21 Great Grilled Vegetable Recipes

Give your veggies an extra layer of smoky flavor by popping them on the grill.

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on July 1, 2024

Grilled Summer Squash With Roasted Pistachio Sauce — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

When it comes to cooking vegetables, it's hard to beat the smoky, concentrated flavor that results from using the grill. Marinate them first, as with these Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers, or rub them in spiced oil, as for Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce. Enjoy vegetables straight off the grill, or take things a step further and use the charred veggies as components in a dish like Grilled Summer Squash Casserole. The grill is sure to maximize the taste of whatever peak-season vegetable you have on hand.

01 of 21

Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce

Pomegranate Tahini Sauce with Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers — Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Punchy, sweet, earthy pomegranate molasses adds long-cooked depth of flavor to cheese and vegetable skewers in just 30 minutes of marination, with pleasantly bitter tahini rounding things out.

02 of 21

Grilled Okra, Corn, and Tomato Salad

Grilled Corn, Tomato and Okra Salad — Victor Protasio

Steal the show at summer gatherings with this next-level summer salad, featuring punchy charred jalapeño and herb-spiked dressing and a palate-perking topping of toasted crunchy coriander and cumin seeds.

03 of 21

Fairy Tale Eggplant with Crispy Shallots and Thai Dressing

Fairy Tale Eggplants with Crispy Shallots and Thai Dressing Recipe — Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson

2014 F&W Best New Chef Joe Ogrodnek first seasons eggplant and lets it sit before charring on the grill to draw out moisture and flavor it from the inside out. He stuffs the silky grilled eggplant with peanuts, fried shallots, garlic, fresh herbs, onions, and radishes before drizzling with a punchy dressing.

04 of 21

Grilled Corn Ribs with Honey Butter

Grilled Corn Ribs with Honey Butter — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

A dry spice rub amps up the sweetness of juicy grilled corn for a smoky-sweet vegetable side that tastes like a cross between buttery corn on the cob and barbecue ribs. Once the corn ribs are finished with a silky honey butter drizzle, serve and eat them just as you would eat ribs, nibbling around the tough, fibrous cob.

05 of 21

Slow-Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough

Slow Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Simply put, this is one of the most delicious dishes we've ever grilled at home. Inspired by the massive hearth at Maydān, Rose Previte's Washington, D.C., restaurant and wood-fired homage to Lebanon, we adapted the recipe to slowly grill-roast the cauliflower over indirect heat. Use an oak or hickory log at the center of the grill, alongside lit coals, then lightly char over the coals to finish.

06 of 21

Grilled Pepper and Onion Panzanella with Peperoncini Vinaigrette

Grilled Peppers and Onion Panzanella with Peperoncini Vinaigrette — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Grill sweet peppers and onions in place of tomatoes for the centerpiece of this dinner salad from cookbook author Molly Stevens. Toss the charred vegetables with cubes of grilled bread, drizzle with a peperoncini vinaigrette, and top with creamy feta and crisp slices of peperoncini ⁠— all in 40 minutes.

07 of 21

Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce

Grilled Summer Squash With Roasted Pistachio Sauce — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Inspired by 2022 F&W Best New Chef Rob Rubba, we dress grilled zucchini and yellow squash in a spicy sauce of tomatillos, pistachios, and charred serrano chiles.

08 of 21

Smoky Mushroom Skewers with Labneh and Salsa Verde

smoky mushroom skewers with labneh and salsa verde — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Thick-stemmed king trumpet mushrooms grill up meaty and tender, while feathery oyster mushrooms get nice and crispy. Both are great options for these quick-cooking kebabs that you can pile into warm pitas with a smear of tangy labneh and a drizzle of intensely herby salsa verde.

