By: Jill Mills Posted: Feb 6, 2024

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With crispy bacon, firm but tender stalks of asparagus, and a bit of balsamic vinegar, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is a simple side dish that can elevate any dinner. Ready in just 20 minutes with 6 ingredients!

Easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe

Let’s be honest, adding bacon to any veggie is a great way to make it better. This bacon wrapped asparagus is no exception. Even if you’re on the fence about asparagus (or your family is), wrapping it in bacon may just change your mind!

Fresh, firm stalks of asparagus are wrapped in bacon then baked and broiled until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is perfectly crispy. Brush some balsamic vinegar on top for an added pop of flavor and you have a restaurant-quality side dish ready to enjoy.

Looking for more ways to prepare asparagus? Try my cheesy roasted asparagus casserole too!

Close up of bundles of asparagus wrapped in bacon on a baking sheet

Why You’ll Love Asparagus Wrapped In Bacon

Here are a few reasons why this is one of our favorite asparagus recipes.

Just 6 ingredients. Including basics like salt, pepper, and oil, this bacon wrapped asparagus recipe requires just 6 ingredients to prepare.
Easy & elegant. It takes just a few minutes to prep this recipe and less than 20 minutes in the oven, yet the end result is perfect for holidays and nice dinners. We also love to serve this as an appetizer.
Bacon makes everything better. Bacon can turn almost any veggie from “eh” to “yeah!”, making this asparagus wrapped in bacon perfect for even those who aren’t huge fans of asparagus.

Ingredients needed to make asparagus wrapped in bacon

What You’ll Need

This simple asparagus side dish requires just 6 ingredients, including salt and pepper! Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.

Asparagus – Look for spears with a medium thickness that are firm and brightly colored.
Bacon – You can use any bacon, like center cut, but avoid thick cut bacon. Asparagus wrapped in bacon cooks quickly and you want the bacon to be fully cooked and crunchy.
Olive oil – Helps the seasonings stick.
Balsamic vinegar – Brushed on after baking for added flavor.
Salt & pepper – The only seasonings needed!

How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Here’s a quick overview of how to make asparagus wrapped in bacon. Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

Bundles of asparagus wrapped in a slice of bacon

Bundles of asparagus wrapped in bacon on a baking sheet

Wrap the asparagus. Divide the asparagus spears into bundles of 3 stalks. Wrap each one with a slice of bacon. Place on a baking sheet seam side down lined with parchment paper.
Season. Brush the bundles of asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp the bacon.
Enjoy. Brush (or drizzle) the bacon wrapped asparagus with the balsamic glaze and enjoy.

Four bundles of bacon wrapped asparagus on a white plate

Tips & Variations

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your bacon wrapped asparagus, as well as a simple variation.

Choose stalks of similar thickness. To ensure all of the asparagus cooks at the same time, you’ll want to stalks that are all roughly the same size.
Use fewer stalks if they’re thicker. If your asparagus stalks are pretty big, you may not have enough in the pound to do as many bundles of 3 as you’d like. In that case, you can do bundles of 2 large stalks which is about the same as 3 medium.
Add some parmesan cheese. As an alternative to the balsamic vinegar, you can add some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the bacon wrapped asparagus immediately after cooking.
Sweeten it up a bit: Feel free to add in a teaspoon or so of brown sugar to the glaze.

A fork in a piece of bacon wrapped asparagus, to show the inside of the bundle

Serving Suggestions

Bacon wrapped asparagus is an elegant side dish that you can serve with pretty much any dinner. It’s perfect for nicer meals, like a juicy steak or roast duck but also simple enough for easy weeknight dinners like melt in your mouth chicken and honey garlic pork chops.

Make Ahead & Leftovers

Make Ahead: You can prepare the asparagus bundles up to 2 days in advance and keep them covered on a plate in a fridge. Let them come to room temperature then pop them in the oven as directed.
Leftovers: Bacon wrapped asparagus is best the day it’s served but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheating this in the oven or air fryer will help maintain the crispness of the bacon, though the microwave will work in a pinch too.

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