Easy Grilled Vegetables
There’s nothing better than tender, smoky, perfectly charred Grilled Vegetables! This guide will show you how easy it is to grill almost any vegetable, along with cooking times for each one!
In the winter time I roast pan after pan of vegetables, but in the summertime, I’m all about Grilled Vegetables. When I prepare my vegetables on the grill I’m keeping the oven off, and achieving smoky flavor and gorgeous grill marks.
Grill marks make everything more appetizing in my opinion. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Grilled vegetables are an easy, healthy way to get more veggies into your diet. They’re tender and perfectly charred with a delicious smoky flavor.
- You’ll learn how to grill vegetables, the easiest way(s) to prep them and the cooking times for each variety.
- This recipe is extremely versatile. The veggies may be used as a side dish or in salads, sandwiches, dips, pasta, fajitas and more.
- These vegetables are gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free. Use low carb, low FODMAP and paleo-friendly vegetables to accommodate those diets.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
Olive oil. Although I did not include olive oil in the photo above, I generally toss or brush the vegetables with oil prior to grilling.
Best veggies to grill
You can grill any type of vegetables, but below are some of my very favorite!
- Asparagus. While they’re not pictured here, asparagus is one of the best vegetables to grill! I grill them often and serve as a side dish or in these Vegetarian Fajitas.
- Bell peppers. Bell peppers may be grilled whole or removed from the core as I’ve done here. I prefer this method as each part of the pepper is charred at the same time instead of having to turn the pepper and char each side individually.
- Carrots. Grilled carrots are even better than roasted because of the sweet, smoky flavor! Grill whole, unpeeled as I have here, or cook them in rounds in a grill basket or foil packet for about 7-10 minutes, turning once.
- Corn. I grill corn weekly as it’s one of my favorite things! Serve on the cob or in my Mexican Street Corn Salad. See my Grilled Corn on the Cob recipe for detailed instructions on grilling corn without the husk, in the husk or wrapped in foil.
- Eggplant. I used a medium globe eggplant for this recipe, but you can use any variety. Smaller Japanese eggplant may be cooked whole or halved for only 6-7 minutes. Use it my Eggplant Stacks!
- Onion. Any type of onion can be grilled, but I like red onion the most for color and sweet flavor. Green onions get especially sweet and cook up very quickly.
- Poblano peppers. Grill whole, with or without oil.
- Portobello mushrooms. Grill in slices as I’ve done here, or whole for Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger by Skinnytaste.
- Potatoes. Yes potatoes! They’re not shown here, but you can refer to my Grilled Sweet Potato Fries and Grilled Potato Salad recipes for inspiration.
- Shishito peppers. I make these Grilled Shishito Peppers weekly as I grow them in my garden. They cook up in minutes!
- Zucchini and summer squash. Zucchini or any type of summer squash is great for the grill. I love using it in salads like my favorite Zucchini and Corn Salad.
Cooking times for grilled veggies
The cooking time will vary for your grilled vegetables depending on the size of your veggies and the thickness of the slices. The times below reflect vegetables sliced around 1/2″ thick.
Pro tip: Use vegetables that are roughly the same size and be sure to slice them to uniform thickness.
The cooking times above are for a grill heated to medium high heat, or about 400 degrees. Cook each side until grill marks form, then turn and repeat on the other side.
Cooking time will be longer if you lift the lid often as the grill will lose heat.
- Asparagus. 6-8 minutes.
- Bell peppers. 6-8 minutes.
- Carrots. 15-20 minutes.
- Corn. 10-15 minutes, turning until charred on all sides.
- Eggplant. 6-8 minutes.
- Onion. 6-8 minutes.
- Poblano peppers. 6-8 minutes.
- Portobello mushrooms. 6-8 minutes.
- Potatoes. 12-15 minutes (halved fingerling, baby potatoes or wedges).
- Shishito peppers. 2-3 minutes.
- Zucchini/Summer squash. 6-8 minutes.
How to make this recipe
Prep the vegetables according to the instructions below, and preheat the grill to medium high, or about 400 degrees.
Bell peppers
- Slice from top to bottom around the bell pepper to remove the core and remove any white membranes. You may also grill it whole if desired, but you must char each side of the pepper individually. No need to toss in oil!
- Grill with the outside of the pepper down until the skin has blackened well, 6-8 minutes.
Carrots
- Simply wash your carrots and blot dry to prep. No need to peel them — that’s where the bulk of the nutrients are! Toss in olive oil and season.
- Grill until tender, turning once after grill marks form for about 6-7 minutes per side.
Corn
- Remove the husk from the corn and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Grill, turning onto each side when nicely charred for 12-15 minutes.
