Recipes and Cooking BBQ & Grilling Grilling Basics How to Grill Vegetables for a Healthy Side Dish When they're grilled, fresh veggies become caramelized and delicious. Grilled vegetables are not only delicious, but they're easy, too. We'll show you different ways to grill vegetables, including foil packets, grill baskets, and kabobs. Plus, get our must-have recipes for creative grilled veggies. By Katlyn Moncada Katlyn Moncada Instagram Katlyn Moncada is the associate food editor at BHG.com, sharing food news and tutorials on becoming better home cooks. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, photography, and video production. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 13, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email It's so easy to grill veggies, and they're so delicious! Smoky heat does incredible things to vegetables, and we're always more excited to add asparagus, corn, zucchini, and more to our plates when we see those gorgeous grill marks. We've included tips below for how to grill vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, eggplants, and onions so you can serve them on the side of your summer cookouts or add smoky flavor to veggie sides. We included specific prepping and grilling instructions for each veggie, but to cook each one evenly without charring, keep the grill heat to medium. You should be able to hold your hand above the coals for 4 seconds before pulling it away. Kritsada Panichgul Get Our Best Grilled Vegetable Recipes How to Grill Vegetables Before you start grilling vegetables, make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. Prep and follow the chart below to know how long to grill vegetables so they turn out perfectly tender every time. Vegetable Prep Precook Time Asparagus Prep asparagus spears No 7 to 10 minutes Bell Peppers Prep bell peppers No 6 to 8 minutes Carrots Prep carrots Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes in a saucepan in a small amount of boiling water. 3 to 5 minutes Corn Prep corn on the cob No 25 to 30 minutes Eggplant Prep eggplant No 8 to 12 minutes Fennel Prep fennel Simmer for 5 minutes in a saucepan in a small amount of boiling water. 8 minutes Onion Prep red, white, or yellow onion No 10 minutes Mushrooms Prep mushrooms No 10 to 12 minutes for large varieties, 6 to 8 minutes for smaller varieties Potatoes (Baking) Prep potatoes No 1 to 1 ½ hours, turning every 15 minutes Potatoes (New) Prep potatoes Bring water to boiling in a saucepan. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain well. 10 to 12 minutes Tomatoes Prep tomatoes No 5 minutes for large tomatoes, 5 to 7 for grape or cherry tomatoes Zucchini and Summer Squash Prep zucchini No 5 to 6 minutes Test Kitchen Tip: Some veggies need a jump start so they grill evenly. If the chart recommends precooking the veggies for grilling, bring a small amount of water to boiling in a saucepan. Add desired vegetables and simmer, covered, for the time specified. Drain well. Generously brush vegetables with olive oil or melted butter before grilling to prevent sticking. Andy Lyons Get the Lemon-Veggie Pack Recipe Grilling Vegetables in Foil Grilling in foil packets is one of our favorite ways to grill fresh veggies. Because a foil pack cooks with steam, it's essential to craft a tightly sealed pouch. Otherwise, the tasty juices will bubble away, leaving food to dry out or burn. Try adding a spoonful of our favorite flavor boosters for a unique taste: Beer, soy sauce, white wine, apple juice, red pepper sauce, or chicken broth. Place a 36x18-inch piece of foil on your work surface and fold in half to make an 18-inch square. Arrange veggies in the center of the square, leaving enough room around the edges to fold over the foil.Fold opposite sides to meet in the middle snugly against the vegetables. Fold the edges together several times to make a tight seam.Then fold the packet ends, rolling the foil tightly. Toss the packet onto the grill immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. Jason Donnelly Using Grill Baskets Using a grilling vegetable basket is one of our favorite ways to cook veggies on the grill. They come in handy when you want to grill a combination of vegetables or if you simply don't want to risk losing veggies through the grates of your grill. The Test Kitchen prefers perforated grill baskets. Perforated baskets with low sides are available in various shapes and sizes, making it easy to flip and turn ingredients. Grill any vegetable combination you can imagine, which is easier if the vegetables have similar cooking times. If timing varies great, start the longer-cooking veggies first. Before cooking, toss veggies with oil. Grill veggies, covered, checking for doneness every 5 minutes. Andy Lyons Get the Grilled Veggie and Meatball Kabobs Recipe Grilling Vegetable Kabobs Skewer up some veggie kabobs to cook a variety of vegetables. To make grilled vegetable skewers, slide cut veggies or whole smaller vegetables (like cherry tomatoes and small mushrooms) onto soaked bamboo skewers, or metal skewers. Grill directly over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until veggies are browned and tender. Grilling vegetables is a great way to ensure you've got a serving of veggies on your plate at summer barbecues and cookouts. During the rest of the year, you can get your veggies crisp-tender in a similar way (minus the smoky flavor) by learning how to roast vegetables. Between grilling and roasting, you'll easily be able to keep veggie side dishes that everyone in your family will eat included on the table year-round. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Related Articles How to Grill Fish and Seafood for the Best Barbecues Fresh Summer Salads You'll Crave All Year Long You'll Want to Make Our Best Grill Recipes All Summer (and Year) Long Quick and Easy Grilled Fish Recipes (Better Than You Can Get at Any Restaurant) How to Grill Asparagus for the Best 7-Minute Side Dish Ever 19 Grilling Tips from the Pros for the Best Barbecues Ever Must-Have Foil Pack Recipes for Grilling Season How to Smoke Food for the Ultimate Cookouts These Easy Grill Recipes Call for 8 Ingredients or Fewer (But Are Full of Flavor) 9 Options for Cooking Green Beans So Even Picky Eaters Will Ask for Them Our Best Grilled Shrimp Recipes to Help You Get a High-Protein Meal on the Table Fast How to Cook Summer Squash 9 Ways Make Restaurant-Style Asparagus With Our Test Kitchen's Tips The Best Vegetable Side Dishes That Make It Easy (and Delicious) to Meet Your Daily Veggie Quota Quick and Easy Seafood Recipes Just as Good as Your Restaurant Faves How to Broil Food of All Types for Fast, Flavorful Meals Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies