Looking for a super delicious recipe for a popular spring vegetable? Try this easy panko parmesan crusted asparagus recipe. Asparagus are lightly breaded and baked until crispy. Served with a lemony garlic mayo-based sauce, this spring dish is perfect as an appetizer or snack.
Hi friends!
Sharing another delicious spring recipe with you guys today: panko parmesan crusted asparagus, to be exact!
I’ve been loving asparagus lately! Sure, you can get asparagus pretty much year-round, but there’s nothing like it in the spring-time.
Aside from my asparagus spinach soup, this oven-baked asparagus recipe is pretty much a regular for hubby and me lately.
It’s a veggie side but, honestly, I could devour a bunch of these crispy asparagus on a Friday night while chillaxing with a glass of vino and catching up on our favourite tv shows. They’re so good!
Why We Love This Panko Parmesan Crusted Asparagus Recipe
- This asparagus recipe uses what’s in season for spring, asparagus!
- It can be enjoyed as a side with dinner or as part of weekend or game day eats, alike.
- It’s on the healthier side of things but tastes like a treat.
- It’s so yummy!
How To Make Breaded Asparagus
Full details on how to make breaded asparagus are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Chop the woody, tough ends off your asparagus and discard. Give them a little rinse, drain and rough pat dry. Then dredge them in flour (a few at a time), shaking off excess.
- Into the whisked eggs they go. Again, shake off excess egg.
- Now, dredge in the panko parmesan mixture.
- Spread them out onto a lightly greased sheet pan and spray with cooking spray. Bake until the asparagus is crispy on the outside and cooked to your preference (tender-wise).
Can I Leave the Stalks Whole?
Absolutely!
I cut them in half because (1), they were easier to dredge in my dishes and (2) they’re perfectly dunkable that way, in my option (kinda like asparagus fries. How fun is that?).
If you’d rather leave whole, though, go for it! Just make sure, though, you trim the asparagus (those woody ends can be tough).
Sauce To Serve With Asparagus
For this breaded asparagus recipe, I used a mayo-based sauce, kinda like an aioli. It’s lemony, garlicky and comes together in a couple of minutes. So good with asparagus!
Tip: If you want to lighten things up and sub out some of the mayonnaise here, you can do so with plain Greek yogurt.
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Bake time can vary, depending on how thick your asparagus is and how you like them cooked. These were not super thin (but not super thick, either). I cooked for 10 minutes and they still had a little bite, which I love. If you need them more tender, just bake a tad longer. If you’re unsure how they’re doing, you can always give one a little taste test.
- When preparing your dredging station, divide your panko parmesan mixture in half. That way, it won’t get clumpy part-way through dredging from the egg mixture. As you use it up, replace the dish with the remaining.
- Use a large sheet pan so that the asparagus is spread out and air can circulate around them. If you don’t have one large pan, use a couple of standard or smaller ones.
More Yummy Vegetable Sides
If you make this panko parmesan crusted asparagus recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Panko Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
Ingredients
Panko Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
- 1.5 teaspoons olive oil, to grease pan
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, approximately
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs, approximately
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 1 pound asparagus
- Cooking spray, to spray asparagus
- Lemon zest, garnish to taste (optional)
Lemon Garlic Mayo Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Panko Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large sheet pan (about 21-inch x 15-inch) with 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil and set aside for use shortly.Note: If you don't have a large sheet pan, use two smaller ones. You basically want the asparagus to be spread out so they bake up nicely.
- Get your dredging station going. Add flour to a shallow bowl/dish (or use a plate). In another dish (or bowl), whisk eggs. In a third shallow dish, stir together the panko, parmesan, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper until well combined. Tip: Once mixed up, divide into 2 (basically only put half in your dish at first). That way, when you are dredging your asparagus, the mixture won't get clumpy after a while. Top up with more panko mixture, as needed.
- Wash asparagus and trim woody ends and discard those. Cut each stalk in half so you have shorter pieces. Pat excess water off with a clean tea towel so that they are mostly dry and just a tad damp-ish.
- A few at at time, dredge asparagus in flour, shaking off excess. Dip asparagus into eggs, shaking off excess. Finally, dredge the asparagus in the panko parmesan mixture. As they are coated, place asparagus onto the prepared sheet pan and continue the dredging process for the remaining asparagus.
- Lightly spray asparagus with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until asparagus are tender to your liking and the coating is golden brown and crispy.Note: Bake time can vary depending on the thickness of your asparagus and how you like them cooked
- Sprinkle with grated lemon zest, if desired, and serve with lemon garlic mayo sauce. Enjoy!
Lemon Garlic Mayo Sauce
- Combine light mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Serve with asparagus.
Notes
- Bake time can vary, depending on how thick your asparagus is and how you like them cooked. These were not super thin (but not super thick, either). I cooked for 10 minutes and they still had a little bite, which I love. If you need them more tender, just bake a tad longer. If you’re unsure how they’re doing, you can always give one a little taste test.
- When preparing your dredging station, divide your panko Parmesan mixture in half. That way, it won’t get clumpy part-way through dredging from the egg mixture. As you use it up, replace the dish with the remaining.
- Use a large sheet pan so that the asparagus is spread out and air can circulate around them. The pan used here was about 21-inch x 15-inch. If you don’t have one large pan, just a couple of standard or smaller ones.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Valentina
What a new, fun way to serve asparagus. My boys have become very adventurous eaters, but they still haven’t come around on asparagus. I have a feeling this might just be the recipe to turn them. Yum! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Valentina! That’s great news!
katherine | love in my oven
I should have made these tonight to go with our ribs! They would have been perfect. I always eat so much asparagus during this time of year! They look delicious Dawn! Happy weekend! XO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yes! Thanks Katherine! Same to you! XO
[email protected]
That’s a trifecta right there! I have asparagus on the brain lately, too! Such a fun way to elevate its flavor!! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XOXO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you, Annie! You too! XOXO
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I’m with you on eating just these for dinner! I love all that crispy breading and cheese! I’m not certain if I’d be breaking any rules, but these would totally be eaten as finger food! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Right?? 😉 Totally with ya! Thanks Kathy!
David @ Spiced
This is such a fun recipe! It’s a combination between indulgent pub food (yum!) and healthy veggies (yum, too!). We’ve gotten into a habit where we eat lots of veggies on the weeknights and then have some indulgent meals on Friday and Saturday. This recipe is a crossover, and I love it! Also, I just realized we haven’t seen your monthly posts in a while. I used to use those to find new tv shows to watch on Netflix. 🙂 Hope you guys are doing well up there, Dawn!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you, David! It’s a great mix for sure! Yes, I haven’t done one of those in a while! Hope you are doing well too, my friend.
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Asparagus is one of my fave veggies and I love your twist on it! I definitely need to try this soon. I’m adding asparagus to my shopping list now!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you, Kelsie! I love it too.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Just a perfect way to enjoy Spring asparagus!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
For sure! Thanks Jennifer!