Sautéed asparagus with garlic butter is one of those recipes that makes you wonder why you’d ever cook asparagus any other way. The whole thing is done in about five minutes, start to finish — faster than roasting, no pot of boiling water to deal with, and the results are better than either.

Sautéed asparagus spears in a white skillet with two lemon wedges, showcasing the vibrant green of freshly sautéed asparagus on a wooden surface.
Beautiful green sautéed asparagus in garlic butter sauce.

I’ve built up quite an asparagus recipe archive here, and they all use different methods. Roasting concentrates flavor; blanching and steaming preserve its color.

The beauty of sautéeing is that it does both jobs at once — a hot skillet adds a little char and caramelization on the outside, and a brief covered steam at the end keeps the inside tender and the color vivid green. Add garlic and a swirl of butter at the end, and the pan does the rest — the juices emulsify into a light, glossy sauce that coats every piece.

If you want to enjoy asparagus without any cooking at all, try it raw in this asparagus salad — it tastes sweet and crunchy straight from the bunch.

I made this today and it was perfect! Easily the most tender asparagus I’ve ever made and super fast and easy. Definitely a keeper!

~Monica

Why these ingredients matter

Fresh asparagus spears arrayed in a line on a round wooden board.
  • Fresh asparagus: When you’re shopping, look for asparagus bunches that are plump and smooth, with tightly closed buds on top. It doesn’t matter if the spears are thick or thin. As a matter of fact, FAT asparagus spears often have the best flavor and texture. If you notice any spears that have smashed or soggy tips, keep looking. You’ll need one pound of asparagus for this recipe, which makes four servings.
  • Garlic: One teaspoon of finely chopped garlic — roughly one small clove — is the right amount. You want it in there, but not overwhelming. Add the garlic after the asparagus has already had a couple of minutes in the pan to protect it from direct high heat. If you add it at the very beginning with cold oil, it will brown before the asparagus is done — and overcooked garlic on delicate green vegetables doesn’t taste great.
  • Butter: It does two things in this recipe: Adds richness, and picks up all the savory, garlicky bits left in the pan and pulls them together into a quick sauce. That’s why the instructions say to swirl rather than stir — you want the cold butter to emulsify with the pan juices as it melts, not just melt into a puddle. Use unsalted butter so you stay in control of the seasoning.

How to trim and slice asparagus

  • A person's hands, holding a spear of raw asparagus.
    Hold a spear in two hands, and bend toward the bottom end until it snaps off into a 2-3-inch piece.
  • A person's hands showing how to snap the end off an asparagus spear.
    It will naturally break at the point separating the tender part of the spear with the tough end.
  • Fresh asparagus spears and the bottom stems on a cutting board.
    Continue trimming the whole bunch. Save the tough, woody ends to make asparagus risotto, broth for soup or put into your compost.
  • Fresh asparagus spears on a cutting board, with a knife and cut pieces of asparagus.
    There’s no need to peel the spears. Slice each spear on the diagonal into 2-inch long pieces.
  • Diagonally cut fresh asparagus on a cutting board with a knife.
    They’re perfectly bite-sized!

Sauté the asparagus, step by step:

  • Sliced fresh asparagus in a colander.
    1. Rinse the sliced asparagus with cold water.
  • Slices of asparagus in a saute pan with olive oil.
    2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add the asparagus in one layer. Cook over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Asparagus cooking in a skillet, with chopped garlic and olive oil.
    3. Add water, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover the pan to steam the asparagus for 2 minutes.
  • Cooked asparagus in a skillet, with two pats of butter on top and sliced lemons.
    4. Uncover the pan, add the butter and swirl the pan until the butter melts into a sauce.
  • Sliced asparagus in a saute pan with a spatula and lemon wedges.
    5. Squeeze fresh lemon over the asparagus.
  • Sauteed asparagus on a serving platter, with a fork and lemon wedges on top.
    6. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy!
Sautéed asparagus spears in a white skillet with a few lemon wedges, featuring vibrant green colors, sit enticingly on a wooden surface.
4.94 from 15 ratings

Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic Butter

Karen Tedesco
Sautéed asparagus with garlic butter is a 5-minute side dish — use a hot skillet to caramelize the stalks, then a quick, covered steam to keep them tender and vivid green. No blanching, no oven required. Just asparagus, olive oil, garlic, butter and a squeeze of lemon.
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Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, bottom stalks trimmed, sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1-2 wedges fresh lemon

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Trim the tough ends from the stalks of 1 pound fresh asparagus. Cut the spears into ½-inch pieces on the diagonal.
  2. Put 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch saute pan or skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook 3 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan frequently.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pan and cook 2 minutes — this step steams the asparagus, cooking it from the inside out.
  4. Uncover the pan and add 2 tablespoons butter, swirling the pan off the heat until it melts.
  5. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter — be sure to scrape out all the buttery pan juices. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the platter and serve.

Notes

  • Before cooking, check this photo tutorial for trimming and prepping asparagus 
  • If you’re dairy-free, substitute an equal amount of olive oil for the butter. The sauce will be thinner and lighter, but the asparagus will still taste great.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 69kcal Carbohydrates: 8g Protein: 3g Fat: 4g Sodium: 302mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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