09 of 21

Coconut-Peanut Corn Salad

Grilled Corn Salad with Coconut Peanut Chaat — Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

Make sure you grill corn for this salad before summer ends. Combine sweet, lightly charred fresh corn then top with flaked coconut, curry leaves, and peanuts. It's a 50-minute side dish or main that's bursting with flavor and texture — salty, nutty, crunchy, juicy, sweet, savory, and crisp.

10 of 21

Grilled Mushrooms with Smoked Crème Fraîche

Grilled Mushrooms with smoked creme fraiche — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and John Somerall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Applewood and juniper add layers of flavor to oyster and chanterelle mushrooms in this recipe influenced by the cooking of Swedish mushroom forager and chef Elle Nikishkova.

11 of 21

Masala Grilled Vegetables with Spicy Mint Chutney

Masala Grilled Vegetables with Spicy Mint Chutney — Greg DuPree

Brighten grilled summer produce with a chile-spiked herb dressing with tips from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen for preserving the vibrant colors.

12 of 21

Grilled Summer Squash Casserole

Grilled Summer Squash Casserole — Victor Protasio

This casserole is a Punjabi variation of a ratatouille-style summer side called malaiwala, "the one with cream." Chef Cheetie Kumar suggests adding cubed paneer, a firm Indian cheese, to make it a main dish.

13 of 21

Grilled Eggplant with Summer Marinara

Grilled Eggplant with Summer Marinara Recipe — Chelsea Kyle

Grill eggplant planks in batches to layer with a silky tomato sauce that harnesses canned whole peeled tomatoes and tomato puree. This dish is ultimately baked and garnished with whole basil leaves.

14 of 21

Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad

Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad — © Christina Holmes

The potatoes in this chunky salad are boiled and then grilled, so they're smoky on the outside and creamy within, a lovely contrast to the crisp cucumbers.

15 of 21

Grilled Sweet Corn with Coconut Glaze

Grilled Sweet Corn with Coconut Glaze — Ian Flanigan

The coconut milk and sugar in the sauce that glazes the corn intensify the sweet corn flavor in this summer stunner from Los Angeles chef Kris Yenbamroong.

16 of 21

Grilled Squash, Corn, and Kale Salad with Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette

Grilled Squash, Corn and Kale Salad with Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette — Adrian Gaut

Flavor this hearty summer salad with creamy sunflower seed dressing, starring za’atar, the classic Middle Eastern spice mix that often includes thyme, oregano or marjoram, sesame seeds, tangy sumac, and salt.

17 of 21

Grilled Romanesco Salad with Charred-Herb Dressing

Grilled Romanesco Salad with Charred-Herb Dressing — © Ingalls Photography

Add critical flavor to mild, fluorescent green Romanesco (and other brassicas) by charring on the grill, then toast parsley and basil on the grill for an added boost.

18 of 21

Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce

Spicy Jerk Vegetables with Yogurt-Scallion Sauce — © John Kernick

Spicy, fresh, and satisfying, these veggies make a spectacular vegetarian main course. The yogurt sauce comes together in a snap with just four ingredients. Be sure to serve with plenty of grilled bread.

19 of 21

Smoky Glazed Asparagus

Smoky Glazed Asparagus — © Quentin Bacon

Coating vegetables with Nate Appleman's mayonnaise-based marinade to achieve a beautifully blistered crust when grilled. It's fabulous on asparagus, broccoli, and fennel.

20 of 21

Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers

Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Peppers — © Tina Rupp

Sommeliers Robert Perkins and John Lancaster love making this snack at backyard barbecues using all types of medium-sized peppers: As the peppers blister, the cheese mixture tucked inside turns warm and gooey.

21 of 21

Grilled Eggplant and Tomatoes with Parmesan-Basil Crumbs

Grilled Eggplant and Tomatoes with Parmesan-Basil Crumbs — © John Kernick

Fresh breadcrumbs are an underrated way of adding fabulous crunch to recipes. Here, chef Francis Mallmann uses breadcrumbs tossed with fresh basil and lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to create a great topping for tender grilled vegetables.

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