Get your spoon ready, because this sauce is worth chasing around the plate. Keto asparagus with lemon sauce is a simplified, egg-free take on a classic beurre blanc, without the finicky risk of the sauce breaking.
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A real beurre blanc separates easily and takes real skill to pull off. This version skips the egg yolks entirely and builds the sauce by working butter into reduced broth and lemon juice instead, a genuinely no-fail approach.
This is not Hollandaise. Hollandaise emulsifies egg yolks and butter, while this sauce is thinner and entirely egg-free.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Leaving the heat on while whisking in the butter is the fastest way to break this sauce. Turn the burner off completely first, then cut the butter into about 8 pieces and add them one at a time, whisking until each chunk melts fully before adding the next. If it does break anyway, an immersion blender can often bring it back together.
Dump out the asparagus steaming water and use the same skillet for the sauce, it saves a dish, and whatever asparagus flavor is left in the pan only adds to the finished sauce.
A reader once asked whether this can be served cold, with the sauce at room temperature. It genuinely does not work well, there is enough butter in this that it solidifies as it cools, and hitting cold asparagus with a solidifying sauce turns it hard and grainy instead of velvety. Serve this hot for the best result.
Adjust the lemon to your own taste, more or less both work fine. A bit of chopped dill turns this into a lemon-dill sauce if you want to try a variation, or experiment with your own favorite herbs.
What You’ll Love About Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
- Ready in about 15 minutes, using one skillet for the whole dish.
- A genuinely no-fail take on a notoriously finicky classic sauce.
- No eggs needed, and just a handful of ingredients you likely have.
Ingredients
- Asparagus – Trimmed and washed thoroughly, since it grows in sandy soil.
- Chicken broth – Homemade bone broth adds real depth if you have it.
- Lemon juice – Fresh is best, though bottled works too, just adjust the amount since it’s less lemony.
- Heavy whipping cream – Full fat.
- Butter – Cold, cut into pieces. Grass-fed if you’re strict keto, any store brand works otherwise. Add a pinch of salt if using unsalted.
How to Make Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Clean and snap the ends off the asparagus. Heat 1/2 inch of water in a skillet with a tightly fitting lid. Once boiling, add the asparagus, cover, and steam for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender-crisp. Remove and set aside.
Dump out the water and return the skillet to the heat. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Boil and reduce by half.
Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream, whisking well to combine. With the burner off, whisk in the butter one chunk at a time, letting each piece melt fully before adding the next, until smooth and velvety.
Make It A Meal
I use my own Chicken Bone Broth as the base whenever I have it on hand. If you love asparagus, Garlic Chicken Skillet and Pan-Roasted Asparagus are both worth trying too.
Storage
This dish is best fresh, but the sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week on its own. Never microwave it to reheat, it breaks the sauce. Instead, set the container in a bowl of hot water until it melts and re-liquifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 3 net carbs per serving of 6 stalks with 2 tablespoons of sauce. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Yes, the sauce is really the star here and works well on almost any vegetable, fresh or frozen.
Yes, though it tends to be a bit less lemony than fresh, so adjust the amount to your taste.
Grass-fed butter is a good choice for strict keto. Otherwise, any store-brand butter works fine. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Add Preferred SourceEasy Keto Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds asparagus trimmed and washed
- 1 stick cold butter cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Clean and snap the ends off the asparagus. Heat 1/2-inch of water in a skillet with a tightly fitting lid. Once boiling, add the asparagus and put the lid on. Steam for 2-3 minutes or until the asparagus is tender-crisp. Remove the asparagus and set aside.
- Rinse out the skillet and put it back on the heat. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Boil and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and add the heavy whipping cream. Whisk well to combine.
- Cut the butter into about 8 pieces. Using a whisk and with the burner OFF, add the butter one chunk at a time whisking until it is melted and fully incorporated. When one chunk has melted, add the next, and continue until all the butter is whisked in and your sauce is lovely and velvety.
- Season and serve!
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Turn the heat off completely before whisking in the butter. Leaving it on causes the sauce to break.
- Add the butter one chunk at a time, letting each piece melt before adding the next.
- Never microwave this sauce to reheat. Warm it gently by setting the container in a bowl of hot water instead.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
I think this recipe is fantastic! I really enjoy eating asparagus roasted, and have not tried with a sauce. Sounds excellent!
This is such a great spring time recipe. Perfect for the bunch of asparagus I have in my frig. Can’t wait to try it tonight!
The lemon sauce is SO GOOD
I love asparagus. This recipe is definitely something I need to try. That sauce sounds so delicious and like fantastic addition to asparagus. I’m saving this.
This is a delicious asparagus recipe. I love the ssauce too. It is perfect.
Sheer decadence! I won’t want to eat asparagus any other way after having it prepared with this luscious sauce. Thanks for sharing!
Asparagus and lemon are just a match made in heaven and I love this sauce. Can think of lots of other dishes to serve it with too!
This sauce was so good! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Such an easy recipe and perfect for summer; so creamy and delicious-easily, a new favorite!
Asparagus is one of my favourite veggies and this looks awesome! So simple but the flavours are great! Can’t wait to give this a go, thanks!
Can you serve the asparagus cold with room temp sauce?
I don’t think that’d work well. Because there’s SO much butter in the sauce, it’ll start to solidify when it cools down. If the sauce hits the cold asparagus, it’ll get hard and grainy and lose that velvety texture. I’d serve this dish hot, for the best results. Great question! ~Jenn