Learn how to cook vegetables on the grill for a delicious and colorful side dish. Peppers, onions, asparagus, mushrooms, and zucchini are grilled until they are nicely charred and tender. Pair them with your favorite summer main dishes, or enjoy them as a light dinner that’s healthy and full of flavor.
I like to grill all year, but especially during the summer when there’s so much fresh produce available. We like going to the farmer’s market and picking out all kinds of fresh veggies to cook on the grill.
Grilled vegetables are easy to do, but there are some tips and tricks to making them, so they turn out perfectly cooked. How long to grill vegetables will depend on what kind you want to cook. Usually, we do a mix of veggies, so knowing the approximate cooking time for each and cooking them based on that ensures they will be fully cooked instead of burned or undercooked.
For the best grilled vegetables, you want to start with denser ones because they will need more time. Lighter veggies with a higher water content will need less time than meatier ones.
For this grilled vegetable recipe, I’ve chosen several veggies that taste delicious together but also need to be cooked in a specific order so you can see how this works. It’s not an exact science, but keeping these tips in mind will help you cook them just long enough.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Grilled Vegetables
- Cooking spray
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Sliced purple onions
- Red bell peppers sliced in half
- Asparagus
- White mushrooms
- Sliced zucchini
How to Grill Vegetables
Coat the grill grates with cooking spray and heat the grill to medium-high heat.
The vegetables all having different grilling times, so I like to get them all prepped first. That way, when it’s time to put them on the grill, they are ready to go.
- Brush the sliced onions and bell peppers with olive oil.
- Place the mushrooms on grill skillets and coat them with cooking spray.
- Coat the zucchini and asparagus with cooking spray.
I like to put the bell peppers and onions on the grill first because they take the longest to cook. Place them directly on the grill grates and cook them for four to five minutes or until they’ve developed a nice char. Turn them and cook them for four to five minutes on the other side.
Place the mushrooms and asparagus on the grill and cook them for two minutes. Add the zucchini and continue grilling the vegetables for four minutes, turning them as they cook, so they don’t burn.
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The vegetables are done when they have some char and are tender. The zucchini should still be a little firm and not mushy.
Remove them from the grill and arrange them on a serving platter. Season them with a few pinches of salt and pepper or more to taste.
Recipe Tips and Variations for Grilled Vegetables
Serve them as a side dish with all kinds of proteins. They pair well with grilled steak, pork chops, chicken, fish, and sausages.
Sometimes I serve them as a main dish with cooked rice or buttered noodles. The mushrooms have a meaty texture that is very filling.
You can also use them to make a salad. Serve them on top of chopped fresh greens with your favorite dressing. You could also add some sliced chicken or steak.
I love this combination of vegetables, but you can also add other veggies you like. Cauliflower, broccoli, grape tomatoes, yellow squash, and different peppers like poblano or green, yellow, or orange bell peppers are good choices.
Sometimes I just grill the mushrooms and onions and use them as a topping for steak, which is delicious.
If you don’t have the grill skillets for the mushrooms, you can use a grill basket or thread the mushrooms onto skewers and grill them that way.
Grilled vegetables will keep well in the refrigerator for two to three days. They are delicious cold, or you can reheat them.
Grilling vegetables is one of my favorite cooking methods. It enhances the flavors of the vegetables and gives them a little smoky flavor. Plus, it’s easy! So, pick up some fresh produce and give this easy recipe a try.
More Grilled Dishes You’ll Enjoy
Grilled Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis cut into 1.5 inch thick round pieces
- 2 – 8 ounce packages of white mushrooms
- 2 medium purple onions sliced into ½ inch thick round pieces
- 2 red bell peppers halved and seeds removed (you can trim the pith out if you want)
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray Barbecue with non stick grill cooking spray and heat to medium high heat.
- Place mushrooms on grill skillets and spray with cooking spray. Onions, bell pepper and zucchini will be placed directly on the grill. Spray zucchini with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil in a small dish and use a brush to coat the onion and bell pepper.
- Place the onion and bell pepper on the grill first. Cook for 4-5 minutes. If you have a good char flip them over. You may have to wait an additional minute or so. Once flipped cook another 4-5 minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes and then add zucchini. Let veggies cook for about 4 minutes. Stirring the mushrooms and flipping the asparagus and zucchini.
- Onions and peppers should be soft and charred but not overly burned. Asparagus should be softened with a char but not burned. Zucchini should be softened a bit but not too much. You don’t want them mushy but should have a little char. Mushrooms are softened with a char.
- Serve hot with any protein.
Recipe Notes
- You can eat these as a standalone meal. They all have wonderful flavors.
- You can keep these in the refrigerator for a couple of days and re-heat.
- You can mix up the veggies you use. Broccoli and Cauliflower grill up well along with other veggies.
- Cutting the onions up and serving the onion and mushrooms over steak is delicious.
Recipe Nutrition
Grilling all year around is great, but I find it even better in the summertime. Add these Grilled Vegetables to your next backyard BBQ for a healthy, easy side dish.