Tasty Bacon and Asparagus Frittata

If you ask me, frittatas are one of the smartest things you can make for breakfast or brunch.

This bacon and asparagus frittata brings together crispy bacon, fresh spring asparagus, and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese in a fluffy egg base. The garlic and green onions add a nice kick, while the cream keeps everything tender.

It’s cooked in one skillet, which means less cleanup. You start it on the stovetop and finish it in the oven until the eggs are set and the top gets a little golden.

It’s a satisfying dish that works just as well for a weekend breakfast as it does for a quick weeknight dinner.

SAVE NOW

What Kind of Asparagus Should I Use?

Fresh asparagus is definitely the way to go for this frittata, and you’ll want to look for spears that are firm with tight, compact tips. Thinner asparagus will cook faster and more evenly in the frittata, but medium-thickness spears work great too – just avoid the really thick ones as they might not cook through properly. When you’re at the store, give the asparagus a gentle bend near the bottom of the stalk, and it should snap naturally at the point where the tender part meets the woody end. You can also trim off about an inch from the bottom if you prefer, and make sure to cut your asparagus into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch lengths) so they distribute nicely throughout the frittata.

SAVE NOW

Options for Substitutions

This frittata is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Bacon: You can use turkey bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto instead. If you want to skip meat altogether, try sautéed mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes for that savory element.
• Asparagus: Swap asparagus with broccoli florets, zucchini, spinach, or bell peppers. Just make sure to cook any harder vegetables like broccoli until tender before adding them to the egg mixture.
• Cheddar cheese: Feel free to use gruyere, swiss, mozzarella, or feta cheese. Each will give your frittata a slightly different flavor profile, but all work great.
• Cream: You can substitute with half-and-half, whole milk, or even sour cream. The frittata will be slightly less rich with milk, but it’ll still turn out nicely.
• Eggs: Eggs are essential for a frittata, so don’t substitute these. You need them to get that classic frittata texture.
• Fresh herbs: If you don’t have fresh parsley or green onions, dried herbs work in a pinch – just use about 1 tablespoon of dried parsley and reduce the amount by half since dried herbs are more concentrated.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making frittata is overcooking, which leads to a rubbery, dry texture instead of the creamy, custard-like consistency you want – pull it from the oven when the center still jiggles slightly, as it will continue cooking from residual heat.

Another common error is cooking the asparagus too long in the skillet, so keep it to just 2 minutes to maintain a slight crunch since it will cook more in the oven.

Don’t skip draining your bacon on paper towels and patting it dry, because excess grease can make your frittata oily and prevent it from setting properly.

For the best flavor, let your frittata rest for 5 minutes after baking – this allows the eggs to firm up and makes slicing much cleaner and easier.

SAVE NOW

What to Serve With Bacon and Asparagus Frittata?

A frittata makes for a great brunch or light dinner, and I love serving it with a simple mixed greens salad tossed with a lemony vinaigrette to balance out the richness of the eggs and bacon. Toasted sourdough or a crusty baguette on the side is perfect for mopping up any extra bits, and it adds a nice crunch to the meal. If you’re feeding a crowd for brunch, consider adding some fresh fruit like berries or melon, or even some roasted breakfast potatoes seasoned with herbs. The frittata is filling enough on its own, but these sides help round out the plate without making things too heavy.

Storage Instructions

Store: This frittata keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I love slicing it into wedges and grabbing a piece for breakfast throughout the week. It’s great cold straight from the fridge or warmed up for a quick meal.

Freeze: You can freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. This makes it super easy to grab just what you need for a quick breakfast or lunch.

Reheat: Warm up slices in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds, or pop them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes until heated through. The microwave is faster, but the oven keeps the texture a bit better if you have the time.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1350
• Protein: 70-82 g
• Fat: 95-105 g
• Carbohydrates: 14-18 g

Ingredients

For the frittata:

• 10 slices bacon (I prefer Applegate Sunday Bacon)
• 1 1/4 cups asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 large eggs (use large, room temperature eggs for a more even rise)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (I like Tillamook Sharp Cheddar)
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

For the garnish:

• reserved bacon, crumbled
• reserved cheddar cheese, shredded
• reserved green onions, sliced

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Preheat Oven

• 1 1/4 cups asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced

Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9×13 inch baking dish with butter or oil.

