How to Grill Vegetables

We love to grill, and vegetables are on our menu most days of the week. It’s especially great to grill vegetables in the summer when the fresh picked bounty is big!

Check out our tips for perfect grilled veggies every time. Here’s how to grill vegetables.We have several favorite methods for cooking our vegetables outside.

Grill Your Veggies Directly

We use the direct grilling method with our high moisture and tender vegetables. When you grill direct, you place the food over the fire and cook by direct exposure to the flame and the heat.

Here’s what we put right over the fire.

• Tomatores
• Onions
• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Eggplant
• Snow Peas
• Mushrooms
• Okra

Grill Your Veggies Indirectly

When it comes to indirect grilling, this means we put the veggies on the grill near to the fire and not directly over it. We do this with larger, more dense vegetables.

This might mean we grill carrots, artichokes, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and others this way.

Smoke Your Veggies

You can also smoke your vegetables. Yes, not only can you smoke your brisket and your ribs, but you can also smoke vegetables like onions, tomatoes, beets, and baked beans.

This gives your vegetables that subtle smoky flavor you like so much in your pork butt.

If you want to take smoking one step further, you can also put your veggies right on top of the coals. You’ll not only give them a smoky falvor, but this will caramelize your vegetables. Do this with any veggie.

Do note that your vegetables will absorb smoke different than your meats do. If you are smoking harder vegetables, you want to blanch or boil them first. This way, the smoke can absorb into the fruit instead of sitting on the hard skin.

How to Tell Your Veggies are Done

This step really is easy. If you’re grilling small, tender vegetables like green onions, tomatoes, and asparagus, they’re done when the outside has turned darker, and the skin has blistered.

Another way to tell if they’re done is to carefully squeeze the vegetable. It should still be soft. Cook it longer, and it will get too hard.

If you’re grilling something like potatoes, you can do the same thing you would in your home kitchen. Skewer the veggie. If you an easily pierce it, it’s done.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re growing your own vegetables, picking them up at the farmer’s market, or the grocery store, there’s no denying grilled vegetables are out of this world!

Do remember to add a bit of olive oil, some butter, or even some bacon/pancetta to help add a bit of fat. This not only tastes good, but it keeps the moisture in your vegetables.

Enjoy your summer of grilled vegetables! PS – we love to grill on our Big Green Egg!