Oven space is the first thing to run out on Christmas Day, and these bacon wrapped asparagus bundles don’t need any of it. They cook on the grill in about 10 minutes, so the side is ready right when the roast comes out to rest.
Regular-cut bacon crisps in about 5 minutes a side, the same time medium-thick asparagus spears need to turn tender. Wrap each bundle with as little overlap as possible so all of the bacon gets heat, and keep the lid closed to hold the grill near 375°F.
Quick summary
One pound of medium-thick asparagus tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon, split into 6 bundles, each wrapped in one slice of regular-cut bacon and grilled at about 375°F for about 5 minutes per side until the bacon is crisp and the spears are tender. Oven option: 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes on a rack. Serves 6.
🔪 Ingredients for grilled bacon wrapped asparagus
- Asparagus: medium-thick spears. Thin ones overcook before the bacon crisps; thick ones stay woody.
- Bacon: regular cut. Thick-cut bacon won’t crisp in the time the asparagus takes unless you par-cook it first.
- Olive oil
- Lemon: juice of half goes on before grilling, with an extra squeeze at the table.
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Equipment
- Grill
- Long grilling tongs
- Baking sheet
- Toothpicks, soaked (optional)
📝 How to make grilled bacon wrapped asparagus
- Heat the grill to medium-high, about 375°F inside the grill. Clean and oil the grates.
- Trim the woody ends. Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon.
- Divide the spears into 6 bundles of roughly 5 to 6 spears each.
- Wrap one slice of bacon around each bundle, overlapping as little as possible. Pin with a soaked toothpick if the bacon won’t stay put.
- Grill seam side down with the lid closed, about 5 minutes per side, turning with long tongs, until the bacon is crisp all over and the asparagus is tender. Stay close; bacon drippings cause flare-ups.
- Pull the bundles as soon as the bacon is crisp on all sides and serve right away with another squeeze of lemon.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Start the bundles seam side down. The bacon sets in place as it cooks, so it won’t unravel when you turn it.
- Leave space between bundles. Crowded bundles trap drippings and flare up, and the bacon steams instead of crisping.
- Stuck with thick-cut bacon? Par-cook it in a skillet 7 to 10 minutes, until the fat starts to render, before wrapping.
🔄 Substitutions
- Grill: for the oven. Set the bundles on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 375°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
- Bacon: for prosciutto, which crisps faster and is saltier; check it after 2 to 3 minutes a side.
- Lemon juice: for a drizzle of balsamic glaze after grilling.
- Olive oil: for melted butter.
🍽️ What to serve with grilled bacon wrapped asparagus
- Prime rib for Christmas dinner; the bundles cook while the roast rests.
- Domino potatoes, crisp at the edges, for a side that looks like a showpiece.
- BBQ glazed smoked Brussels sprouts with bacon if the smoker is already going.
- Grilled steak, pork tenderloin or roast chicken any night of the year.
Planning the whole holiday table? Join the Girl Carnivore email list for the rest of the menu, from the roast to the sides.
🧊 Leftovers and storage
- Best eaten right off the grill. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge 2 to 3 days.
- Reheat on a wire rack over a baking sheet in a 375°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or in the air fryer, until the bacon crisps again.
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Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- grill
- Grilling tongs
- Baking sheet
- Toothpicks soaked, optional
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus spears about 20-30 spears, ends trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp coarse ground pepper
- 1/2 lemon
- 6 slices of bacon
Instructions
Prep the asparagus bundles
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat. You are aiming for about 375°F inside your grill.
- Clean and oil your grill grates.
- Place the asparagus on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and juice of ½ lemon.
- Divide the spears into 6 groups (roughly 5-6 per group).
- Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, careful not to overlap too much of the bacon as you wrap.
Grill the bacon wrapped asparagus
- Grill the wrapped asparagus for about 5 minutes per side until the bacon is crispy and the asparagus is tender. Don't leave the grill unattended as bacon drippings will cause flare ups. Use long tongs to rotate as needed for even cooking.
- As soon as the bacon has crisped on all sides, remove from the grill.
- Serve immediately with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.
Notes
- Instructions are the same for a charcoal or gas grill. Just make sure your charcoal is fully lit and holding a steady heat with a two-zone setup before grilling.
- Try to find medium thickness asparagus as it will be able to cook in the right amount of time better than too thin or too thick of pieces would be able to.
- Do not use thick cut bacon. It won’t be able to get crispy in the same amount of time as normal cut bacon.
- If all you have is thick cut bacon, pre-cook it for about 7 to 10 minutes until the fat has started to render, in a skillet.
- If you overlap the bacon a ton then it won’t be able to get crispy before the asparagus is done.
- Make sure to grill the bundles with the lid closed for even cooking and to ensure the bacon cooks through.
- If you can’t get your bacon to stay on the asparagus you can use toothpicks to secure them. If you can, let the toothpicks soak in water for 15-20 minutes before using so they are less likely to catch on fire.
- Alternatively, you can cook these in an oven at 375°F for about 10-15 minutes. Layer them on a wire rack over a foil lined baking sheet so the bacon grease can drip down and not make the bacon soggy.
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❓ FAQs
About 10 to 12 minutes total, roughly 5 minutes per side, turning until the bacon is crisp all over.
Not regular-cut bacon. Thick-cut should be par-cooked in a skillet for 7 to 10 minutes, until the fat starts to render.
Yes. Roast the bundles on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet at 375°F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
No. Grill it straight from the toss in oil and lemon; soaking only makes it soggy.
