These healthy grilled Vegetable Kebabs are the best way to cook your veggies! Paleo/Whole30, easy to make + delicious – get ready to fire up your grill!
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These are the BEST grilled vegetable kebabs you will ever make.
There, I said it. It’s a bold statement, I know.. but you know what, I’m sticking to it.
I’ve made these balsamic grilled vegetable kebabs pretty much every week since it’s been warm enough to grill outside, and I’m still not sick of them.
why we love Veggie Kabobs
There is a lot to love about these vegetable kebabs:
- Flavorful
- Easy to make
- Fun way to eat your veggies
- Paleo, Whole30, Vegan & Vegetarian – Anyone can enjoy them!
If you’re looking for other grilling recipes – check out these 25 Healthy Grilling Recipes!
I’ve always been intimidated by grilling veggies/making kebabs – but I promise that these are super easy to make, and even the most novice griller can handle it. (And if you don’t have a grill, don’t worry – I included instructions for the oven too)
If you’re wondering just how simple they are to make, let me show you.
Ingredients for Vegetable Kebabs
I make my vegetable kebabs with:
- onions, mushrooms, peppers + zucchini for veggies.
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- spices
How to make Vegetable Kebabs
Making vegetable kebabs is NOT difficult at all.
- Prep your veggies (more info on how to cut your veggies below).
- Once your veggies are cut, mix together your marinade.
- Combine marinade/veggies in a bag or a bowl.
- Let the veggies marinate (patience is key here!). Skewer those babies up (I love these metal skewers) then.. it’s grilling time!
Once they’re done, try not to eat them all in one sitting (I’m serious, they’re that good).
All joking aside though, these veggies are awesome for meal prepping, and they go well with pretty much any form of protein/other side dish!
Substitutions for this kebab recipe:
These kebabs are pretty versatile!
Marinade – You can adjust the marinade on this if you’d like. See above for some ideas
Spices – You can use different herbs/spices in the marinade. Try swapping basil for thyme or rosemary!
Oil – You can use avocado oil instead of olive oil in this recipe if you’d like.
Vegetables – Other veggies work great with this recipe. You can try cherry tomatoes, corn, or eggplant!
Baking in oven: If you don’t have a grill you can bake these at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
WW Freestyle Note: Since the oil is mostly for a marinade, I only counted the points for the oil the veggies were cooked in
Best Vegetables for Grilling
Mushrooms, onions, peppers and zucchini are my favorite veggies for grilling, but you can also try tomatoes, corn (cut in small chunks) or eggplant.
Worst Vegetables for Grilling: We don’t recommend grilling lettuce, potatoes, or carrots. They do not cook well.
How do you cut vegetables for kebabs?
Every veggie is different, but here’s what we recommend for cutting vegetables for kebabs:
Zucchini – Zucchini can easily fall apart so we recommend keeping them in circles, about 1 inch thick.
Mushrooms – Similar to zucchini, mushrooms are soft and apt to break. We recommend keeping them whole.
Onions – Onions are tricky for grilling. We recommend cutting your onion in half, and then cutting in segments. No matter how you cut them, they are a little tough to get them to stay on the skewer
Peppers – We cut our peppers in 1.5 inch square cubes. Make sure to get rid of the tops/centers before cutting/skewering.
You can also use eggplant (cut like a zucchini) or whole cherry tomatoes. Some people also like to add corn to their skewers. We find this to be a little difficult, but you can cut the corn in 2-3 inch segments and add them to the skewers.
How long should you marinate vegetable before grilling?
20 minutes is the least amount of time you should marinate your vegetables before grilling. We like to marinate ours for up to 24 hours for maximum flavor. Anything past 24 hours might leave you with mushy veggies!
Tips for the best vegetable skewers
- Allow the vegetables to marinate! This is a simple step that ads SO much flavor. Vegetables soak up marinades relatively quick, so 20 minutes is enough, but up to an hour is even better.
