42 Healthy Recipes That Are Made for the Grill

When cooking on the grill, you have lots of options to keep your dishes healthy and delicious. Grilling is a cooking method that doesn’t require a lot of fat and even allows fat to drip off, keeping your dish on the healthier side. When grilling produce, opt for hearty vegetables like corn, peppers, onions and Portobello mushrooms, or fruit like pineapple, mangoes, peaches and nectarines. Proteins like tuna, salmon, extra-firm tofu, chicken breast, lean cuts of steak and boneless pork chops can be easily grilled to put together a fabulously healthy meal. Cheesy chicken with succotash, salmon kebabs and hot plums and berries in foil packs are just the beginning.

Here are recipes to add to your menu, or get you inspired – from mains to sides, from salads to even dessert.

Start with Negima Yakitori. These popular made-to-order grilled chicken skewers are commonly enjoyed with a cold beer at bars in Japan. Pair with grilled vegetables and brown rice for a meal or enjoy as-is for an appetizer or snack.

Paella always has a serious wow factor and is great for a crowd. This version is perfect for a summer meal because it’s made on a grill in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet instead of a paella pan. Covering the grill helps provide even heat that’s hard to achieve on a stovetop and the grill also imparts a nice smoky flavor and mimics the traditional method of cooking paella over an open flame.

This low-calorie grilled snapper is flavored with epis, a Haitian seasoning blend typically made with sweet and hot peppers, onion, garlic, fresh herbs, a variety of spices and more.

This Mediterranean-inspired grilled cauliflower is seasoned with cumin and sumac and drizzled with a yogurt tahini sauce made from sesame seed paste, lemon juice, mint, parsley and olive oil.

Corn on the cob is a classic summer staple. Give it flavor by rubbing the corn with jalapeño, lime and paprika before throwing it on the grill.

This granola is made with cereal, oats, coconut flakes, pecans and freeze-dried strawberries combined with maple syrup and butter. It all comes together cooked in a foil packet on the grill.

This five-ingredient shrimp dish comes in at less than 200 calories per serving with classic Old Bay seasoning. Be sure to marinate for only 30 minutes or it can result in tough shrimp!

Try topping grilled chicken with this Mediterranean-inspired salad to freshen it up and give it a summery feel.

This perfectly grilled eggplant is inspired by chef Thomas Keller’s TikTok-famous preparation of zucchini, which is halved lengthwise, then scored with shallow, diamond-shaped cuts. The crosshatching helps increase the surface area of the eggplant for more even grilling while also allowing water to evaporate more quickly. The result is more nooks and crannies for soaking up marinades, sauces or glazes, and the most tender grilled vegetables. For this recipe, you’ll need the larger globe variety of eggplant. Look for one with a more bulbous shape (rather than long and slender), so you’ll be able to cut a deep crosshatch pattern that will open up (or blossom) during grilling, creating lots of nice crevices for the tahini sauce. We’ve topped the eggplant with feta, honey, fresh herbs and sumac. Serve it as a vegetarian main course or a side for grilled pork, chicken or fish.

Putting a marinade in a resealable bag and then soaking your meat in it is a great way to make sure the dish gets a full blast of herbs and spices. Mustard, vinegar and dried thyme and oregano make up the marinade in this chicken dish.

One of the easiest ways to cook mussels is on the grill. Flavor it with roasted garlic and sop up the sauce with delicious Italian bread.

Grilled lamb can be a healthy choice, especially these Mediterranean-flavored chops flavored with mint, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil.

This easy peesy shrimp dish is ready to eat in 15 minutes. Cooking in foil helps minimize any mess on the grill.

These kicked-up mangos hit all the right sweet and spicy notes.

Cutting a slit into salmon and inserting ginger, scallions and cilantro right into the center of the fish infuses the entire dish with bright flavor. Salmon is also loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Using chimichurri instead of creamier sauces to top your grilled steak is a great way to keep the dish healthy while also adding tons of flavor.

These chicken thighs get their moisture and flavor from an overnight bath in an orange juice-based marinade that also includes garlic, soy sauce and ginger.

Whole-grain corn tortillas and strained non-fat yogurt provide healthy tweaks to this taco recipe without sacrificing any of the flavor.

For an unexpected twist on chicken skewers, try incorporating grapes: The sweetness will turn your dish from ordinary into extraordinary.

Because filet mignon is a leaner, less flavorful cut of beef, it gets its zip in this dish from a marinade of soy sauce, lime juice and chili paste. Ginger-lime dressed greens give the whole salad an added freshness.

This Japanese technique of grilling skewered food combines salmon with shiitake mushrooms. It’s a perfect way to take in inflammatory-fighting omega-3 fats.

Heating up balsamic vinegar transforms it into a sweet syrup that goes perfectly with stone fruits like peaches and nectarines. This dish adds black pepper and ginger to the balsamic syrup for another subtle dimension of flavor.

Add big flavors to these simple skewers by using fresh cilantro and parsley.

Chunky tomatoes provide a nice textural contrast to thinly pounded chicken (paillard basically means a thin piece of meat). This is a great dish for busy nights, as it only requires a few minutes on the grill.

You won't miss the meat in this juicy mushroom dish that works as both a side or a main.

Dress up simply grilled pork with a salad full of big flavors like peppery arugula, sharp blue cheese and sweet grapes.

Tuna makes a great alternative to beef in burgers. With this dish, soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and ginger give the patty both moisture and flavor.

Grapefruit is known to be an extremely tart fruit, but when paired with salmon, chiles and cilantro, it delivers just the right boost of bright flavor.

Grilling tortillas and tomatillos in addition to chicken gives this summery tostada a nice smokiness. Queso fresco, a white Mexican cheese, adds a creamy finish.

Kalamata olives deliver a savory, salty kick of flavor that pairs perfectly with fresh tomatoes and grilled steak.

Roasting kale gives it a nice crisp texture. Pair it with grilled chicken for a healthy dinner.

Garlic lovers rejoice! This rustic salad has a variety of textures held together by a distinct garlicky flavor.

Make the grill accessible to vegetarians with this spicy tofu dish that even your biggest meat lovers will enjoy.

Using both the zest and the juice of citrus gives these chicken thighs their intense flavor. Add a little heat with a few dashes of cayenne pepper.

Grilling peppers and onions gives them a nice sweetness, and adding raw tomatoes and arugula freshends up the entire salad.

Rub olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper on skinless, boneless chicken breasts and they’ll be ready off the grill in just five minutes. It’s a quick, easy and healthy lean protein perfect for the whole family.

The rum sauce gives this dessert its extra-special kick. Serve a dollop of ice cream in the hole of the grilled pineapple ring for a pretty presentation.

Ratatouille, a traditional French stewed vegetable dish, gets a summery upgrade with a basil and vinegar marinade and some time on the grill.

A cilantro, lime and avocado sauce gives these fajitas their fresh flavor.

This spicy peanut dipping sauce incorporates sweet and heat with ingredients like brown sugar, chili flakes and red curry paste. This dish can also be made well in advance and reheated in minutes.

Adding grilled chicken to this chilled, summer soup makes it filling enough to be a meal on its own.