How to Grill Any Vegetable

Besides softening the sharpness of alliums and the bitter tinge of brassica into savory complexity, the grill seasons the food, bequeathing this singed, soulful character to any vegetable.

There’s no simpler way to make vegetables taste great, so use the following guidelines for whatever you have on hand. 

1. Build a Medium-Hot Fire. Whether you’re grilling over charcoal or gas, most vegetables respond better to moderate heat than to a blazing fire. 

2. Maximize Surface Area. Cutting vegetables into broad pieces means more surface area, more flavorful browning, and less risk that the food will fall apart or slip through the cooking grate. 

3. Thoroughly Clean Grate Before Cooking. A smooth, gunk-free cooking surface will help prevent sticking. 

4. Oil Vegetables and Grate. Toss or brush the vegetables, and brush the cooking grate, with a thin layer of vegetable oil before grilling to encourage even browning and to prevent the vegetables from sticking and picking up grit and soot from the grate.

• To oil vegetables: Lay pieces on a sheet pan and paint all over with a basting brush.
• To oil grate: Grip wad of paper towels with long tongs. Dip in vegetable oil and brush over preheated cooking surface.

5. Brown–Don’t Burn. Move the pieces as necessary to avoid hot spots, and cook until they’re just tender and streaked with grill marks. 

6. Grill Proteins First. If grilling both meat and vegetables, it’s most efficient to cook the vegetables while the meat rests. (On a charcoal grill, this also allows the fire’s heat to subside a bit so that the vegetables can cook at a more moderate temperature.)

Asparagus

• Prep: Trim bottom inch of spears; peel lower third down to white flesh 
• Cook Time: 4 to 10 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Use thick (½ inch at the base) spears. Pencil‑thin asparagus will wither in the intense heat.

Baby Bok Choy

• Prep: Halve heads lengthwise through stem; rinse but don’t dry
• Cook Time: 6 to 7 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Water left clinging to the leaves will turn to steam on the grill, helping the bok choy cook through before overbrowning.

Corn

• Prep: Remove all but innermost layer of husk; snip off silk 
• Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 1½ to 2 minutes 
• Tip: Leaving the innermost layer of husk attached allows the corn to take on good grilled flavor without charring and toughening.

Eggplant

• Prep: Slice crosswise into ¾-inch-thick rounds
• Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes, turning once
• Tip: There’s no need to presalt eggplant; growers have bred much of the bitterness out of the plant. Microwaving is also unnecessary.

Fennel

• Prep: Trim fronds and cut thin slice from base. Slice bulb vertically through base ¼ inch thick, leaving core intact.
• Cook Time: 7 to 9 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Cover the fennel with an overturned aluminum pan while charcoal grilling to create an oven-like environment that cooks the interiors before the outside burns. (For gas grills, use the lid.) 

Green Cabbage

• Prep: Halve and cut into 8 wedges through core
• Cook Time: 14 to 20 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Salt wedges for 45 minutes before cooking to help soften the stiff leaves.

Onions

• Prep: Cut into ½-inch-thick slices parallel to equator; skewer parallel to work surface
• Cook Time: 10 to 12 minutes, turning once
• Tip: It’s awkward to flip a skewer by the rounded handle. Instead, grasp a centrally located onion slice with tongs and turn.

Peppers

• Prep: Halve lengthwise; remove core, seeds, and ribs. Cut each half in thirds lengthwise.
• Cook Time: 7 to 9 minutes, turning once
• Tip: To grill-roast peppers: Cook them whole until charred; transfer to a bowl; cover tightly to loosen their skins; remove skins, core, and seeds.

Radicchio

• Prep: Quarter heads lengthwise
• Cook Time: 5 minutes, turning every 1½ minutes until edges are browned and wilted but centers are still slightly firm
• Tip: For maximum grill flavor, turn each wedge twice so that each side (including the rounded one) spends some time facing the fire.

Scallions

• Prep: Trim root end; discard any loose or wilted outer layers
• Cook Time: 4 to 5 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Use scallions that measure at least ¼ inch in diameter. Thinner ones will wither in the intense heat.

Tomatoes

• Prep: Core and halve along equator
• Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Use in-season, round tomatoes that are ripe yet a bit firm so that they will hold their shape on the grill. Plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, may be used, but they will be drier in texture.

Zucchini/Summer Squash

• Prep: Slice lengthwise into ½‑inch‑thick planks 
• Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes, turning once 
• Tip: Cutting the squash into planks keeps it from falling through the grate.

Dense or spongy items such as cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes benefit from a stint in the microwave before hitting the grill. Parcooking with a little water not only softens them and helps them shed excess moisture but also collapses air pockets between the cell walls so that the vegetables cook up with tender, resilient bite.  

Cauliflower

• Prep: Trim outer leaves and cut stem flush with bottom. Cut head through core into 6 equal wedges so that core and florets remain intact.
• Microwave Time: 14 to 16 minutes
• Grill Time: 7 to 10 minutes, turning so that all sides brown 
• Tip: Using tongs or a thin metal spatula to gently flip the wedges helps keep them intact. 

Mushrooms

• Prep: White/Cremini: Trim tough ends; halve. King Oyster: Trim stems; slice crosswise ¾ inch thick. Oyster/Maitake: Trim; tear into 2- to 2½-inch pieces. Portobello: Stem; halve caps smaller than 4 inches, quarter if larger
• Microwave Time: 3 minutes
• Grill Time: 4 to 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes so that all sides brown
• Tips: Use any mix of mushrooms you like, as long as the caps measure at least 2 inches in diameter. A grill basket is helpful here but not essential.

Red Bliss Potatoes

• Prep: Scrub and cut in half
• Microwave Time: 8 minutes 
• Grill Time: 9 to 12 minutes, turning once
• Tip: Before grilling, skewer the potatoes to make them easier to manage over the fire. 

The grill’s charr-y, smoky savor is seasoning enough, but these accompaniments make great all-purpose seasonings if you want to dress up the vegetables.   

Rosemary-Dijon Vinaigrette

Yield: About ¼ cup 

Whisk 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1 small clove minced garlic (about ½ teaspoon), and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in small bowl.

Sriracha-Lime Yogurt Sauce

Yield: About ⅔ cup

Combine ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro, ½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 teaspoon juice, and ½ teaspoon sriracha in small bowl. Season with salt to taste.