Grilled Vegetables - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published June 28, 2022. Updated July 7, 2022

Nutritious Grilled Vegetables! A colorful rainbow of vegetables are grilled over hot flames until slightly charred and perfectly tender, then they’re finished with a simple herby olive oil to add a final layer of fresh flavor. What more do you need this summer?

Helpful Tips for the Best Grilled Vegetables

Grilling vegetables couldn’t be easier. There’s hardly anything to it but I recommend upgrading them with seasonings, fats or herbs like we’ve done here.

The main idea is just knowing which vegetables work well for grilling, following the simple straightforward prep method, cooking the vegetables on a preheated grill, and following the cook times directed.

Crisper vegetables will take longer to grill to a tender texture, while softer vegetables will obviously cook faster.

I also like to get a decent char on certain vegetables like the corn and peppers so put these vegetables in the areas of the grill that have hot spots (usually towards the back of the grill, or some grills like the Weber Genisis I have include a sear zone burner).

Then only put many vegetables on your grill that you can fit in a single layer. If you need to work in batches that’s just fine. You can keep them warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven if needed.

This is a great option for a side to pair with pulled chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, pan seared steak, baked chicken thighs and so much more! Or keep it vegetarian and serve the veggies over a grain boil with a dressing of your choice.

Either way you can’t go wrong here! So much fresh goodness in every bite.

What Vegetables Work Best for Grilling?

• Fruits: Certain foods of this group that we confuse as vegetables grill up well. This includes things like peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, okra, avocado, and eggplant.
• Legumes: Pea pods and beans will grill up just fine but it’s the size that makes them awkward on the grill. If you have a grilling basket or grid this is recommend for these vegetables.
• Cruciferous vegetables: Including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts will all grill rather well. Depending on the size you may opt to grill on a grill sheet set over the grill grates or a sheet of foil so it’s easier to work with smaller pieces and so they don’t fall through grill grates.
• Allium vegetables: Bulb onions, green onions, leeks, shallot and garlic all grill up well. With garlic you’ll want keep as a whole bulb (only slicing the top end of to expose cloves), coat with oil and wrap with foil to grill.
• Other vegetables: Corn, mushrooms and asparagus are other excellent options for grilling.
• Leafy vegetables: Things like spinach, arugula and lettuce don’t hold up very well to the intense heat of grilling but you can grill something like a head of romaine lettuce that’s been cut in half.
• Root and tuber vegetables: These don’t grill quite as well as others because they are so starchy, firm and overly crisp. These include things like potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips and sweet potatoes. They can be grilled but you want to grill over a low heat for a longer period of time so they’ll end up tender by the time they’ve browned. A better option with these is to slice or dice, coat in oil and grill in foil in a single layer.

Ingredients Needed for This Recipe

• 2 medium red bell peppers, cored and seeded and cut into 8 equal chunks
• 1 medium orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 8 equal chunks
• 3 ears yellow corn, shucked, cut into 4 portions each
• 3 small red onions, peeled, then cut into quarters from root to tip
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/3-inch thick strips
• 1 lb. asparagus (medium thickness), tough ends trimmed and discarded
• 8 oz. button mushrooms
• Olive oil cooking spray or avocado oil cooking spray
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Sauces for Grilled Vegetables

Good options to finish your vegetables include:

• Chimichurri
• Pesto
• Tzatziki
• Green goddess dressing, or the parsley sauce I’ve included with the recipe below
• Italian dressing or vinaigrette
• Seasoned butters (there are 3 included in this grilled corn recipe)
• Cheese sauce or fondue
• Aioli

How to Grill Vegetables

1. Make dressing: For the herby olive oil in a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice and garlic. Season lightly with salt to taste.
2. Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat to about 425 degrees.
3. Spread all the vegetables in their groups onto two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets.
4. Spray vegetables somewhat generously with cooking spray to coat each surface, season with salt and pepper. Turn and coat opposite side of vegetables with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.
5. To the grill add the crisper vegetables first including the bell peppers, corn and red onions. Grill, covered, about 4 minutes per side.
6. Add the softer/thinner vegetables including zucchini, asparagus, and mushrooms. Grill, covered, about 2 to 3 minutes per side until tender.
7. Transfer vegetables to a serving platter or return to baking sheet. Brush with the parsley oil mixture then sprinkle with the parmesan if using and serve.

More Tasty Vegetable Recipes to Try

• Roasted Vegetables
• Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos
• Sautéed Vegetables
• Vegetable Chili
• Vegetable Soup