The Ultimate Guide for the Best Grilled Vegetables – all my easy grilling tips, cooking times, no stick methods, seasoning recommendations and how to serve your grilled vegetables for the best summer dinner out there!
Table of Contents
- How to Make the Best Grilled Vegetables
- Which vegetables are good for grilling?
- How to prepare vegetables for grilling?
- Are grilled vegetables healthy?
- Should I marinade my vegetables before hand?
- How long do vegetables take to cook on the grill?
- Tips for the Best Grilled Vegetables:
- Grilled Vegetable Serving Suggestions
- Get the Recipe
How to Make the Best Grilled Vegetables
I don’t know about you, but I find that I eat more vegetables in the summer. First off, I feel like the produce section of the grocery store is booming with gorgeous vegetables so it’s easy to fill your cart with all the goods. But also I LOVE the taste of grilled vegetables and more importantly my family does too.
There is just something about a slightly charred vegetable oozing with smoky grill flavor that makes my tummy happy. Most weeks I grill up a big batch of grilled vegetables and we add them to our meals throughout the week. It’s great! So I wanted to give you the ultimate guide for the best grilled vegetables out there! Some of these will blow your mind AND your taste buds. Let’s dive in!
Which vegetables are good for grilling?
The main question is, which vegetables aren’t good for grilling! Everything can be grilled but there are definitely a few favorites I have out there.
- Bell Peppers
- Onion
- Squash
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Corn
- Tomatoes
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Eggplant
- Romaine
How to prepare vegetables for grilling?
I find that grilling things whole or almost whole is the way to go. The more space you give your vegetables for grill marks, the more flavor you’re going to get out of them. It also makes them easier to flip around on the grill without falling through the grill grates, believe me I’ve had a few fall down there. Ok, so here’s how to prepare your vegetables for grilling.
- Bell peppers: Seeded and quartered.
- Onions: Cut into 1″ slices with skin left on (this will help hold your onion circle together)
- Yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant: Cut lengthwise into 1/2″ thick strips
- Mushrooms: Remove stems
- Asparagus: Cut off the woody ends or follow my easy recipe on how to grill asparagus
- Corn: Remove silk. I also have an awesome post on how to grill corn on the cob with two different grilling methods
- Tomatoes: If you use roma, I’d cut them in half lengthwise. Cherry tomatoes, I grill on a grill basket like this one. Or you could by small tomatoes that are still on the vine and use the vine as a little handle to remove the tomatoes when they start to blister.
- Cauliflower: slice into 1″ thick steaks
- Broccoli: Trim off the fibrous bottom half of the broccoli stem, then quarter broccoli head into small trees.
- Romaine: Yes, you can grill lettuce and trust me, you’ll love it. Don’t believe me, give this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad a try and you’ll see how amazing grilled romaine can be.
Are grilled vegetables healthy?
Should I marinade my vegetables before hand?
I would recommend not marinading your vegetables. I find that adding a marinade that’s made with citrus or vinegars will break down your vegetables instead of keeping them crisp. If you would like to “prep” your vegetables ahead of time, you could cut them one day before and season with olive oil, salt and pepper then store in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.
How long do vegetables take to cook on the grill?
Like all things, grilling times will vary depending on the thickness of each vegetable, the size and shape of the cut and the temperature of the grill. Place vegetables directly on the grill and cook with the lid down to create an oven environment, however check frequently so you don’t burn vegetables. I’d recommend checking halfway through the grill time. Also, don’t be afraid to move vegetables around the grill if they aren’t cooking fast enough or if they’re getting too brown. Long Extended Tongs or thin metal spatula like a fish spatula work awesome! Please note, these cooking times are total grilling times not grilling times for each side.
- Bell pepper: whole grill for 10-12 minutes; halved or quartered grill for 8-10 minutes
- Onion: sliced into 1″ slices grill for 8 to 10 minutes
- Squash: 1/2″ lengthwise slices grill for 4 to 6 minutes
- Mushroom: whole portobello mushrooms grill 8 to 10 minutes, smaller mushrooms grill 4 to 7 minutes
- Asparagus: grill for 4 to 6 minutes
- Corn: grill for 15 to 20 minutes with or without husk
- Tomato: halved tomatoes grill 6to 8 minutes, smaller cherry/grape size tomatoes grill 4-6 minutes.
