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Bacon wrapped asparagus is a delicious side dish that’s elegant enough for a holiday table, and easy enough for your next weeknight dinner! Fresh asparagus bundles are wrapped with salty, smoky bacon, brushed with sweet maple syrup, and ready for the oven or grill in just 10 minutes. The bacon is crispy, the vegetables are tender, and they’re delicious alongside a Christmas or Easter ham, a roast chicken, or a cozy Southern meatloaf.

Overhead shot of hands holding a serving tray full of the best bacon wrapped asparagus recipe

Baked Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Wrapping just about anything in bacon is bound to make it delicious, right?! You can’t beat the sweet, smoky, salty flavor of bacon wrapped asparagus for an easy, make-ahead side dish. Serve the fresh spring vegetables on an Easter brunch or dinner buffet, or offer the delicious asparagus recipe for your next Sunday supper. It’s a simple way to jazz up your average green veggies!

I prefer the ease of baked bacon wrapped asparagus, which you can assemble on a baking sheet and just pop it in the oven — no babysitting required. If the weather is nice and you’d rather throw these bundles on the grill, that works too! I’ve included both sets of instructions in the recipe below.

Drizzling asparagus with olive oil

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for bacon-wrapped asparagus. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

  • Fresh asparagus spears: I use a bundle of asparagus, which is usually 1 lb. and serves about 6 people. You can scale this recipe to serve as many or as few as necessary.
  • Olive oil: adds flavor to the asparagus, helps it brown in the oven, and prevents the vegetables and bacon from sticking to the pan.
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to season the vegetables.
  • Center cut bacon strips: the center cut bacon is thinner and leaner than thick-cut bacon, so it gets crispy in the oven sooner, and isn’t as greasy.
  • Maple syrup: gives the bacon that “candied” quality. The sugars in the syrup caramelize in the oven, helping the bacon get nice and crispy.
Process shot showing how to wrap asparagus bundles with bacon

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

This quick and easy side dish is a great make-ahead option for holiday meals! Just assemble the bundles in advance and pop them in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

  1. Trim asparagus by cutting or snapping off the tough, woody ends.
  2. Arrange the asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
  4. Gather the asparagus spears into 6 equal bundles. In this case, I had 45 spears, so each bundle included either 7 or 8 spears.
  5. Wrap a slice of bacon around each bundle, and place the bundles on the baking sheet.
  6. Brush the bacon with maple syrup.
  7. Bake uncovered in a 400°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crispy.
Brushing maple syrup on asparagus and bacon

What to Serve with Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

This easy side dish goes well with any of these entrees:

Hands holding a platter of bacon wrapped asparagus

Make Ahead

Assemble the asparagus bundles in advance, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake. Wait to brush with maple syrup until right before they go into the oven.

Storage

The leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing the asparagus, since the vegetables will have a mushy, soggy texture when thawed.

Platter of bacon-wrapped asparagus on a wooden dinner table

Recipe Variations

  • To cook the bacon wrapped asparagus on the grill, preheat the grill to medium heat. Secure the bundles with toothpicks so that they don’t fall apart when turning. Grill the bundles (covered) for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally.
  • Cook the asparagus bundles in a large skillet on the stovetop. To do so, heat olive oil in the bottom of the skillet over medium heat. Arrange the asparagus bundles in the skillet and cook until the bacon is crisp on one side. Flip the bundles over and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp on the other side, and the asparagus is tender. You’ll likely need to do this in batches so that the asparagus bundles fit in a single layer in the pan. This stove top method is more time-consuming and requires more hands-on attention than my preferred oven baked method!
  • Sprinkle the bacon with brown sugar instead of brushing with maple syrup.
  • Season the asparagus with herbs and other spices, such as our favorite all-purpose seasoning blend, thyme, parsley, chives, garlic powder, or onion powder.
  • Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, lemon wedges, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, or fresh herbs, if desired.

Tips for the Best Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe

  • Trim the tough, woody ends off of the asparagus stalks before assembling the bundles. To do this, bend the asparagus spears gently with your index fingers and thumbs (the spot where you feel the stalk naturally snap is where the woody end starts); or you can use a knife to cut off about 1 inch from the end of the asparagus.
  • Use center cut bacon, not thick-cut bacon. The center cut bacon becomes crispy sooner in the oven, and is less greasy than its thicker counterpart.
  • Scale the recipe to serve the size of your group. For instance, double all of the ingredients and prepare 2 lbs. of asparagus. Similarly, you can cut all of the ingredients in half to serve just 2-3 people.
  • The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your asparagus spears. You’ll know the dish is done when the bacon looks crispy and the asparagus is tender.
Bundles of bacon wrapped asparagus on a blue and white tray

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes to Try

Overhead shot of hands holding a serving tray full of the best bacon wrapped asparagus recipe

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings 4 – 6 people
Calories 98 kcal
Bacon-wrapped asparagus is a delicious side dish that's elegant enough for a holiday table, and easy enough for your next weeknight dinner!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 6 slices center cut bacon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Arrange asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Gather the asparagus into 6 equal bundles. Wrap each bundle with one slice of bacon. Place the wrapped bundles on the baking sheet.
  • Brush the bacon with a little bit of maple syrup on top.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crispy. The total baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your asparagus spears.

Notes

  • To cook the bacon wrapped asparagus on the grill, preheat the grill to medium heat. Secure the bundles with toothpicks so that they don’t fall apart when turning. Grill the bundles (covered) for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally.
  • Cook the asparagus bundles in a large skillet on the stovetop. To do so, heat olive oil in the bottom of the skillet over medium heat. Arrange the asparagus bundles in the skillet and cook until the bacon is crisp on one side. Flip the bundles over and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp on the other side, and the asparagus is tender. You’ll likely need to do this in batches, so that the asparagus bundles fit in a single layer in the pan.
  • Sprinkle the bacon with brown sugar instead of brushing with maple syrup.
  • Season the asparagus with herbs and other spices, such as our favorite all-purpose seasoning blend, thyme, parsley, chives, garlic powder, or onion powder.
  • Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, lemon wedges, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, or fresh herbs, if desired.
  • Trim the tough, woody ends off of the asparagus stalks before assembling the bundles. To do this, bend the asparagus spears gently with your forefinger and thumb (the spot where you feel the stalk naturally snap is where the woody end starts); or you can use a knife to cut off about 1 inch from the end of the asparagus.
  • Use center cut bacon, not thick-cut bacon. The center cut bacon becomes crispy sooner in the oven, and is less greasy than its thicker counterpart.
  • Scale the recipe to serve the size of your group. For instance, double all of the ingredients and prepare 2 lbs. of asparagus. Similarly, you can cut all of the ingredients in half to serve just 2-3 people.
  • The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your asparagus spears. You’ll know the dish is done when the bacon looks crispy and the asparagus is tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bundleCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 322mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 572IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
Keyword: bacon wrapped asparagus, baked bacon wrapped asparagus, roasted asparagus
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan
blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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