Grilling is an enjoyable and simple way to cook healthy foods. Once intimidating, grilling becomes fun with experimentation. Live fire cooking is one of the healthiest methods around because it doesn’t require the addition of oil or butter, and the high heat melts out naturally-occurring fats. Furthermore, vegetables retain antioxidants and nutrients when grilled, unlike boiling or braising. This article provides ideas for healthy foods to grill, from proteins to vegetables and even fruits.
Grilled Chicken Recipes
Chicken is a popular choice for grilling.
Korean BBQ Chicken Skewers
These grilled chicken skewers with a Korean BBQ sauce are a flavorful weeknight option. Made with chopped chicken thighs, the recipe is fast and flavorful. A lime juice, cilantro, honey, and olive oil marinade doubles as a dressing for salad.
Buffalo Grilled Chicken Salad
This grilled chicken salad is a top choice, made with chicken breast in a simple marinade before grilling. The result is juicy and delicious grilled chicken to eat as is or add to meals all week long.
Spatchcock Chicken
Following simple steps, a whole chicken can be grilled using the spatchcock method, where the backbone is removed and the chicken is flattened for even grilling.
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Chicken Kebabs with Pineapple and Teriyaki Glaze
These chicken kebabs include pineapple, sweet peppers, red onion, and a simple teriyaki-style glaze. Zucchini and jalapeno can also be added.
Chipotle Flavored Chicken Burgers
These burgers, made with ground turkey, are always a hit at cookouts.
Grilled Pork Recipes
Pork offers a variety of grilling options with different flavors.
Marinated Grilled Pork Chops
A simple pork chop marinade uses everyday ingredients like garlic, cumin, Dijon, olive oil, and coconut aminos (or soy sauce).
Honey Garlic Grilled Pork Chops
Another flavorful option is a honey garlic marinade, finished with a honey mustard sauce.
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Smoked Pork Butt
For a smoky flavor, try a smoked pork butt recipe made on a wood pellet grill, gas or charcoal grill with a smoker box, or an electric smoker. The pork loin gets rubbed with a dry spice mix made from brown sugar, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa
For sweet-and-savory flavors, grilled pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa is a great choice.
Juicy Pork Burgers with Thai Slaw
These pork burgers are topped with a creamy Thai slaw.
Baby Back Ribs
Perfectly cooked baby back ribs are finished on the grill to create a caramelized BBQ sauce exterior after being prepared in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Grilled Beef Recipes
Beef provides options for high-protein and flavorful grilled meals.
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Steak Skewers
Thread chunks of sirloin steak or ribeye steak onto skewers with red pepper pieces.
Thai-Style Steak Salad
For a low-carb, high-protein dinner, a Thai-style steak salad is a flavorful choice.
Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Quick-cooking grilled flank steak (or skirt steak) is topped with an herby green chimichurri sauce made from parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
Pizza Burgers
Pizza burgers are a combination of grilled pizza and grilled burgers, incorporating pizza seasonings and topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Mediterranean Bowls with Grilled Flank Steak
Mediterranean bowls are built with crispy romaine, creamy hummus, fresh veggies, and slices of warm grilled flank steak (strip steak and sirloin steak also work).
Grilled Fish and Seafood Recipes
Grilling fish and seafood can be simple and healthy.
Salmon Kebabs
Grilling salmon pieces on kebabs allows the pieces to get caramelized on all sides.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Grilled shrimp tacos are made with spiced shrimp tucked into corn tortillas with fresh mango-avocado salsa.
Grilled Mahi Mahi
Instead of grilling the usual hamburgers or chicken breasts, prepare this grilled mahi mahi.
Tuna Teriyaki Kabobs
Tuna teriyaki kabobs are perfect for a light dinner.
Lime-Cilantro Shrimp Skewers
The combination of lime, cilantro and soy sauce gives these shrimp skewers a memorable taste reminiscent of tropical cuisine.
Grilled Shrimp Piccata Skewers
These grilled shrimp piccata skewers are the perfect combination of juicy, charred shrimp, bright lemon zest, briny capers, and white wine butter sauce.
Grilled Vegetable Recipes
Many vegetables are great for grilling.
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus is readily available and pairs well with many summer meals.
Grilled Corn Salad
Grilled corn on the cob is cut off the cobs and tossed with blackberries, radishes, avocado, arugula, scallions, and a lime vinaigrette.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are perfect for grilling.
Grilled Zucchini
Set aside some room on the grill for zucchini.
Grilled Zucchini With Ricotta & Walnuts
Threaded onto skewers to lessen the amount of direct contact the zucchini had with the grill and create contrasting textures. The ribboning also creates plenty of nooks and crannies for the creamy ricotta and walnuts to settle.
Grilled Green Beans
Place a heavy duty piece of foil over the grates before adding the green beans. It'll prevent all the veg from falling through the cracks.
Thai-Inspired Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
The perfect funky balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in this Thai-inspired sauce to blanket your cauliflower steaks.
Grilled Carrots
The carrot's natural sweetness comes out during cooking, a complementary foil to the smoky char achieved on the grill.
Fiesta Corn Salad
This grilled summer salad hits all the right notes.
Grilled Cabbage
Grilled cabbage is the secret to transforming the crunchy leaves into sweet, tender bites.
Grilled Squash
Grilled squash is a quick and easy side dish for those wonderful days of late summer and early fall.
Grilled Pattypans
Hoisin sauce and rice wine vinegar give grilled pattypans Asian flair.
Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes
Relax after work with a cold drink while this savory chicken marinates in an herby tomato blend for an hour, then toss it on the grill. It tastes just like summer.
Grilled Vegetable Platter
This recipe is the best of summer in one dish! These pretty veggies are perfect for entertaining. Grilling brings out their natural sweetness, and the easy marinade really perks up the flavor.
Other Grilled Recipes
Here are some more grilling ideas.
Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs
Nicely browned gnocchi taken straight off the grill. The gnocchi paired with blistered grilled tomatoes and tender red onion make for a perfect summer dinner or side dish.
Bruschetta Grilled Chicken
A flavorful twist on grilled chicken.
Grilled Peach Salad
Peaches are amazing in all sorts of salads. A summery spin on the iconic wedge salad.
Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps
A low-carb alternative to traditional cheeseburgers.
Honey Lime Grilled Corn
Juicy ears of corn get some char on a hot grill, then get brushed with an irresistible honey-lime butter that you'll want to put on everything.
Caprese Chicken Foil Packs
A simple and flavorful meal in a foil pack.
Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs
A vegetarian twist on buffalo wings.
Bánh Mì Kebabs
An ideal way to get that classic bánh mì taste, without the bread? With these kebabs!