If you're firing up the grill, adding some keto grilled vegetables to your meal is a fantastic idea. Customizable with your favorite veggies and packed with flavor, nothing says BBQ more than these tasty vegetables! During the summer, when produce is at its finest, grilling vegetables is a great way to enjoy the season's bounty while staying true to your ketogenic lifestyle.
Why Grill Vegetables on Keto?
Grilled vegetables offer a versatile and delicious way to incorporate essential nutrients into your keto diet. One of the best things about grilled vegetables is that you can eat them hot or cold, as a side dish or as the main course. You can switch up the veggies, grilling everything you can get your hands on. There are few vegetables that wouldn’t be delicious when grilled. They are a flavor-packed addition to any keto or low-carb diet.
Selecting the Right Vegetables
The key to successful keto grilling lies in choosing the right low-carb vegetables. Vegetables that are low in carbs are keto-friendly. Some excellent choices include:
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Eggplant
- Summer squash
- Asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
- Red onion
- Fennel
Avoid heavy carb vegetables, as eating them will knock you out of ketosis by pushing your daily carb intake too high.
Preparation is Key
Grilling veggies is easy: clean and cut the veggies, give them some flavor and fat, and toss ’em on the grill. Use fresh, firm veggies to make this keto grilled recipe. They’ll hold up better under the high heat.
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- Washing and Cutting: Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Cut zucchini into planks about 1/4-inch thick. Wash the mushrooms and remove the stem ends, if desired. Wash the bell peppers and remove the seeds, then cut them into thirds or halves. Peel and slice eggplant. Slice fennel into thin slices. Slice red onion in rings.
- Marinade Magic: A flavorful marinade can elevate your grilled vegetables to the next level. Combine oil with dried spices, salt, and pepper. Toss the veggies with the marinade and let sit while you heat the BBQ. For a Greek marinade, combine dried thyme, dried oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, and garlic.
Grilling Techniques
Different veggies require different cooking times, but it doesn’t take long to kiss them with sweet smoky goodness from the grill. BBQ the veggies over a fairly hot heat. Cooking time depends on various factors including the heat of the grill, the thickness of your veggies, and how much you load your BBQ.
For smaller vegetables like green beans or brussels sprouts, consider using a grilling basket to prevent them from falling through the grates.
Mushroom caps will fill with liquid when grilling, so make sure you flip them over to drain it out.
Flavor Variations
Play around with the spices. Go Tex-Mex with chipotle and chili powder, go Italian with oregano and basil, go French with thyme and rosemary, or amp up the garlic. Like spice? Add some red pepper flakes to the marinade. Get creative with your veggies, change up the flavors, and get grilling!
Serving Suggestions
Versatile and colorful, Grilled Veggies are a flavor-packed addition to any keto or low-carb diet. You can easily serve baked feta and veggies dish as a complete meal on its own.
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Consider serving your grilled vegetables with:
- Lemon-Oregano Chicken Kabobs
- Beef Kefta Kabobs
- Shredded chicken
- Air fryer salmon
- Tempeh
Keto Roasted Vegetables
If grilling isn't an option, roasting vegetables in the oven is another excellent method. This Keto Roasted Vegetables recipe takes low-carb veggies to the next level! You can eat oven roasted vegetables on the keto diet as long as you use low carb vegetables and avoid heavy carb vegetables.
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 F. Add cauliflower, squash, red pepper, broccoli, and red onion to a large bowl.
- Seasoning: In a small bowl, prepare sauce with all remaining ingredients except balsamic vinegar. Add sauce to vegetables and toss to coat, making sure vegetables are well-mixed.
- Roasting: Place vegetables in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. If you can’t spread the vegetables out in a single layer, use two baking sheets. Drizzle on balsamic vinegar.
- Baking: Bake times vary depending on the type of vegetable you are using. Some vegetables bake much faster than others so finding the right mix of vegetables to cook evenly in the oven can be tricky. Typically, the more dense a vegetable is the more water it has in it. Those particular types of vegetables will take longer to bake in the oven. Most low carb veggies will bake very well in the oven. However, you will need to be aware of the differing cook times because some vegetables bake faster than others.
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables with Feta
This keto meal prep recipe for Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables with Feta is a nutritious, easy, make-ahead, sheet pan meal. A super easy Greek marinade is the key to its bright flavor and delicious taste! This is a great way to add nutrient-dense meals that fit your needs.
- Marinade: Together, these ingredients create a balanced marinade that’s tangy, sweet, savory, and herbaceous.
- Vegetables: Feel free to mix and match any veggies you like best and have on hand!
- Cheese: We typically use a block of feta cheese, but halloumi cheese also works well.
- Preparation: Clean and chop your veggies of choice. Transfer the marinade to large, gallon size zip top bags. Or, you can use a large glass container with a lid. Because there is balsamic vinegar in the Greek marinade, avoid using plastic containers.
- Baking: Spread the marinated vegetables onto a large sheet pan. Prepare these easy marinated sheet pan Mediterranean roasted vegetables with feta for meal prep, and bake in minutes!
- Serving: Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon slices.
Tips and Tricks
- Cut down on prep time with a handy mandolin - this handy device makes short work of slicing veggies.
- Oh, and here’s a tip from a grilled veggie-lover - make extras, ’cause they’re great for quick meals through the week!
- Make sure that you don’t overcrowd the veggies as this can cause them to steam rather than roast.
Storage
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or the oven when you’re ready to serve.
Sadly, veggies tend to lose a lot of their texture when frozen, which is why they are blanched quickly before freezing. But cooked veggies, with no sauce or soup to help protect them, won’t fare well in the freezing-thawing process. They’ll give off a lot of liquid and be quite limp.
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