We all love outdoor cooking. There’s just something magical about making a meal using live fire. It’s a primal form of cooking that goes back to the beginnings of many cultures.

However, there’s more to barbecue and grilling than burgers, steak, and smoked meat. Vegetables also taste great when grilled. Learn how to make grilled vegetables at home with this recipe guide..

As much as we love traditional slow-smoked BBQ meats, grilled vegetables can be just as amazing, like the ones in these 5 outdoor grilling recipes.

Contributing writer Darren Wayland from BBQHost shared these vegetable recipes with Cali BBQ Media to help others learn to add more veggies and other non-meat items to their outdoor barbecue feast.

These vegetable barbecue recipes are perfect for vegetarian grillers and meatlovers alike.

Do you have outdoor cooking recipes you’d like to contribute to the Cali BBQ Media blog? Get in touch by using the form below. Thank you!

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5 Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipes

Veggies taste great when grilled over an open flame.

Cooking these 5 colorful and nutritious vegetables over fire brings out their natural sweetness, which makes them a perfect partner to charred, smokey meat.

These five grilled vegetables are so good you might even want to try them as the centerpiece of a vegetarian barbecue.

Let us know how you liked these recipes and what you’d like to see on the Cali BBQ Blog next: stover@calibbq.media

– Recipes by Darren Wayland, BBQ enthusiast, writer, and co-founder at BBQHost.com. Thank you Darren!

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1. Grilled Zucchini

Because it cuts neatly into long, slender planks, zucchini is an obvious choice for grilling. You can also substitute this for yellow summer squash, which has a coarser pulp with large seeds.

Ingredients –

• 2-3 medium-sized zucchini
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions –

1. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or about, 375 degrees.
2. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into uniform planks.
3. Brush the planks on either side with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and basil.
4. Grill, turning once, for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear and the flesh is crisp-tender.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature.

2. Grilled Mushrooms

Grilled Portobello mushroom caps make an excellent meat substitute. But any mushroom taste great when grilled over fire.

Ingredients –

• 4 Portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Instructions –

1. Remove the stems and feathery gills from the undersides of the mushrooms.
2. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels, then place gill-side up on a prep surface.
3. Combine the olive oil, shallots, garlic, vinegar, and herbs. Brush mixture over the Portobello mushroom caps.
4. Let marinate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Preheat a gas grill to high (about 400 degrees).
6. Grill the mushrooms, gill-side up, until tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

3. Grilled Onions

These smoky and sweet grilled onions can be served as an embellishment to grilled meat, or as a side dish of their own.

Ingredients –

• 2 sweet onions
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced chives

Instructions –

1. Preheat a gas grill to medium (about 350 degrees).
2. Cut each onion in half, then cut each half into thirds. When you’re finished, you should have twelve wedges of roughly the same size.
3. Brush the onions evenly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the onions, covered, for about 20 minutes total, flipping them once halfway through cooking.
5. Drizzle with additional olive oil and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with chives.

4. Grilled Bell Peppers

Grilling gives these colorful veggies a molten texture that serves as a delectable base for sauces and soups.

Ingredients –

• 4 sweet bell peppers (yellow, red, or orange)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions –

1. Heat the grill to medium-high (about 375 degrees).
2. Wash and thoroughly dry the bell peppers. Cut larger ones into halves or quarters.
3. Brush the peppers with olive oil.
4. Place the bell peppers on the grill, skin-side down, and lower the cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin slips off easily.
5. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot, or save for a recipe.

5. Grilled Tomatoes

Even tomato-haters have been known to change their tune after sampling these plump summer beauties when grilled.

Ingredients –

• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Instructions –

1. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high (about 375 degrees).
2. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise. Scoop out seeds and pulp and set aside.\
3. Add most of the olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper to the pulp and mash well.
4. Brush tomato halves with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
5. Grill tomato halves, cut side down, for about 10 minutes. They may need to be adjusted from time to time to prevent charring.
6. Flip the tomatoes so they’re cut side up. Fill with the reserved pulp mixture and close the lid.
7. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until they’re done to your liking.

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