- Make sure to use medium heat – High heat will leave your veggies a charred mess – you’re better off with medium heat so they cook evenly!
- If using wooden skewers, soak ahead – This will prevent the skewers from burning/catching on fire. Honestly though, I don’t think wooden skewers are the best for grilling.. I use these metal skewers.
Best skewers for grilling:
Metal skewers are definitely better for grilling because you don’t have to worry about them burning or catching fire. (Or leaving little flecks of wood in/near your food!)
I think these metal skewers from amazon are the best for grilling. They’re reasonably priced and have held up great for us. We pop them right in the dishwasher after using!
If you need to use wooden skewers, these are a good option.
Other marinades you can use on vegetable kebabs:
There is really no wrong marinade for vegetable kebabs! This Lemon Basil Vinaigrette or Creamy Balsamic Dressing makes a delicious marinade, or you can even cheat and use a store bought dressing (look for one with cleaner ingredients and no added sugars).
Another one of my favorite marinades to use on veggies is the marinade from this Healthy Maple Mustard Chicken recipe!
Any of these Healthy Salmon Marinades or Healthy Chicken Marinades will also work – just double the recipes!
There you have it friends! Fire up your grill and get ready to eat ALL the veggies! This recipe is one that you’re going to want to make over and over again!
What to serve with Vegetable Kebabs:
These veggie kebabs are so delicious. Here are some things you can serve them with:
- Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Balsamic Mushrooms
- Pineapple Grilled Chicken
- Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Storing Vegetable Kebabs
Storing: You can store these vegetable kebabs in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, toaster oven, or in a hot pan.
Freezing: We do not recommend freezing these vegetable kebabs.
Serving: We prefer to eat these veggies warm off the grill, but you can also serve them cold.
Vegetable Kebab FAQ
Yes, you should marinate your vegetables, especially if you’re grilling them. It adds a ton of flavor!
To avoid burning vegetables, cook them low and slow over medium high heat. Try to avoid cooking them on very high heat and using sugar in the marinade.
Every vegetable is different when cutting for kebabs. I like to leave mushrooms whole. For onions and peppers you’ll need to keep the pieces about 1.5 inches. For zucchini you’ll want to cut in 1 inch thick circles.
To cut a red onion for kabobs, slice in half. Then slice in 1.5 inch thick slices.
Other healthy grilling recipes:
Looking for other grilling recipes? Check out these 40+ Healthy Grilling Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy grilling cookbook.
Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients
Marinade
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Wash/chop vegetables.
- In a bowl, whisk together marinade.
- In a large bowl, or plastic bag combine vegetables/marinade. Allow the marinade to sit for at least 10 minutes (one hour is best).
- While vegetables marinate, heat grill to 375 (medium/high).
- Once vegetables have marinated – add them to skewers.
- Place skewers on heated grill for 9-10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.
- Note: If you don’t have a grill you can bake these at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Video
Notes
- Marinade – You can adjust the marinade on this if you’d like. See above for some ideas
- Spices – You can use different herbs/spices in the marinade. Try swapping basil for thyme or rosemary!
- Oil – You can use avocado oil instead of olive oil in this recipe if you’d like.
- Vegetables – Other veggies work great with this recipe. You can try cherry tomatoes, corn, or eggplant!
- Baking in oven: If you don’t have a grill you can bake these at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- WW Freestyle Note: Since the oil is mostly for a marinade, I only counted the points for the oil the veggies were cooked in
Sarah says
Made these last night after you posted on Instagram about them. So yummy! And easy too!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them Sarah!! They’re one of my favorite things to grill!
Toni says
Love this recipe!! So easy to make & soooo delicious! I have made it on the grill & even tried it in the oven. Both methods bring out all the flavors of the marinade.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much!
Lori says
Made these veggie kabobs except added meat. They were so good. 5 out of 5 good.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Love hearing that Lori! Makes me so happy!
