Garlic Butter Sautéed Asparagus is a fast and easy side dish perfect for weeknight dinners and holiday feasts. Everything you need (except the asparagus) is probably already in your fridge! Check out my tips for picking out perfect asparagus in the store (bottom of recipe).

The truth is I’ve been making my sautéed asparagus the same way for years! I keep it simple with butter, salt and pepper. It is amazing and perfect! But this year I decided to branch out a bit more and try some new things. I didn’t go crazy but I did come up with several new options we have enjoyed putting into the rotation!

This Garlic Butter Sautéed Asparagus was a huge hit with Jonathan. I think it reminded him of a more Asian style vegetable dish. We both like the simplicity of prep and being able to toss it together while cooking something else on the stove or in the oven.

If you are unfamiliar with asparagus make sure to check out the tips at the bottom of the recipe. You will be picking out the perfect bundle of spears in no time!

Have a great week. Thanks for stopping by to cook with me!

Tools In This Post: Most kitchens need two good skillets. I’m using this set from Calphalon for my basic pans.

You know what goes well with Garlic Butter Sautéed Asparagus? Roast Beef!

A white platter of tender spears of green asparagus sautéed in garlic butter.

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2.86 from 7 votes

Garlic Butter Sautéed Asparagus

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Cook Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Mirlandra Neuneker

Author Mirlandra Neuneker

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus see note
3 Tbsp. salted butter
2 tsp. minced garlic optional
¼ cup water
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper coarsely ground

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Trim the root ends from the asparagus spears about 1” or enough to remove any white part.
Heat butter and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat just until the garlic starts to turn light brown.
Add the trimmed asparagus, water, salt and pepper. Toss with tongs or spatula occasionally. Cook 4-6 minutes until the asparagus is just tender with the smallest crunch and the pan is starting to go dry.
Taste for salt and pepper and serve hot.

Helpful Recipe Notes

How to Choose Asparagus: In the store look for spears of asparagus that are about the width of a pencil or at the largest a narrow sharpie. Choose a bundle that has firm green tips and is not slimy. The asparagus should look fresh and nice.

Your Rating Matters

When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. - Mirlandra

Nutrition Estimate

A Note on Nutrition

Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.