Category: Veggie

Grilled Veggie Kabobs

These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re a great…

These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re a great side dish for any summer meal.

Vegetable kabobs

Ready for the best, easiest summer side dish? Let’s make veggie kabobs! Alex and I love making grilled dinners nightly in the summer. And these skewers combine all our favorite vegetables, perfect for serving over rice or quinoa for a delicious meal.

Why we love this recipe: This is our tried and true method for making veggie kabobs with the best vegetables and a simple seasoning blend. They come out tender and charred, the ideal grilled side dish for summer meal! We like serving them over cilantro lime rice alongside grilled tofu, grilled salmon, or grilled chicken.

The best vegetables for veggie kabobs

You can mostly use any veggies you want for veggie kabobs, but some are not ideal here. The trick is to use veggies that all cook in a relatively similar timeframe. That means no extra hard veggies like carrots or potatoes (or parboil them first). Here are the best vegetables for veggie kabobs, in our opinion:

  • Bell peppers, multi-colored for a beautiful look
  • Red onion or white onion
  • Zucchini or yellow squash, or a combination of both
  • Mushrooms, either baby bella (cremini) or white button
  • Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

More veggie skewer ideas

Pineapple adds a nice sweet and savory combination. Small 1 to 2-inch sections of corn on the cob works, and so does diced eggplant. You can use cauliflower, but we recommend steaming it first (see this Grilled Cauliflower recipe).

Vegetables to avoid on kabobs

What veggies to avoid here? Broccoli and asparagus are too hard to skewer. Carrots and potatoes should be avoided, or you should parboil them first. Brussels sprouts also aren’t ideal for skewers, since they take slightly longer to grill then the above veggies.

Veggie kabobs

Tips for chopping for vegetable skewers

Once you’ve selected your veggies, here’s what to note for the skewering process:

  • Chop the vegetables into relatively similar sizes. You’ll want them to be bite-sized for easy eating once they’re grilled to perfection. Keep in mind, they’ll shrink quite a bit once they’re cooked.
  • If using wooden skewers, soak them while you’re chopping. You only need 15 to 20 minutes for soaking, which is about the time it will take to preheat the grill and chop.
  • Or, use metal skewers! We purchased some metal skewers to save us from the soak. (Worth it.)

Seasoning for veggie kabobs

How to season veggie kabobs? You can make marinated veggie kabobs, but we prefer just throwing them on the grill with olive oil and seasonings. Here’s what we’ve found makes a killer seasoning blend. Throw on equal parts of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and salt.

Smoked paprika is a smoky version of regular paprika you should be able to find at your local grocery: it really carries the flavor here!

Sauce variations

A variation we often take on these veggie kabobs? Brushing the veggies with a sauce! Skip the seasonings above and just go with the sauce. You’ll want to do it twice: once before they go on the grill, and then a generous slather afterwards. Here are a few sauces we’ve tried and loved:

Vegetable skewers

Grill time for veggie kabobs

Once you’ve cut and seasoned the veggie kabobs, throw the them on the grill! Here are the specifics on timing and heat level (or jump right to the recipe):

  • Preheat a grill to medium high heat. That’s about 375 to 450 degrees.
  • Chop and skewer the veggies and season. See the recipe below.
  • Grill on the grates for 10 to 12 minutes. Cook until charred and tender, turning every few minutes.

Make it a meal

These vegetable kabobs (aka skewers) are a fantastic side to round out a grilled meal. Here are a few ways to pair it!

Dietary notes

These grilled veggie kabobs are vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best vegetables to use for grilling on skewers?

Sturdy vegetables like bell peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes hold up well on the grill. Make sure to parboil very hard vegetables like potatoes or carrots.

Should I pre-cook my vegetables before grilling them on skewers?

It depends on the vegetable. Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or beets benefit from parboiling or roasting before grilling to ensure they cook through. Most other veggies can be grilled directly from raw.

How do I prevent my vegetables from burning on the grill?

Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling.
Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
Cook over medium high heat and flip the skewers regularly.
If using a charcoal grill, keep the coals to one side for indirect heat.

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Vegetable kabobs

Grilled Veggie Kabobs

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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
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Description

These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re an ideal healthy side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion
  • 3 multi-colored bell peppers
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms (or button mushrooms)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon each* garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: lemon wedges

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
  2. If using wooden skewers, soak them at least 20 minutes.
  3. Chop the onion into large pieces. Cut bell peppers into chunks. Slice the zucchini into rounds 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch thick. Add the sliced veggies to a bowl with the whole mushrooms and tomatoes toss everything with the olive oil, spices, and salt.
  4. Skewer the vegetables and place each skewers on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a few more pinches kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  5. Place the skewers directly on the grill. Grill 10 to 12 minutes until tender and blackened, turning every few minutes. If desired, spritz with lemon wedges before serving.

Notes

*You can also brush the skewers generously with BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce before grilling and then after grilling.

  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Grilled
  • Cuisine: Grilled
  • Diet: Vegan