This turkey bacon wrapped asparagus recipe is an easy, delicious, versatile side dish for any meal. With its salty, crispy turkey bacon and tender, sweet asparagus, you'll be making this dish on repeat!
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Why You'll Love Asparagus Wrapped in Turkey Bacon
This is one of the easiest sides and we love it in my home because it's super versatile and goes with so many different main dishes! Check the "How to Serve" section below for ideas.
Using turkey bacon is a healthier option than traditional bacon strips, with fewer calories and less saturated fat. It's also just a great way to switch things up from regular bacon!
These little bundles are attractive enough to serve at a party, but simple enough to dish up on a busy Tuesday.
You can also make this dish in advance for weekday meal prep!
What You'll Need
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- Fresh Asparagus I like to use thick asparagus spears here but feel free to create bundles with more asparagus spears if you can only find thin asparagus.
- Turkey Bacon This recipe uses cooked turkey bacon, which I find is a more common option in grocery stores than uncooked turkey bacon. You'll want one slice of bacon for each 3 to 4 pieces of asparagus.
- Salt Kosher salt is always my preference!
- Pepper A few cracks of fresh black pepper are wonderful.
- Italian Seasoning is optional. If using, I recommend finding an Italian seasoning blend with garlic included. If you can't find one with that as an option, sprinkle just a bit of garlic powder over the asparagus before cooking, too.
How to Make Asparagus and Turkey Bacon Bundles
Step One Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, trim the asparagus. Remove the thick, woody ends of the asparagus by feeling for the edge of the hard part of the asparagus stalk with your fingers, then hold on both sides and gently snap.
Step Two Add parchment paper or tin foil on a sheet tray for easier cleanup. Add a bit of oil or pan spray.
Step Three Take 3 to 4 spears and place them over top of a piece of bacon.
Step Four Roll the bacon around the asparagus to create a bundle, placing the seam on underside of the asparagus that sits on the baking sheet.
Step Five Complete this step with the remaining asparagus. Brush the bundles with a bit of olive oil or spray with a little bit of pan spray.
Step Six Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then place in the oven to cook for 25 to 35 minutes.
Step Seven When the asparagus is tender and the turkey bacon is just crisp, remove from the oven.
Step Eight Serve!
Recommended Equipment
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Turkey bacon has fewer calories and less saturated fat than regular pork bacon. It provides protein and has B vitamins and minerals like zinc and phosphorus.
However, turkey bacon does have a fair amount of sodium, which is something to be aware of when assessing the healthiness of any given food.
Salt and pepper will go a long way toward flavorful asparagus. The Italian seasoning recommended here will add plenty of flavor, too. You can add more garlic powder or a bit of lemon zest if you're looking to pack more of a punch!
I recommend salting asparagus before cooking it in a roasted preparation like this. If you plan to blanch or otherwise cook your asparagus using a wet preparation, salt the water or liquid it cooks in instead.
Variations
Regular Bacon Swap the turkey bacon for regular pork bacon and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes.
Air Fryer Asparagus You can also make this in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes!
Place the bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook until the bacon is crispy and the asparagus is tender. Like ovens, air fryers can vary in temperature readings and size, so cook times may vary.
Single asparagus spears Instead of bundles, you can wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of turkey bacon.
How to Store
Fridge You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Reheating Reheat by placing the bundles in a frying pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil or pan spray. Remove from the pan when they are heated through. They can also be reheated in the oven or air fryer.
Reheating in the microwave will work, but the crisp texture of the turkey bacon will be lost.
Expert Tips
- If you can only find very thin asparagus spears, wrap more in a bundle. Where a bundle of thicker asparagus should have 3 to 4 spears, a bundle of thin asparagus could have 5 to 7.
- When selecting asparagus, avoid bunches with mushy tops. This is a sign that they are going bad and should not be eaten. Choose asparagus with firm stalks and tips.
- Be sure to also avoid any asparagus that looks dried out. This means it is old and will not taste particularly good when cooked.
How to Serve
These turkey bacon and asparagus bundles are a fantastic side dish for just about anything!
Some of our favorites include crispy Italian Chicken Cutlets, a big dinner salad like this Burrata Salad with Balsamic Glaze.
You can serve it as a brunch dish paired with Chili Scrambled Eggs or a slice of Smoked Salmon and Spinach Quiche.
You can make these for meal prep, and serve them up Cast Iron Chicken Thighs or with a sandwich, like this Egg and Cucumber Sandwich.
More Delicious Vegetable Sides
📖 Recipe
Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus thicker asparagus is preferable to thinner
- 8 slices turkey bacon or more as needed, see note 1
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning optional, see note 3
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Trim the asparagus. Remove the thick, woody ends of the asparagus by feeling for the edge of the hard part of the asparagus stalk with your fingers, then hold on both sides and gently snap.
- Add parchment paper or tin foil on a sheet tray for easier cleanup. Add a bit of oil or pan spray.
- Take 3 to 4 asparagus spears and place them crosswise over top of a piece of bacon.
- Roll the bacon around the asparagus to create a bundle, placing the seam on underside of the asparagus that sits on the baking sheet.
- Complete this with the remaining asparagus.
- Brush the bundles with a bit of olive oil or spray with a little bit of pan spray.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then place in the oven to cook for 25 to 35 minutes.
- When the asparagus is tender and the turkey bacon is just crisp, remove from the oven and serve!
Notes
- You will want to have one slice of turkey bacon for every 3 to 4 slices of asparagus. The number of stalks in each bunch of asparagus will differ.
- If using very thin asparagus, use 5 to 7 asparagus spears per bundle.
- I recommend using an Italian seasoning with garlic already in the blend. If you cannot find a seasoning with garlic included, you can add a pinch of garlic powder to your mixture before seasoning the asparagus.
- Fridge You can any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing I do not recommend freezing this dish.
- Reheating Reheat by placing them in a frying pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil or pan spray. Remove from the pan when they are heated through. They can also be reheated in the oven or air fryer.
- Reheating in the microwave will work, but the crisp texture of the turkey bacon will be lost.
Lindsey says
You have done it! No more dull asparagus side dishes in this household! The turkey bacon gave all the bacon vibes without the grease and calories! They were a hit! I think I might be voted out of the kitchen if I serve plain asparagus again lol
Genevieve says
Haha, woohoo! Thanks Lindsey!
Claire says
These were delicious!!
We can't get turkey bacon here in Australia so I used standard bacon and it worked so well.
The asparagus was sweet and tender and the bacon was crispy and salty.
Even my kids ate it and getting them to eat anything green is hard!
THANK YOU
Genevieve says
Yes! That's definitely a victory! Thanks Claire.
Rose says
These made the perfect side to my Easter dinner! everyone loved it.
Genevieve says
Awesome! Thanks Rose!
Gina says
I actually prefer this turkey bacon twist than regular bacon. Not as much grease and still incredibly tasty! My favorite way to serve asparagus.
Genevieve says
I agree with you, Gina! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Addison says
This bacon wrapped asparagus was crispy, flavorful and hearty! Such a delicious side dish.
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Addison!