoking times will vary.  When smoking at a lower temperature, smoke asparagus for 40 to 60 minutes.  If you are smoking at a high temperature, you will only need to smoke for about 30 minutes.

What vegetables can you smoke?

What vegetables can’t you smoke?  Smoked vegetables taste amazing and are a must try. Pellet smoke asparagus, potatoes, carrots, beans, and the list goes on and on.

Should asparagus be soaked before grilling?

You will want to thoroughly wash the asparagus before smoking it so that there is no sand hidden in the cracks.  Soaking the asparagus is not necessary but can be done to help remove any dirt before cooking. 

Is Roasted asparagus healthy?

Yes, roasted asparagus is very healthy!!  And very tasty!!  Roasting the asparagus stalks on a smoker grill will result in nicely golden-brown vegetable pieces that you will absolutely love!

Smoked Asparagus Recipe

Get the full recipe and nutrition calories as well as nutrition information below!

Yield: 3 Servings

Smoked Asparagus Recipe

Smoked Asparagus on a piece of foil on a pellet grill.

Amazingly flavorful Smoked Asparagus is your perfect summer side dish!  It's easy to cook asparagus with the flavor and texture of roasted asparagus combined with the rich, fragrant smoky flavors!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Asparagus 1 1/2 pounds
  • Olive Oil 1 tablespoon
  • Salt 1/2 teaspoon
  • Pepper 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Remove the ends of the asparagus, rinse and remove any sand from all the pieces.
  2. Preheat the pellet grill to 400°F. Fill the bin with your desired flavor of pellets.
  3. Make a foil boat or use a grill basket and place the cleaned asparagus stalks into it. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine all the ingredients together.
  4. Place the foil or grill basket onto the hot grill and close the lid. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Check how the asparagus is cooking and toss to combine. Taste the asparagus to see if the desired doneness is achieved. Continue cooking if needed. When the asparagus is cooked to your liking, remove from the pellet smoker and serve hot.

Notes

  • Remember when using a pellet smoker, if you want a lot of smoky flavors on your food start the smoker at a lower temperature such as 225°F to 250°F.  Smoke the asparagus stalks for 30 to 40 minutes and check for desired doneness. 
  • Add extra flavor bye topping with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Squeeze the juice of a lemon on top of the cooking asparagus. Wrap a cluster of asparagus stalks in bacon strips and then smoke the whole piece until fully cooked.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!

Nutrition Information

Yield

3

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 90Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 384mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 5gSugar 3gProtein 5g

Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.

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By on June 21st, 2022
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About Sherry

Welcome to FROM MICHIGAN TO THE TABLE! My name is Chef Sherry Ronning and I am a food blogger from Michigan. Professionally cooking and baking Midwestern Cuisine for more than 30 years. Specializing in fresh fish, venison, farm raised meats and griddle recipes. Please enjoy my recipes!!

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17 Comments on “Smoked Asparagus”

  1. I had never even thought to smoke asparagus! I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on mine like you suggested – perfection! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Oh wow, smoking the asparagus really added SO much flavor! I will be doing this every time we fire up the smoker from now on!

    Reply
  3. I didn’t know you could smoke asparagus but one of the kids came home from a friends saying they had had it and loved it so I found a recipe and gave it a go!
    It was delicious! And the kids all ate it, which is a winner!!
    Definitely making this again.

    Reply
  4. I was searching for another way to make asparagus and never thought of smoking it. I loved the
    smoky flavor. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be making this again!

    Reply
  5. This asparagus was amazing! I love asparagus but I’ve never tried it smoked. This turned out so well, I will have to put it in regular rotation. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. This was my first time having smoked asparagus and I don’t think I can ever go back to another way! Thank you for another winner!!

    Reply

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