If you are looking for an easy and tasty side dish try this low carb bacon wrapped asparagus recipe. Tender stalks of asparagus are baked with salty bacon and then topped with sweet balsamic glaze. This is easy dish you can serve at a dinner party but works great for everyday as well and you only need 4 ingredients!
You might also like these keto air fryer asparagus fries.
Sometimes I buy too many fresh veggies and have to hurry up and use them before they go bad. This recipe was case in point, so I decided to make these bacon wrapped asparagus bundles and drizzled a simple but tasty balsamic glaze on top.
And while this is not something we would normally eat for a weekday dinner, my husband really loved them and so maybe we will! You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this easy and low carb side dish. The bonus for those on a keto diet is that it’s super tasty and has only 96 calories, 7.8 grams net carbs and 5.6 grams of protein.
Recipe ingredients and substitutions.
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this dish –fresh asparagus spears, thin sliced bacon, balsamic vinegar and sweetener or sugar. You don’t really need any salt or black pepper for seasoning but you can also season at the end if you want.
- fresh asparagus – You have to fresh asparagus stalks but the good thing about this recipe is that you can use thin stalks or thick stalks. The cooking time may vary but either will work.
- pork bacon – You can use thick cut or thin sliced bacon strips. I like the thin strips because they cook quicker but it depends on your preference.
- balsamic vinegar – You can buy a balsamic glaze already made. Even Aldi has it sometimes. However it does use sugar not sweetener which if you are on a low carb diet might not work for you.
- sweetener – I use Swerve sweetener instead of white sugar. However if you don’t care about carbs you can use regular sugar or even brown sugar for a little different taste.
How to make bacon wrapped asparagus.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Get out a baking sheet or baking dish and spray with nonstick cooking spray or add a little olive oil and set aside.
Step 2: Since the asparagus I was using had thin stalks I was able to group them into 4 bundles. If you have thicker stalks you might want to make more groups and may need to use more bacon.
Wrap each bundle with the bacon slices. Slightly stretch and overlay as you wind the bacon around the stocks. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the asparagus spears are cooked through. Again this may vary depending on the size of the stalks and the thickness of the bacon. Flip them halfway through and spray with nonstick cooking spray if you wish to help them crispy up.
Note if the asparagus is done but the bacon is not crisp enough for your liking, you can place them under the broiler for a few minutes. Just make sure to watch so they don’t burn.
Step 4: To make the balsamic reduction, add the balsamic vinegar and sweetener to a small saucepan on the stove top. Heat to medium heat and whisk together. Bring to a simmer and cook until condenses and thickens a bit. This should take around 10 minutes so you can do it while the bundles are baking.
Take off the heat and let sit until ready to eat. It will thicken a bit more.
Step 5: When the asparagus is done, grab your tongs and place on a platter or plate. Spoon or drizzle the balsamic glaze over top. Serve and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. To reheat you can place them in the oven or air fryer for 5 minutes or to heat through. If you microwave them the bacon won’t be crispy but it will still taste good.
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To make bacon wrapped asparagus in the air fryer.
You can follow this recipe like above but when ready to eat, place in a sprayed basket and cook at 380°F for about 10-12 minutes. Flip halfway through. Again cooking time may change depending on the thickness of the stalks and bacon. Just make sure the asparagus is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
More easy asparagus recipes.
If you love asparagus as much as we do, here are a few more easy recipes that you might also like.
- green spring salad
- roasted lemon parmesan asparagus
- air fryer asiago asparagus fries
- asparagus noodles with creamy sauce or lemon and shrimp
- prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears with goat cheese
This bacon wrapped asparagus recipe was pretty simple but we really enjoyed them and was a tasty side dish. You could also serve this as an appetizer for a dinner party. I also loved that it was relatively low carb and had a good bit of protein. I hope you like it too!
The nutrition information for 1 bundle is 96 calories / 3.4g fat / 10.2g carbs / 2.4g fiber / 5.6g protein = 7.8g net carbs
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe (low carb)
This bacon wrapped asparagus recipe is not only easy but it's low carb and has a good bit of protein too. And easy side dish you can make in less than 25 minutes and sure to please even picky eaters.
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 4 slices bacon, thin or medium cut
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Swerve sweetener (can also use white sugar or other sweetener)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Wash and trim the asaragus. Trim the woody stems off and separate into 4 bundles if using thin stalks. But if using bigger stalks you might have to make more bundles and use more bacon.
- Taking a piece of bacon, slightly stretch and wrap the bacon around the stalks so they overlap a bit but go a good ways up the stock. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Do this with all the bundles.
- Place in the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes, flipping half way through. When the asparagus is fork tender and the bacon done to your liking, take out and set aside. If the asparaguis done but the bacon is not crispy enough you can place it under the broiler. Just make sure it doesn't burn. Note cooking time may vary depending on the size of the stalks and the thickness of the bacon.
- While the bundles are baking you can can make the basalmic glaze on the stovetop. Add the vinegar and sweetener to a small saucepan, whisk and heat to medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid has condensed and reduced. Take off the heat and let sit. It will thicken a bit after it cools too.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and place the bundles on a plate or platter. Drizzle the balsamic glaze with a spoon and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container. To reheat, place in the oven or air fryer to until heated through and the bacon has re-crisped. It won't crisp up in the microwave but it will still taste good if you use that instead.
Notes
To make in the air fryer: You can follow this recipe like above but when ready to eat, place in a sprayed basket and cook at 380°F for about 10-12 minutes. Flip halfway through. Again cooking time may change depending on the thickness of the stalks and bacon. Just make sure the asparagus is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
The nutritional information for 1 bundle is96 calories / 3.4g fat / 10.2g carbs / 2.4g fiber / 5.6g protein = 7.8g net carbs
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96
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