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These Grilled Vegetable Skewers are the easiest way to get a colorful, smoky side on the table, with mushrooms, zucchini, three kinds of bell pepper, and red onion marinated in pesto and grilled until tender and charred. We make these all summer long next to whatever is on the grill, and even the kids fight over the charred onion pieces. They are perfect alongside our crispy hot honey chicken.
A quick pesto marinade and a hot grill are all it takes to turn simple veggies into the most crave-worthy skewers.
Grilled Vegetable Skewers Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 27kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, savory, herby, and fresh
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our grilled key lime wings
Quick Answer
Cut the vegetables into even 1-inch pieces, marinate them in pesto and olive oil, then thread them onto soaked skewers. Grill over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning a few times, just until tender with char marks. Even sizing and a hot grill are the keys to grilled vegetable skewers that stay firm and never turn soggy.
Jump to:
- Grilled Vegetable Skewers Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Grilled Vegetable Skewers
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Grilled Vegetable Skewers FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The pesto marinade does double duty. It seasons the vegetables and helps them char beautifully, adding big herby flavor with one easy step.
- Even 1-inch pieces grill at the same rate. Uniform sizing means every vegetable finishes tender at the same time, with no burnt or raw bites.
- Soaking the skewers prevents burning. A 20-minute soak keeps wooden skewers from catching fire over high heat.
- High heat gives you char without mush. A hot grill quickly chars the outside while keeping the vegetables firm and fresh inside.
- They are naturally light and healthy. At just 27 calories a serving, these grilled vegetable skewers are a guilt-free way to fill the plate.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are colorful, smoky, and ready in just 30 minutes from a hot grill.
- A simple pesto marinade adds tons of flavor with almost no effort.
- They are the perfect healthy side next to our honey garlic chicken or any grilled main.
Key Ingredients
Here is what goes into these grilled vegetable skewers. Pick the freshest produce you can for the best char and flavor.
- Bell peppers: Red, yellow, and green peppers add sweetness, color, and a tender-crisp bite.
- Zucchini: Mild and quick-cooking, it soaks up the pesto marinade beautifully.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms turn meaty and savory on the grill.
- Red onion: Grilling mellows it into sweet, smoky bites everyone loves.
- Pesto and olive oil: The marinade that seasons the veggies and helps them char.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These grilled vegetable skewers are endlessly flexible. Try these swaps and add-ins.
- Add more veggies: Cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, or par-cooked baby potatoes all work well.
- Change the marinade: Use Italian dressing, balsamic, or a garlic herb oil instead of pesto.
- Make them a meal: Alternate the veggies with chicken, shrimp, or halloumi.
- Add heat: Toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few jalapeno slices.
- Serve them as a side with our Italian lemon chicken foil packets for an easy grilled dinner.
How to Make Grilled Vegetable Skewers
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes. Chop all the vegetables into even 1-inch pieces and halve the mushrooms. Whisk the olive oil with pesto, salt, and pepper, then drizzle over the vegetables and marinate 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Thread the marinated vegetables onto the skewers, leaving room at the ends to grab. Preheat the grill over high heat and grill the skewers 10 to 15 minutes, turning a few times, until tender with char marks.
- Transfer the grilled vegetable skewers to a platter and serve with more pesto on the side for dipping.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 20 minutes, or use metal skewers, so they do not burn over high heat.
- Cut everything the same size, even 1-inch pieces grill at the same rate for perfect texture.
- Do not over-marinate delicate veggies, 30 minutes is plenty, though heartier ones can go overnight.
- Keep the grill hot, high heat gives you char marks without turning the vegetables mushy.
- Serve them as part of a cookout with our grilled key lime chicken wings and plenty of dipping pesto.
- Group similar veggies on separate skewers if some cook faster, so you can pull them at the right time.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These grilled vegetable skewers are the ultimate cookout side. Serve them straight off the grill next to grilled chicken, steak, or our crispy hot honey chicken with extra pesto for dipping.
They are also a beautiful vegetarian main when piled over rice, quinoa, or couscous. Add a dollop of pesto or a squeeze of lemon and you have a light, satisfying meatless dinner.
Round out a summer spread with a fresh side like our savory mashed sweet potatoes and you have a colorful, crowd-pleasing plate. Leftover skewers are great chopped into salads or grain bowls the next day.
Grilled Vegetable Skewers FAQs
Sturdy vegetables that hold their shape work best for grilled vegetable skewers: bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and yellow squash. Cut them into even 1-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate.
Yes. Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes so they do not burn or splinter over high heat. Metal skewers do not need soaking and are reusable.
You can chop and marinate the vegetables up to a day ahead and thread the skewers a few hours before grilling. Keep them covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Use high heat, cut even 1-inch pieces, and do not over-marinate. A hot grill chars the outside quickly while keeping the inside firm, so the grilled vegetable skewers stay tender-crisp.
Yes. Roast the threaded skewers on a sheet pan at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or use a grill pan on the stovetop, turning until tender and charred.
Store grilled vegetable skewers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, or enjoy them cold in salads and grain bowls.
Firing up the grill? Try our grilled key lime chicken wings next for another easy, crowd-pleasing favorite.
Serve these alongside crispy garlic parmesan grilled potato wedges for the ultimate grilled side spread.
Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Ingredients
- 12 white button mushrooms
- 1 red onion
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce plus more for dipping
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ ground pepper
Instructions
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.
- Wash and chop all the vegetables into 1-inch pieces, slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise and place them in a large bowl, set aside.12 white button mushrooms, 1 red onion, 1 small zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
- Whisk the olive oil with pesto, salt, and ground pepper. Drizzle this over the vegetables and let marinate for 30 minutes, up to overnight.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ ground pepper
- Thread the vegetables on the skewers, leaving a place at the ends to be able to grab them.
- Preheat the grill over high heat. Grill the kabobs for 10-15 minutes or until tender, turning them over a few times. Serve with more pesto on the side for dipping.
Notes
- We do not recommend freezing these because of the water content.
- You can use any of your favorite vegetables.
- Add a meat if you’d like such as chicken, beef, or shrimp.
- These can be made on a grill pan, grill, or in the oven, see above on how to do that.
- Make sure that you soak your wooden skewers for about 20 minutes so they do not burn.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
Nutrition
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