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Smoked bacon wrapped asparagus is a delicious easy-to-make side dish of smoky bacon wrapped around tender asparagus cooked to perfection. This recipe is exactly what you need for your next BBQ!
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Ingredients
Being such an easy recipe to make, there aren't many ingredients when making grilled bacon wrapped asparagus.
- Asparagus (2 bundles)
- Bacon (thin cut)
- Olive oil
- Salt & Black Pepper
Video - How to make bacon wrapped asparagus
How to make smoked bacon wrapped asparagus
Let's get started in prepping, smoking, and serving these delicious smoky treats. Everyone is going to love these salty smoky goodies. Anytime you pair vegetables with bacon, it's sure to be a big hit at the kitchen table.
Prepping the asparagus
Start by rinsing the asparagus bundles under fresh water and dry with paper towels to remove any dirt or debris from the vegetable. Next, cut the woody ends (1-2 inches off the bottom) of the asparagus and discard, keeping the rest to cook.
Place the fresh asparagus spears on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Then lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
The goal is to wrap 3-4 asparagus spears with 1 thin cut slice of bacon. Starting at the bottom of the asparagus, begin wrapping the bacon slice up and around the asparagus stalk. It should cover the stem of the asparagus, but not the leafy top.
There is no need to use a toothpick to keep the bacon in place as long as you tightly wrap the bacon.
Smoking to Perfection
Place the bacon wrapped asparagus directly on the grill grate of a smoker or grill pre heated to 250°F. I like using a pecan wood or hickory wood when smoking these great tasting appetizers.
Smoke for about 1.5 hours or until the bacon is crisp and finished cooking. Once the bacon is finished to your liking, the asparagus will be lightly charred and finished cooking as well.
Serving and Flavor
Simply pull them off the grill and serve with your favorite main dish. These goes perfect with a nice smoked beer can chicken or smoked meatloaf.
The saltiness from the bacon pairs perfectly with the earthiness of the fresh asparagus making this grilled bacon wrapped asparagus recipe one of my favorite side dishes for chicken and turkey main dishes.
The bacon fat coats the asparagus while cooking. As well all know, slathering anything in bacon fat is delicious!
Smokers & Grills
Bacon wrapped asparagus can be cooked using several different methods. A propane grill, charcoal grill, or smoker.
Smokers
I've smoked plenty of great tasting steaks on my pellet smoker, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker. Pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on your steaks and other meats without having to babysit a firebox all day.
A traditional offset smoker, like this Oklahoma Joe's Smoker will also produce great results. Grab your favorite wood and get your smoker fired up!
Gas & charcoal grills
These are the best two grills to use when grilling a tomahawk ribeye. The gas grill is easy to maintain temperature and a charcoal grill will impart the best flavor.
These ribeye's take a while to cook since they are so thick, so these grills are a great way to give them some high heat to get them cooking.
When it comes to charcoal grills, the Weber kettle is about my favorite to use. I love how inexpensive and easy they are to use.
If using a gas grills or natural gas grills, weber also makes a great grill. The new Weber Genesis smart grills definitely will take your grilling to the next level.
Do you need a new grill? No, the best one to use is the one you already have!
Old Pro Tips
- Use thin-cut bacon for easier wrapping and prevent overcooking of asparagus. Thick-cut bacon will take too long to cook which will result in overcooking the asparagus.
- Don't add any sugary glaze, these are best flavored with only salt, pepper, and bacon fat.
- Don't blanch the asparagus before grilling, they will turn out rubbery.
- Grill temperature can range from 250°F to 350°F for cooking.
Try Smoking This!
FAQ
Chicken and turkey main dishes are best to pair with this appetizer / side dish.
Rinsing with fresh water will remove any dirt, sand, or grit from the asparagus. Nobody wants dirt in their food!
The woody bottom part of the asparagus is tough and does not have the best flavor as the top part of the vegetable.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus
- 1 lb bacon (thin cut)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Pre-heat smoker of grill to 250°F. Use a hickory or pecan wood for best flavor.
- Rinse asparagus under fresh water and dry with paper towels. Cut the bottom 1-2" off the bottom of the asparagus and discard.
- Lay asparagus on baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Then lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grab 3-4 asparagus and starting at the bottom of the stem, wrap with 1 slice of thin cut bacon. Spiral the bacon up the stem of the asparagus while wrapping. It should cover most of the steam, but not the top of the asparagus.
- Place the bacon wrapped asparagus directly on the grill rack and smoke / grill for about 1 hour and 30 minutes until the bacon is crispy. Cooking time will vary on your grill and cooking temperature.
- Once the bacon is crispy and asparagus lightly charred, remove and pair with your favorite main dish. Enjoy!
- Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and comment! Thanks!
Pro Tips
- Use thin cut bacon for easier wrapping and prevent overcooking of asparagus.
- Don't add any sugary glaze, these are best flavored with only salt, pepper, and bacon fat.
- Don't blanch the asparagus before grilling, they will turn out rubbery.
- Grill temperature can range from 250°F to 350°F for cooking.
Nutrition
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