Jennifer says
I made these last night- delicious!!!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Jennifer!!
Kelly says
Can I do the marinade and let veggies sit in it for longer than an hour???
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Kelly – Yes, you totally can. I just wouldn’t marinate for more than 2 hours because the mushrooms/zucchini might get a little soggy. Let me know if you try it!!
Rachel says
In the section above it says you can marinate for 24 hours. Can you explain why you’re only saying 2 hours down here?
The Clean Eating Couple says
There’s nothing to really explain! Per the post, you can marinate them for up to 24 hours. Anything past that and they might get mushy. At a minimum- 10-20 minutes in the marinade will give you flavor. One hour is ideal.
Karen says
I have definitely made a lot of marinades and this was the best ever! I used eggplant instead of zucchini and it was delicious. Looking forward to testing out the balsamic chicken marinade this week!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Karen! I’m going to have to try this with eggplant – that sounds delicious!
Jenn says
Y’all this marinade is SO simple and SO delicious. The flavor isn’t super overpowering so it will go with pretty much anything you want to pair it with. I baked a huge batch of veggies to have with different meals throughout the week so all I’ll have to actually cook is whatever protein I want that day and it’ll make dinnertime a much faster process
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it! I totally agree that they’re perfect with any type of protein and great for meal prepping 🙂
Diane says
Made these in the oven because I didn’t feel like grilling. SO DELICIOUS! I could have easily eaten the whole tray of vegetables by myself! Make these! You will not be disappointed! I will never roast veggies without this marinade on them again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Diane! I often find myself eating them right off the grill, LOL! THey’re my favorite way to cook veggies!
Christine M. says
Love grilling up these veggies all summer. Even my kids pick out some of them and eat them!! Very easy to throw together which is ALWAYS a plus.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Christine! I really appreciate it!
Angie says
Although I’ve been following for awhile…This was the 1st recipe I actually made and it did not disappoint! Super easy. Soooo tasty. And the leftovers might possibly have been even better the next day. I can’t wait to make again!!! Would be perfect for meal prep!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Angie! This recipe is our go to summer meal prep. I just made a huge batch yesterday to have for the week ahead!
Becky says
I didn’t have peppers but used the remaining suggested veggies. The mix of flavors were delicious! Simple and satisfying. Will definitely be making again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Bekcy! Thanks so much!
Erica says
I love this recipe! So clean and fresh… i added some Italian herbs and just love it! Thank you
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Erica!
Renee says
Delicious marinade for your grilled vegetables! Tasty and healthy! Thanks for the idea!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Renee! Glad you liked the kebabs!
Kayla Vaught says
How many weight watcher points are these?
The Clean Eating Couple says
2 on blue. You can put the ingredients in your app for points for other plans. Since the oil is mostly for a marinade, I only counted a portion of the points for the oil the veggies were cooked in.
kelly m says
Super yummy grilled veggies! I have done these now both on the grill on skewers as well as in my cast-iron skillet for a nice little char. And both ways they have turned out yummy. I love balsamic vinegar and this recipe didn’t disappoint! Also as a side note – I have done 2 marinating times…one was literally about 2-3 hours and the other was overnight. Again, both good!!!! The overnight was just more pronounced balsamic flavor 🙂 Going into permanent rotation for all year round!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Kelly! Thank you!
Marsha says
Wonderful marinade! My entire family (including the 7 year old) loved the veggie kabobs. I paired them with yellow rice and falafel. So good! Thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked them, Marsha! Thank you so much!
C S says
How many kebabs does a recipe for 4 make?
The Clean Eating Couple says
It makes 4-6 kebabs. It will depend on the size of your skewers. The recipe yields roughly 4 2 cup servings
Nancy says
Made this yesterday for 4th of July celebration. Everyone loved it.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Nancy!
Katie says
These came out so good. The marinade really infused into the veggies and they were so flavorful!! Quick to prep and reheat great.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Katie! Thanks!