20 Grilled Vegetable Recipes for Quick and Easy Summer Meals

Grilling outside in the summer is almost synonymous with meat. Whether it’s hot dogs, hamburgers, steak or ribs, the grill is a great place to cook up tough and tender cuts of meat alike. But what about the side dishes and vegetarian mains? Vegetables are delicious when cooked on the grill because almost every vegetable — from tomatoes to corn — can benefit from a bit of charred, smoky flavor.

If you’ve got your grill all heated up, why not through some vegetables into the mix, too? There are tons of vegetables that can be cooked easily on the grill with minimal prep or cleanup.

Grilled corn is a summer staple. The fresh, full stalks are in-season in peak summer, so it’s a great time to throw them straight on the grill. We like to pair ours with a bit of homemade herb or BBQ butter for extra flavor. Pro Tip: If you notice that the husks are starting to dry out, soak the ears in warm water for 10 minutes before grilling to keep the kernels plump and juicy while they cook.

Tomatoes are really sweet and juicy, so it doesn’t take long for the sugars to caramelize when working with a hot grill. The secret to keeping everything intact is to get a nice sear on the first side before you flip the slices. Plus, the char adds a nice smoky flavor to the typically fresh, tart fruit.

This super simple recipe is bright and fresh. Zucchini has a light flavor and tender texture, so a bit of lemony salt adds the perfect amount of flavor. Laying the cut zucchini on a hot grill adds attractive grill marks and smoky flavor, too.

When it comes to grilling asparagus, we like to keep it simple. Using medium-sized asparagus, lay it right on the grill grates at an angle — no foil or fancy grill basket necessary. Asparagus cooks quickly so keep an eye on it, turning it as it cooks — and keep the heat to medium. As soon as the pointy ends start to crisp up and the stalks are tender, they're done.

This easy recipe can be ready in just 25 minutes. It’s the perfect side dish for an easy summer meal because it requires less than 10 ingredients. Grilling the mushrooms on a skewer helps them keep their shape while protecting little bits from falling through the grill grates.

Bok choy is a fantastic vegetable for busy weeknights because it doesn’t take a ton of effort to make it taste great. We like this recipe because of how easy it is, but we love it even more because of how delicious the ginger scallion garlic oil is. It’s an easy way to dress up a hearty, tender vegetable.

Grilling this Buffalo Cauliflower puts a smoky spin on the classic app by infusing deep, charred flavor. We like to serve it over a pond of herbed blue cheese ranch dip so you can dip and swirl each piece. Whether you serve it as a spicy, smoky entree or a fun and flavorful appetizer, this dish is tender and filling.

Grilled potatoes aren’t your typical side dish, but this inventive way of cooking the humble potato is a fun way to switch things up. You’ll want to make sure that the potatoes are cut into thin slices so the heat from the grill cooks them all the way through without burning the outsides. Also, make sure that each piece is cut into a uniform shape and size to ensure even heating time.

The act of grilling romaine instantly elevates a simple salad — it gives the lettuce a smoky char and helps tenderize the leaves. In this recipe, we’ve added a homemade bacon and blue cheese vinaigrette for tangy, smoky flavor that’s got hearty chunks of meat throughout.

These sweet and spicy squash "ribs" are the perfect barbecued fall side dish. Once cooked (and especially when cooked on the grill) the tough skins become super tender and delicate. We like to keep the skins on (rather than peeling) because it helps ensure that the flesh of the squash doesn’t fall apart on the hot grill.

Broccoli steaks are a great way to bring tender, meaty texture to your summer table without the need for another cut of meat. Serve it up as a hearty side or opt for it in place of beef on your next meatless Monday. The recipe is versatile too — you can easily swap out the broccoli for another hearty vegetable like cauliflower or cabbage.

Ready in just 15 minutes, this simple side dish couldn’t get any easier. Baby peppers get tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper, then grilled until charred. The peppers then get tossed with the herb mixture and some toasted walnuts before serving.

Our easy method gives you tender, charred, super-flavorful zucchini every time. While zucchini contains a good amount of moisture, the high heat and open circulation of a grill combined with slicing thin, even planks mean moisture evaporates quickly – no soggy veggies here! The squash comes out with the perfect amount of bite and a beautifully smoky flavor in minutes. And you can use the same method whether you’re cooking outdoors or indoors on a grill pan. We dress the zucchini simply with lemon so the dish goes with whatever else you might be grilling, but feel free to take it further: Chopped herbs, a sprinkle of feta or even a drizzle of chili crisp would be welcome.

Ready in less than ten minutes, this quick side dish adds bold flavor. Simply brush the scallions with olive oil then lay them across the grates of a hot grill. Cook until charred and tender, then flip and serve.

This sweet and simple recipe highlights delicious sweet potatoes, which we cut into planks then toss with sauce and grill in foil packets to infuse them with flavor and make each bite perfectly tender. Serve the potatoes on a platter with more sauce for an impressive presentation.

When grilling red onions, it’s best to slice them into thick circles that leave the onion layers intact. That way, you can sear and flip the onions easily with a spatula, keeping everything in one piece and preventing any bits from falling through the grill grates. When working with a hot grill, it only takes about five to seven minutes to get these onions charred and caramelized.

Sweet, in-season summer corn gets the full barbecue treatment in this recipe for corn ribs. We start by seasoning each piece with a spicy, sweet dry rub then brushing with a tangy barbecue sauce. Once cooked, the corn develops a delicious caramelized crust as it curls into perfectly juicy ribs.

This classic French dish makes the most of summer produce, so why not make the most of your summer cooking equipment too? This recipe proves that ratatouille was meant for the grill. Summer vegetables get charred, chopped and dressed with olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic. Serve it as a side with grilled chicken or pork or slather it on grilled bread.

This grilled vegetable recipe gets double the balsamic. First, the vegetables marinate in the sweet and tangy sauce before being charred to perfection on a hot grill. Next, the vegetables get drizzled with the homemade glaze that brings out the bold flavor.