Grilled veggie kabobs can only mean one thing; grilling season is here! This post will show you how to make great-tasting veggie skewers that don't fall apart, are grilled to perfection, and even how to prep ahead.
Grilled Veggie Skewers
If there's one thing I love about my grill, it's that it helps me cook an entire meal at the same time with little to clean up. While vegetables are hit-or-miss with my family in some recipes, they are epic winners when I turn them into grilled veggie kabobs.
I turn on the grill and make a complete meal by grilling these veggie skewers along with chicken kabobs, beef kabobs, or grilled chicken, and dinner is done.
Best Vegetables for Grilling on Kabobs
There aren’t many vegetables you can’t grill. However, for the best results, stay away from odd-shaped or super watery veggies like spaghetti squash or sliced tomatoes –you can, however, poke cherry tomatoes through a skewer.
Veggies you can skewer and grill:
- Onions
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Baby potatoes
- Radishes
- Okra
- Parsnips
How to Grill Veggie Kabobs
In the recipe card below, you’ll find a helpful visual guide to grilling veggie kabobs perfectly every time. It goes like this:
- Soak your wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
This keeps the skewers from burning. Skip this step if you’re using metal skewers. - Preheat the grill.
You want to start grilling with a steady temperature. - Cut your veggies in even sizes and shapes.
Pieces that are too big will take too long to cook, but pieces that are too small will fall off the skewer. - Assemble.
Poke veggies through the skewer. Brush them with olive oil (or oil of choice), and add them to the grill. - Grill the skewer.
Grill them for roughly the same time on either side, flipping halfway. Veggies will take about 8 minutes to cook, depending on the thickness of your pieces.
How Long to Grill Veggie Kabobs
Not all veggies cook at the same rate. Depending on the types you choose and how you cut them, you can expect to have your grilled veggie kabobs cooking anywhere between 5-15 minutes. Take a look below to see how I grill my favorite veggies:
| Veggie | Cut | Grill Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zucchini | thick slices or cubed | 6-8 minutes |
| Onions | quartered | 8-10 minutes |
| Peppers | quartered & cubed | 8-10 minutes |
| Cherry Tomatoes | whole | 6 minutes |
| Asparagus | trim ends, 3″ pieces | 4 to 6 minutes |
| Mushrooms, Button | remove stem, whole | 8 minutes |
| Potatoes, baby | steam/cook first | 8-10 minutes |
One way to reduce cooking time is by cutting the vegetable that takes longer to cook into smaller pieces to match the other veggies in the kabobs.
Laura’s Tips for Grilling Veggies
The secret to evenly cooked veggie kabobs is selecting vegetables that are of similar shape and size. By looking at the chart above, you’ll notice that cooking times are similar. The combinations below make colorful skewers full of flavor:
Bell Peppers + Eggplant
Mushrooms + Asparagus
Bell Peppers + Mushrooms
Bell Peppers + Onions
Zucchini + Eggplant
The best way to cut veggies for kabobs is to cut all pieces to similar sizes and shapes. Think coins, squares, triangles, and cubes. You want the veggies to be thick enough to easily slide on a skewer but not so thick that they won’t cook.
Alternatively, you don’t want to cut your vegetables too thin. This will cause them to fall off your skewers and burn on the grill. Generally, about ½ inch thick is a good rule of thumb when making kabobs.
Of course! If you love simple marinades that bring out your vegetables’ natural flavors, I recommend my simple recipe for vegetable marinade for kabobs.
Outside of the grill, there are a small handful of items that will help you make perfect grilled skewers of veggies or meat. Here are my must-haves:
Metal skewers or wooden skewers
Marinating tray
Basting brush & cup set
Baking Pan for transport
Extra-long grilling tongs
More Grilling Accessories here
If using wooden skewers, soaking them in room-temperature water for 30 minutes is a simple step that will ensure your veggie kabobs don’t burst into flames while cooking. Make sure you do this before poking the veggies through!
To keep your vegetables from falling off their skewers, make sure to cut them at least ½ inch thick. You want them to be easy-to-stack shapes such as cubes or coins that you can pierce through the center. Once sliced, be sure to pack your grilled veggie kabobs tightly on the skewer to keep them from coming loose. The more veggies, the better!
To prevent this from happening, make sure to place the skewers on the grill across the grill grates. If you’re grilling small skewers or loose vegetables, you can also get a veggie grilling tray to go on the grill.
When you flip the veggie skewers, you will leave the grill open for a few moments more, to sear the other side before closing the grill to finish cooking the veggie skewers. In addition, the front of the grill tends to be cooler than the back of the grill, so make sure to rotate your skewers when you flip them halfway through.
You’ll know your veggie kabobs are done when the middles are soft and they’ve changed to a translucent color. You can test this with a fork or by simple observation and following the grilling time guidelines above.
Grilled Veggie Kabobs
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 2 cups button mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 red onion, ends trimmed, cut into wedges
- 2 large zucchinis, ends trimmed, sliced thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or
- Veggie Marinade
- Wooden or metal skewers
Instructions
Prep:
- Wash and prep all veggies, soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes if using, and prepare the marinade for brushing over the veggies.
- Slice mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and zucchinis through the skewers, alternating vegetables.
- Place skewers on a baking tray (to transport to the grill) and brush them with olive oil or the veggie marinade on all sides.
Grill:
- Grill skewers on a heated grill, over medium heat, for 8 to 10 minutes, making sure to flip them halfway through by using tongs.
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Jade says
So good!
Janna says
So yummy!!
Marsha says
Thanks for all the grilling tips and the video for these veggie kabobs! It made everything so clear!
Jenna Marie says
I made these grilled veggie kabobs today and they were wonderful. thank you from this bbq newbie!
Jessica says
These veggie kabobs were great!!!