40 Healthy Summer Recipes That You'll Make Over & Over On Your Grill (2024)

Keto, low-carb, vegan, and vegetarian options get the grill treatment.

By Camille Lowder
40 Healthy Summer Recipes That You'll Make Over & Over On Your Grill (1)

Summer is full of so many of our favorite (and coincidentally, pretty healthy!) eating activities: farmers' markets packed with produce, picnics at the beach and park, and grilling as many things as we can get our hands on, with a big emphasis on the grilling. To fuel up for the season, you can catch us grilling as many of these healthy dinners as possible to really celebrate all the best parts of summer. We know health looks different to different people, so we’ve included options for every diet, like low-carb, vegan, pescatarian, or gluten-free. Check out our 40 healthy grilling recipes—these ideas will keep you going, so you can enjoy your summer to the fullest.

When it comes to eating healthier during the summer, there’s no easier way than to look to summer produce. Trust us, even the vegetables you or your family thinks they hate (we see you mushrooms or Brussels sprouts) taste better with a little char from the grill. Truly, you can put any vegetable on the grill—try everything from basics like grilled zucchini and corn on the cob to Mediterranean grilled eggplant and grilled green tomatoes. You could just eat your vegetables plain, straight from the grill, but we recommend jazzing them up a bit. Add nuts, seeds, cheese, or whatever you like. Check out our Thai-inspired grilled cauliflower steaks, our grilled artichokes with pistachio-yogurt sauce, or our grilled carrots with ricotta and chimichurri for ideas.

Another one of our favorite ways to keep things “healthier” during the summer is to change up how we’re eating some of our fave dishes. Missing carbs, for example? Stick all your faves on grill skewers, like our Buffalo cauliflower kebabs (everything you love about Buffalo chicken, but vegetarian), our banh mi kebabs (flavorful meat without the bread), or our tomato gnocchi kebabs (like a bowl of pasta, but portion-controlled).

Want more healthy summer inspiration? Check out our summer salads and healthy summer recipes too.

1

Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs

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Sure, gnocchi is amazing served in a bowl with a sauce, but have you ever had 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.

Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.

2

Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps

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We're BIG fans of low-carb burgers. (Hellooo, bunless burger bites.) We love how sturdy cabbage is as a bun replacement—just make sure you buy a large cabbage so your leaves are big enough to wrap around the entire burger. Then you can make bacon wrapped cabbage with the core!

Get the Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps recipe.

3

Peach Balsamic Grilled Chicken

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Grilling fruit will bring out its juicy sweetness, and while you can always go the sweet route with your grilled peaches, they're just as good paired with this sweet and tangy balsamic chicken.

Get the Peach Balsamic Grilled Chicken recipe.

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4

Honey Lime Grilled Corn

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Nothing says summertime like the smell of corn on the grill. It also happens to be the easiest side you’ll make all season. For this recipe, 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.

Get the Honey Lime Grilled Corn recipe.

5

Bánh Mì Kebabs

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A classic bánh mì is one of the world's great sandwiches. An ideal way to get that classic bánh mì taste, without the bread? With these kebabs! Par-cooked carrots and slightly sweet daikon grill up nicely with thick pieces of pork chop. And they're perfectly matched with a straightforward combo of fish sauce, soy sauce, and honey.

Get the Bánh Mì Kebabs recipe.

6

Grilled Honey-Chipotle Salmon Foil Packets

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Grilling fish can be intimidating, but with foil packs, there's no need to stress. Rather than worry about the fish sticking to the grates or flipping the flaky flesh, you'll fold the salmon up in tin foil instead. It's not just fish inside, either—there's a medley of zucchini and yellow summer squash with a smoky honey-chipotle sauce.

Get the Grilled Honey-Chipotle Salmon Foil Packets recipe.

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7

Grilled Green Beans

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If you're cooking over an actual grill, 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. Not a fan of peanuts? Use any crushed nuts or seeds here for crunch!

Get the Grilled Green Beans recipe.

8

Caprese Chicken Foil Packs

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This recipe combines three things we love—Caprese, chicken, and foil packets—for a SUPER-easy and bright chicken dinner that only takes about 30 minutes to make. Whether you're throwing a BBQ or having a chill family meal, everyone will love them!

Get the Caprese Chicken Foil Packs recipe.

9

Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs

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We here at Delish know the value of adding spicy Buffalo sauce to cauliflower (see our Buffalo cauliflower wings), but we never thought to grill the cauli up… until now. These Buffalo cauliflower kebabs put all your favorite flavors from classic Buffalo wings onto skewers–and they're vegetarian to boot!

Get the Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs recipe.

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10

Grilled Carrots

As with most root veggies, carrots take awhile to cook through, meaning they've got to be tended to and turned frequently to get tender on the grill. The good news is that your hard work will be rewarded; the carrot's natural sweetness comes out during cooking, a complementary foil to the smoky char achieved on the grill. We love serving this veggie side atop creamy ricotta, with a punchy carrot top-based chimichurri sauce for some brightness.

Get the Grilled Carrots recipe.

11

Turkey Burgers

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We obviously love ours as is, but there are a few swaps you can make that we totally support! Don't have Worcestershire? Use soy sauce or even liquid smoke. Add some finely chopped shallots in with your garlic or swap out the parsley for any herbs you have on hand or make your own Cajun seasoning to use in it. This burger is flexible.

Get the Turkey Burger recipe.

12

BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches

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The grill adds subtle, almost bacon-like smoky flavor to these tempeh steaks, but there's no meat in sight. Add a cooling, creamy coleslaw and a toasted buttered bun for the perfect meatless sandwich.

Get the BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches recipe.

