Fork WeeklyThis is the side dish that quietly steals the show at any dinner: smoky, salty bacon wrapped around sweet, tender asparagus, roasted until the edges caramelize.
Two small moves make it great — roast on a wire rack so the bacon crisps all the way around, and finish under the broiler for a couple of minutes if you like it truly crackly.
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Tender-crisp asparagus bundled in smoky bacon and roasted until caramelized — a five-ingredient side that looks fancy and disappears fast.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan.
- Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and black pepper.
- Gather the asparagus into bundles of 3–4 spears and wrap each with a slice of bacon, tucking the end underneath.
- Arrange the bundles on the rack. If using, sprinkle the bacon with brown sugar for a caramelized glaze.
- Roast 22–26 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the asparagus is tender. Broil for the last 2 minutes for extra-crispy bacon.
Recipe notes & tips
- The wire rack lets the bacon crisp all the way around instead of sitting in grease.
- Thicker asparagus holds up best; very thin spears can overcook before the bacon crisps.
- A crack of black pepper or a squeeze of lemon at the end keeps it from feeling heavy.
168 kcalCalories
8 gProtein
5 gCarbs
13 gFat