Up your appetizer side dish game with a quick and easy recipe for Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles starring a balsamic-brown sugar glaze.
I’m always on the hunt for inventive appetizers and creative side dishes that transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary results. With just four basic ingredients, you can transform simple asparagus spears into the star of the show.
The Best Way to Cook Bacon Wrapped with Asparagus
The goal here is to ensure the bacon gets crispy without overcooking the asparagus. To achieve the perfect texture for both ingredients, it’s important to par-cook the bacon so that a portion of the fat renders off before it’s wrapped around the asparagus spears.
A sweet and tangy combination of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar leads to syrupy caramelization, which translates to big flavor in every asparagus bundle bite!
In need of more asparagus inspiration? There’s so much the humble veggie can become, whether it’s shaved and piled atop pizza, breaded and baked into fries or blended into extra-creamy pesto. Check out my go-to asparagus recipes below!
asparagus recipes
Roasted, baked, blended and more!
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Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush the balsamic mixture atop the bacon.
Bake the bacon until partially cooked but still pliable, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the oven and let it cool until it can be safely handled.
Divide the asparagus into six bundles. Wrap each bundle with one piece of bacon, starting about 1/2-inch from the top and wrapping down toward the stems. Arrange the bundles back on the baking sheet so that the end of the piece of the bacon is on the bottom of each bundle.
Increase the oven to 400°F. Roast the bundles until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crispy, about 15 minutes, brushing the bacon with the balsamic mixture once halfway through. Remove the bundles from the oven and serve.
Kelly’s Note:
If the tips or ends of the asparagus begin to get too crispy at any point, cover the tips and ends with foil and continue roasting the asparagus until the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness.
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