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13

Bruschetta Grilled Chicken

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This bruschetta-inspired grilled chicken is one of our favorite ways to celebrate fresh summer flavors. Make it for dinner this grilling season, then again and again all season long.

Get the Bruschetta Grilled Chicken recipe.

14

Grilled Artichoke

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Artichokes are the roses of the vegetable kingdom. Their beautiful look and subtle flavors are well worth the work, especially if you're cooking to impress. We're pairing the smoky flavors of the grill here with a cool, green pistachio-yogurt cream and adding a little bit of spice and crunch with fried garlic chips and a pistachio-sesame topping.

Get the Grilled Artichoke recipe.

15

Thai-Inspired Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

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We found the perfect funky balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in this Thai-inspired sauce to blanket your cauliflower steaks. Try the sauce and, if needed, balance it out to your taste with brown sugar for more sweetness, red pepper flakes for more heat, lime juice for more pucker, and salt.

Get the Thai-Inspired Grilled Cauliflower Steaks recipe.

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16

Mahi Mahi Tacos

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Being a meaty, tender fish, mahi mahi stands up well to the grill and is even better when marinated. You could use a traditional citrus-oil mixture, or do like we did and go with a mayo-based marinade that adds some richness and a ton of flavor. Throw the fish on a tortilla with some spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa, and you'll have an amazing summer taco night.

Get the Mahi Mahi Tacos recipe.

17

Balsamic Grilled Mushrooms

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Mushrooms can get sidelined at a BBQ as a lame side dish, but when tossed in a balsamic-soy glaze, they'll get ALL the attention.

Get the Balsamic Grilled Mushrooms recipe.

18

Honey Mustard Chicken, Tomato & Zucchini Foil Packs

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Smothered in sweet honey-mustard sauce, these chicken breasts are grilled to perfection, staying super-tender and juicy by cooking inside foil packets. If you're looking for the easiest weeknight dinner ready in under an hour, this veggie-packed chicken dish is the crowd-pleaser your family will love this summer.

Get the .

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19

Grilled Steak Salad

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This salad is simple enough for a weeknight but worthy of planning a get-together around, thanks to its star ingredient—ribeye steak. You’ll grill it (and red onions), then combine it with cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, basil, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic dressing, turning it into the kind of impressive-but-secretly-easy dish you’ll be making all the time.

Get the Grilled Steak Salad recipe.

20

Grilled Asparagus

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Few veggies grill up as nicely as asparagus. Thin stalks get crispy while thicker ones get tender. Finish with a bit of lemon or Parm, and you'll have the perfect summer side dish in under 5 minutes.

Get the Grilled Asparagus recipe.

40 Healthy Summer Recipes That You'll Make Over & Over On Your Grill (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat healthy on the grill? ›

Trim fat and moderate grill temperature.

Buy skinless poultry or remove the skin before eating. Trim away any visible fat beef, pork, or chicken. Trim any excess poultry skin that may cause the grill to produce high flames and burn the meat. Avoid grilling meats over open flames and/or at high temperatures.

What is a healthy option for BBQ? ›

Embracing Lean and Nutritious BBQ Meats

Opting for lean cuts of poultry, such as skinless chicken breast or turkey, can significantly reduce saturated fat intake. Fish, like salmon or tuna, are excellent options as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, promoting heart health.

What is the healthiest meat to grill? ›

Beef, pork and lamb can all be healthy choices for the grill. Be sure to choose lean cuts of meat, keep portions around 3-4 ounces per serving and limit the amount of fatty ingredients like butter and oil.

What is the healthiest protein to grill? ›

Poultry: Skinless, white meat chicken or turkey; ground turkey breast (at least 90% lean) Beef: Boneless strip steak, top sirloin steak, flank steak, tenderloin steak (filet mignon) and tri tip roast; 90% lean ground beef. Veal: Any trimmed cut.

What are 4 foods that can be grilled? ›

For even heat and better crunch, use a pizza stone on the grill grate. Or place pizza directly over the flame for a charred crispiness. Shrimp, scallops, lobster, oysters, clams and soft-shell crab are just a few of the stellar sea favorites that are great on the grill.

What is the hardest meat to grill? ›

Beef Brisket

It's a really difficult piece of meat to get right on the bbq and depending on size, it takes a long time to cook. If you're going to tackle it, be prepared for either an all nighter or a very early morning to get in cooked in time for dinner!

Is BBQ or fried chicken healthier? ›

Overall, grilled chicken offers better health, nutrition, and taste if cooked the right way compared to fried chicken. Fried chicken requires oil for it to be cooked, and that is its first downfall healthwise. The oil gives food high fat content, calories, and salt to any food used with it.

What is the easiest meat to grill? ›

One of the best meats to barbecue or grill, chicken and its various cuts earn an award for being versatile, flavorful, and easy to prepare. A grilling tip for bone-in chicken is to let it rest for at least 20 minutes after cooking. This ensures the meat is cooked evenly and is tender.

Is grilling on a gas grill healthy? ›

Gas or electric grills may pose a lower risk of introducing carcinogens in foods than charcoal grills. Charcoal itself is not a carcinogen, but cooking with charcoal has been linked to two types of cancer risks.

What is the healthiest way to cook meat? ›

Grilling, roasting, baking, broiling, steaming, press cooking and slow cooking are some of the healthiest ways to cook meat. And yes, you should avoid deep-frying it. “Avoid marinades and sauces that are high in sugar and sodium,” she adds.

Why is grilling a healthier method of cooking than frying? ›

Barbecuing is seen as a healthier option to other cooking methods such as frying or baking. This is because grilling over higher heat releases the bad fats from the meat, allowing it to melt and drip off/away from the food.

References

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