How To Roast Asparagus Spears in a Toaster Oven
Toaster Oven Roasted Asparagus Spears take just 15 minutes to cook in your little oven. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts for a delicious and healthy vegetable side dish for two.
Oven roasting, or more specifically toaster oven roasting, is my favorite way to prepare asparagus. That’s because it’s super quick, requires little effort, and greatly enhances the flavor and sweetness of the asparagus.
To keep the spears intact and fit them in a tiny toaster oven you’ll need to make a smaller amount. A half-pound of asparagus was the most we could fit in an even layer on our little rimmed 1/8th sheet pan.
If you’re cooking with a countertop oven like our Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS) you can fit almost a whole pound of asparagus on the pan that comes with it or on a quarter sheet pan if you’ve got one.
How To Cook Asparagus Spears in a Toaster Oven
Start by preheating the toaster oven to 425°F. Next, cut or snap the ends off the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet with the tips all facing the same direction.
Next, drizzle the asparagus with a small amount of your favorite oil (we used grapeseed) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
To evenly distribute the oil, use your hand to roll the asparagus side to side on the pan. Each piece will get coated with just the right amount of oil.
Now that we’re all oiled up, toss that asparagus into your preheated toaster oven to roast for just a few minutes.
How do you know when the asparagus is cooked?
You’re looking for it to be tender, lightly browned at the tips, and still slightly crisp.
In our toaster oven, thinner stalks are usually done in 7 minutes and about 11 minutes for large/thicker stalks.
Wanna start digging into those yummy-looking roasted asparagus spears?
Wait for just one more second while we quickly turn them into a fancier “that came from your toaster oven!” side dish with a drizzle of quality balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Okay, now let’s eat!
Toaster Oven Roasted Asparagus Spears
15 minutes for two servings of perfectly roasted asparagus spears using your toaster oven. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with chopped walnuts for a delicious vegetable side dish.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh asparagus spears, washed and dried
- 1/2 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
- Fine grain sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your toaster oven to 425 F and cut or snap the ends off the asparagus.
- Place asparagus on a baking sheet with the tips all facing the same direction.
- Drizzle oil over asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll the spears around the pan to evenly coat in oil and seasoning.
- Place cookie sheet in toaster oven with the tips facing the door and roast at 425 F for 7 to 11 minutes until fork tender but with a slight crispness.
- Remove pan from oven, drizzle balsamic vinegar over asparagus and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Notes
For thinner asparagus use 1/2 teaspoon oil. If your asparagus is on the thicker side use 3/4 teaspoon oil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: Half of RecipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 4.1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2.9mgCarbohydrates: 5.3gFiber: 2.6gSugar: 2.6gProtein: 3g
If you love roasted vegetables, you might also enjoy:
- These Sweet & Tangy Balsamic Roasted Carrots are delish! Fresh whole carrots roasted to crisp-tender perfection then drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a tangy finish.
- Delicata squash is the easiest squash to cook in your toaster oven. Roasted slices make a great addition to cheesy black bean quesadillas or you can cook them as boats to stuff with a filling quinoa grain salad.
- Love sweet potatoes? Check out these Addictive Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds, you can bake up a batch in just 30 minutes! From pizza style to ricotta cheese with blueberries, the options for topping your sweet potato slices are endless.
- L-O-V-E you some asparagus? Check out this recipe for Roasting Asparagus in a Toaster Oven or this light dinner for two of Balsamic Asparagus and Hummus Toast.
Simple and lovely! Those walnuts on top are where it’s at!!
Thanks so much Kate!
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh(sage, parsley etc)?
Hi Trip,
You can absolutely use dried herbs, I would toss them with the asparagus and the oil before cooking. Just remember that dried herbs are more potent than fresh so you’ll want to use a small amount, probably 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon for a recipe this size.
My toaster oven is such a time saver. I love the idea of using it to roast veggies! I have to try this soon 🙂
Let me know how it goes, I bet your toaster oven will turn out some yummy roasted veggies!
Nothing beats crisp roasted asparagus! I will be trying with the balsamic as well, never thought to try.
Roasting asparagus is my favorite (& easiest) way of cooking this vegetable. I’ve never used balsamic when roasting though, so am giving that a try when asparagus is back in season. Yum!
Thanks Tania, I hope you enjoy the balsamic!
So simple and so good looking, I can’t wait for the asparagus season. I am pinning this and making it when the time comes.
Thanks so much Adina 🙂 Yeah, we’ve been enjoying the winter squashes and root veggies but I cannot wait for spring vegetables!