Eggplant
- Slice eggplant and toss with olive oil and season.
- Grill for about 6-8 minutes, turning once.
Onion
- Remove each end of the onion and remove the outer peel and skin. Cut into thick rounds and brush with olive oil.
- Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once.
Poblano peppers
- It’s not necessary to brush with oil, just pop it on the grill whole!
- Grill for about 6-8 minutes, turning once or twice until charred.
Portobello mushrooms
- Remove the stem from the mushrooms and use the tip of the spoon to remove the gills, which will become slimy when cooked.
- Slice the mushrooms or leave whole, and toss or brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once.
Shishito peppers
- Toss the shishito peppers in oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill 2-3 minutes, turning once.
Zucchini
- Remove the ends from the zucchini and slice lengthwise into 1/2″ thick slices.
- Toss the zucchini in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill 6-8 minutes, turning once.
How to serve grilled veggies
There are a number of ways to serve this grilled vegetable recipe as it’s incredibly versatile.
- Serve as a salad or side dish tossed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, chimichurri sauce or pesto sauce.
- Add to grain bowls such as quinoa or farro.
- Add to burritos, fajitas or taco bowls.
- Use in sandwiches, pasta salad or pasta dishes.
FAQs
Are grilled vegetables healthy?
Grilled vegetables are packed with nutrients and are low in fat, which means they’re a healthy addition to your diet. It’s up to you to find the vegetables that suit your specific diet such as low carb, paleo-friendly, etc.
According to WebMD, vegetables are the best things to grill as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) do not develop the way they do when meat is grilled.
When the fat is rendered from meat on the grill, it results in fire and smoke to flare up, which causes these potentially carcinogenic compounds to form in the meat. Since vegetables do not contain animal fat, there is no need to worry.
What can I season vegetables with?
Season your veggies simply with salt and pepper, your favorite dry rub or marinade.
What is the best way to grill vegetables?
I use a gas grill, but charcoal or indoor grill pans work great as well.
How long do grilled vegetables last?
They will last up to 3-5 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Use vegetables that are roughly the same size and be sure to slice them to uniform thickness.
- Nutrition information is based on the vegetables that I’ve outlined here in this post, and will vary based on the type(s) and amount that you use.
- Plan on 1 tablespoon of olive oil for every pound of vegetables used. I don’t typically brush my bell peppers with oil as they have plenty of moisture.
- Cooking times vary depending on the types of vegetables you’re preparing. See the list of cooking times outlined in the post above.
- Toss grilled vegetables in dressing and serve as an appetizer or side dish, or add to salads, sandwiches, pasta, fajitas and more!
More grilling recipes you’ll love!
- Grilled BBQ chicken
- Grilled burgers
- Grilled vegetable salad by A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
- Santa Fe chicken salad
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Easy Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 2 ears corn, husked
- 1 lb shishito peppers
- 1 poblano pepper
- 2 bell peppers, cored
- 5 carrots
- 1 red onion
- 2 zucchini
- 2 portobello mushrooms, whole or sliced, stem and gills removed
- 6 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat.
- Toss the vegetables in olive oil (plan on about 1 tablespoon per pound of vegetables), and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Brush the oil over the red onion in order to keep the slices in tact.
- Reduce the grill heat to medium high. Add the vegetables and grill the shishito peppers 2-3 minutes turning once, 6-8 minutes for the bell peppers, eggplant, poblano pepper and zucchini, turning once, 12-15 minutes for the carrots and corn, turning on each side till charred. Remove from heat and let stand covered loosely with foil for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
- Chop or slice as needed to serve as a side dish with dressing or use in recipes such as salads, pasta, sandwiches, dips and more!
Notes
- Pro tip: Use vegetables that are roughly the same size and be sure to slice them to uniform thickness.
- Nutrition information is based on the vegetables that I’ve outlined here in this post, and will vary based on the type(s) and amount that you use.
- Plan on 1 tablespoon of olive oil for every pound of vegetables used. I don’t typically brush my bell peppers with oil as they have plenty of moisture.
- Cooking times vary depending on the types of vegetables you’re preparing. See the list of cooking times outlined in the post above.
- Toss grilled vegetables in dressing and serve as an appetizer or side dish, or add to salads, sandwiches, pasta, fajitas and more!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
2 Comments on “Easy Grilled Vegetables”
Beautiful presentation of grilled veggies and very thorough timings. I like to grill the bell peppers whole and then when finished, cover and let steam a few minutes. Then I peel, slice and remove the seeds as the skins bother some people.
Thank you so much Karen! And yes, sometimes I do grill the peppers whole — the method I outlined here is the lazy way. 🙂