Asparagus Stir Fry
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My asparagus stir fry recipe features tender veggies stir-fried in a savory, sweet, and spicy glaze. It makes a healthy side dish or main course!
My favorite asparagus recipe
I love cooking asparagus because it’s quick and, if you play your cards right, it can be quite tender and flavorful. When I want to showcase asparagus’s best features, I stir fry it!
For this recipe, I combine trimmed asparagus with aromatics and red bell peppers. Everything’s pan-fried until crisp yet tender, then enveloped in a sticky, savory, umami-rich sauce. It’s a spin on my mom’s green bean stir fry, swapping the beans for seasonal asparagus. Here’s why it’s a repeat side dish:
- Versatile. As is, this is a pretty light dish, but pair it with crispy baked tofu and basmati rice, and you have a hearty vegetarian dinner.
- My favorite way to cook asparagus. Asparagus has a reputation for being mushy and bland, but when it’s cooked at high heat with plenty of sauce, it’s anything but.
- Great for meal prep or weeknight dinner. A big batch of stir fry goes a long way, especially if you add some protein. Plus, it reheats like a dream.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Fantastic. We love it, and I have shared it with my brother-in-law and his wife.
They love it too!” – Laura
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed
- Fresh asparagus. Look for the thickest stalks you can find. They’ll need to be trimmed, with the bottoms discarded, and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Red bell pepper. Sliced into slices equal to the asparagus.
- Onion. Sliced. Use red onion for a milder flavor.
- Fresh garlic and fresh ginger. Minced. Adjust the amount you use depending on your preferences.
- Sesame oil. The nutty flavor of this oil is perfect for this stir fry. If you don’t have sesame oil, use olive oil or any neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
For the sauce:
- Vegetable broth. I suggest using low-sodium broth as it is less salty and overpowering.
- Soy sauce. For essential umami flavor.
- Fish sauce. You can just use soy sauce and call it a day, but I like to add a dash of fish sauce to impart a richer flavor.
- White vinegar. Adds essential acidity. Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar also works.
- Brown sugar. Balances the savory, salty, and spicy flavors in the stir fry. You can also use maple syrup.
- Chili paste. I prefer sambal oelek since it’s unsweetened and has the perfect amount of heat. If you are a spice fiend, sriracha would work well.
- Cornstarch. Helps thicken the sauce and gives it a glossy finish.
How to prepare asparagus
- Look for a bunch of asparagus spears that are equal in thickness.
- Rinse them under cold water (soaking is optional but may help remove debris trapped in the tips).
- Snap the stalks until the bottom breaks, then discard the bottoms.
- Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces diagonally at a 45-degree angle.
How to make asparagus stir fry
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the stir fry sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2- Stir fry. Heat a wok with sesame oil, then add the garlic and ginger. After a few minutes, add the rest of the veggies and cook until tender.
Step 3- Assemble. Pour the sauce into the wok, let it bubble, then serve warm with rice.
Arman’s tips and variations
- If you don’t have a wok, a large skillet will do just fine. Just make sure it’s fully heated before adding the vegetables.
- Don’t overcook the asparagus. I like it when it’s still bright green with a light bite. Once it starts turning olive green, it’s usually gone too far.
- Add protein. Like my baked chicken breast, shaved steak, tofu, or beef kabobs.
- Pile on the veggies. Try green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, or water chestnuts.
Frequently asked questions
You don’t need to peel asparagus before cooking unless the stalks are rather thick. If desired, use a vegetable peeler to peel stalks thicker than ½ inch in diameter.
I don’t recommend it. Frozen asparagus tends to release too much moisture and won’t stay crisp when stir-fried.
More easy asparagus recipes
Asparagus Stir Fry
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 inch ginger minced
- 4 cups asparagus chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
For the stir fry sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Make the stir-fry sauce by whisking together the vegetable broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, white vinegar, brown sugar, chili paste and cornstarch.
- Add the sesame oil to a non-stick wok or skillet and when hot, add the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry for several minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook until mostly tender.
- Add the stir-fry sauce. Let it bubble and thicken for several minutes, before removing it from the heat.
- Serve over rice.
Chilli paste in stir fry is very good. Best imgredient.
Very tasty!
Fantastic. We love it and I have shared it with my brother in law and his wife.
They love it too!
Love this recipe! Sharing it with a friend.
Made a few changes to make the sauce low carb.
A little higher carb than I like, but I can modify this delicious looking recipe. Thanks for all you do! Yum! We love vegetarian meals!