While the oven heats, trim the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, mince the garlic cloves, shred the cheddar cheese, chop the fresh parsley, and slice the green onions.

Having everything prepped and ready will make the cooking process smooth and allow you to focus on building flavor.

Step 2: Cook Bacon and Prepare the Skillet

• 10 slices bacon

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp, about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally for even browning.

Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain and cool slightly, then crumble it into bite-sized pieces.

Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet—this rendered fat is liquid gold for flavor and will cook your asparagus beautifully.

Step 3: Sauté Asparagus and Garlic

• 1 1/4 cups asparagus from Step 1
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, from Step 1
• reserved bacon fat from Step 2

With the skillet still over medium-high heat and the bacon fat in the pan, add the trimmed asparagus pieces and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften slightly.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

I like to listen for that gentle sizzle—it tells you the heat is just right and the aromatics are blooming without burning.

Step 4: Prepare the Egg Mixture

• 10 large eggs
• 1/3 cup cream
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• reserved bacon, crumbled, from Step 2
• reserved cheddar cheese, shredded, from Step 1
• reserved green onions, sliced, from Step 1
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, from Step 1

In a large bowl, crack the room-temperature eggs and whisk them together until well combined and slightly foamy.

Add the cream, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, whisking until smooth.

Fold in half of the crumbled bacon from Step 2, half of the shredded cheese from Step 1, half of the sliced green onions from Step 1, and the fresh parsley.

The room-temperature eggs will incorporate more evenly and create a lighter, more uniform frittata.

Step 5: Combine and Bake the Frittata

• egg mixture from Step 4
• sautéed asparagus and garlic from Step 3

Pour the egg mixture from Step 4 into the greased baking dish, then distribute the sautéed asparagus and garlic from Step 3 evenly throughout (don’t discard any of the flavorful pan drippings).

Slide the dish into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan—this is when you know it’s perfectly cooked through.

Step 6: Finish with Cheese and Toppings

• reserved cheddar cheese, shredded, from Step 1
• reserved bacon, crumbled, from Step 2
• reserved green onions, sliced, from Step 1

When the frittata is almost set, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese from Step 1 evenly over the top and return it to the oven for another 2 minutes to melt.

Remove from the oven and top with the remaining crumbled bacon and green onions from Step 2.

Let it cool for just 1-2 minutes before slicing and serving—this allows the frittata to set up slightly without becoming rubbery.

Tasty Bacon and Asparagus Frittata

Delicious Tasty Bacon and Asparagus Frittata recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1275 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the frittata::

• 10 slices bacon (I prefer Applegate Sunday Bacon)
• 1 1/4 cups asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 large eggs (use large, room temperature eggs for a more even rise)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (I like Tillamook Sharp Cheddar)
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

For the garnish::

• reserved bacon, crumbled
• reserved cheddar cheese, shredded
• reserved green onions, sliced

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or oil. While the oven heats, trim the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, mince the garlic cloves, shred the cheddar cheese, chop the fresh parsley, and slice the green onions. Having everything prepped and ready will make the cooking process smooth and allow you to focus on building flavor.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp, about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally for even browning. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain and cool slightly, then crumble it into bite-sized pieces. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet—this rendered fat is liquid gold for flavor and will cook your asparagus beautifully.
• With the skillet still over medium-high heat and the bacon fat in the pan, add the trimmed asparagus pieces and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften slightly. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. I like to listen for that gentle sizzle—it tells you the heat is just right and the aromatics are blooming without burning.
• In a large bowl, crack the room-temperature eggs and whisk them together until well combined and slightly foamy. Add the cream, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, whisking until smooth. Fold in half of the crumbled bacon from Step 2, half of the shredded cheese from Step 1, half of the sliced green onions from Step 1, and the fresh parsley. The room-temperature eggs will incorporate more evenly and create a lighter, more uniform frittata.
• Pour the egg mixture from Step 4 into the greased baking dish, then distribute the sautéed asparagus and garlic from Step 3 evenly throughout (don't discard any of the flavorful pan drippings). Slide the dish into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan—this is when you know it's perfectly cooked through.
• When the frittata is almost set, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese from Step 1 evenly over the top and return it to the oven for another 2 minutes to melt. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining crumbled bacon and green onions from Step 2. Let it cool for just 1-2 minutes before slicing and serving—this allows the frittata to set up slightly without becoming rubbery.