- Broccoli: grill 8 to 10 minutes
- Eggplant: 1/2″ lengthwise slices grill 5 to 7 minutes
- Romaine: halved or quartered grilled 2-3 minutes
Before you place your vegetables on the grill, be sure to brush both sides with an oil. This will help the vegetables not stick to the grill. I’d suggest using olive oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil. Also, this should go without saying, but be sure to season both sides with salt and pepper.
Tips for the Best Grilled Vegetables:
- Cut approximately the same size. I try to keep my vegetables as close to “whole” form as possible. For cutting shapes and sizes, follow the instructions above. To help with consistency with certain vegetables, like squash, I use a mandoline slicer.
- Brush with Oil. Oil with help ensure that your vegetables don’t stick to the grill. Just drizzle or brush both sides of the vegetables with oil (I recommend olive oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil).
- Season. I don’t like to marinade my vegetables because I find it breaks them down and makes them soggy. I season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. If you want more flavor I’ve been known to add a balsamic dressing drizzle (listed below) or a fresh greek dressing to brighten things up.
- HOT Grill. I like to have two zones on my grill. A direct high heat side that about 350°F to 450°F and an indirect side, just in case some of those veggies cook a little too fast! I start on the direct heat side. Most grills are hotter in certain parts of the grill, usually the back so be sure to pay attention and move your vegetables around so they don’t burn.
- Close the lid. Closing the lid of your grill creates the same environment as an oven, baking the vegetables as they lightly char. Check their progress every.
- Finish with Sauce or Herbs: One of my favorite tricks to do whenever anything comes off the heat is to finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or a light sauce to brighten everything back up. I guarantee it will take your vegetables over the top and make them irresistible!
Grilled Vegetable Serving Suggestions
The best thing about grilled vegetables is they make a delicious side dish or a main course. Have leftovers? Cut them up and throw them in a salad! Here are some topping ideas for grilled vegetables as well as ways to use up the leftovers.
- Want to brighten up you vegetables with a sauce after them come off the grill? Drizzle them with this Balsamic Reduction, add a dollop of creamy avocado tzatziki (dairy free) or finish with a bright homemade pesto sauce!
- Add them to Pasta – like this Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad or this Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables.
- Toast up some crunchy bread and make a Homemade Panzanella Salad!
- Add them to a crisp summer salad with a protein like grilled shrimp, steak or chicken for the ultimate summer dinner.
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How to make the Best Grilled Vegetables
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: N/A
- Category: Vegetables
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
The Ultimate Guide for the Best Grilled Vegetables – all my easy grilling tips, cooking times, no stick methods, seasoning recommendations and how to serve your grilled vegetables for the best summer dinner out there!
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 3 ears of corn, shucked
- 1 red onion, 1″ thick slices
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- 1 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
- 3–4 portobello mushroom caps
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper to season
Balsamic Vinaigrette Drizzle: (optional)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium high heat, approximately 350°F-400°F.
- Brush both sides of vegetables with either an olive oil, avocado oil or grape seed oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place vegetables on grill, follow the following grilling times for each vegetable.
- Bell pepper: whole grill for 10-12 minutes; halved or quartered grill for 8-10 minutes
- Onion: sliced into 1″ slices grill for 8 to 10 minutes
- Squash: 1/2″ lengthwise slices grill for 4 to 6 minutes
- Mushroom: whole portobello mushrooms grill 8 to 10 minutes, smaller mushrooms grill 4 to 7 minutes
- Asparagus: grill for 4 to 6 minutes
- Corn: grill for 15 to 20 minutes with or without husk
- Tomato: halved tomatoes grill 6to 8 minutes, smaller cherry/grape size tomatoes grill 4-6 minutes.
- Broccoli: grill 8 to 10 minutes
- Eggplant: 1/2″ lengthwise slices grill 5 to 7 minutes
- Romaine: halved or quartered grilled 2-3 minutes
- Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
- Optional: In a small bowl mix garlic, basil, mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined. Drizzle over grilled vegetables.
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