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This grilled broccolini comes out bright green and charred! Spritz it with lemon to make the perfect side dish for grilled meals.
Here’s a vegetable side dish that always impresses: grilled broccolini! Broccoli’s hipper cousin has elegant long stems and a sweet flavor that’s a fun alternative to the standard. Grill it up until it’s tender and charred, and it’s the ideal side dish for a grilled meal!
Why we love this recipe: Broccolini looks fancy without any extra work, and we think it tastes even better than broccoli! It’s great with a spritz of fresh lemon juice, or you could shower with Parmesan or add a creamy sauce. It’s one of our favorite grilled side dishes: try it with grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or grilled salmon and a Hugo spritz for the perfect patio party.
Ingredients for grilled broccolini
Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has both the long stems of Chinese broccoli and the florets of broccoli, and has a milder flavor than broccoli. It might look like baby broccoli, but it’s actually not: though you mind find it labeled that way in the grocery store!
This grilled broccolini recipe is simple and straightforward, great for pairing with a meal you’re already putting on the grill. We like to keep it basic flavor-wise, but you can add additional flavors as you like! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Broccolini
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon
How to grill broccolini (step by step)
You can grill vegetables in several ways, like in a grill basket or on a drip pan over indirect heat. marinated, and so forth. But the best way for grilling broccolini? Right on the grill grates. No special equipment required! Here’s how to grill broccolini (or jump to the full recipe):
Step 1: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450°F). Cut off the bottom 2 inches of each stem of broccolini. This removes the tough thicker parts. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Grill on the grates 5 to 7 minutes, turning once.
Step 3: Transfer to a serving plate or platter. Spritz with fresh lemon juice and enjoy.
Variations and flavor adders
This basic grilled broccoli comes out crisp tender and charred, with a zing from the lemon and salty crunchy florets. If you’d like, you can step up the flavors with a few more additions:
- Parmesan cheese: Top with shredded or grated Parmesan.
- Pecorino cheese: Aged Pecorino makes an even saltier, more savory pop.
- Creamy sauce: Drizzle with sour cream sauce, chimichurri, or lemon dill sauce.
- Dressing: Add a few spoonfuls of Parmesan peppercorn dressing or Caesar dressing.
- Herbs: Add a sprinkle of chives or chopped basil or thyme.
- Grilled lemon: Grill lemon slices 1 to 2 minutes per side until grill marks form, then serve with the grilled broccolini.
What to serve with grilled broccolini
Grilled broccolini is the ideal side dish for a grilled meal! Here’s what we’d pair it with:
- Chicken: Go with grilled chicken or grilled chicken thighs.
- Salmon: Try grilled salmon, grilled salmon in foil or grilled marinated salmon.
- Shrimp: Opt for grilled shrimp or grilled shrimp skewers.
- Tofu: Try grilled tofu.
- Veggie burger: Go for a veggie burger or portobello mushroom burger.
More grilled vegetables
Love firing up the grill? Us too! Here are a few more tasty veggies to whip up while you’re grilling:
- Corn: Try grilled corn on the cob, grilled corn in foil or elote (Mexican grilled corn).
- Potatoes: Grab grilled potatoes, grilled potatoes in foil or grilled sweet potatoes.
- Broccoli: Opt for grilled broccoli.
- Zucchini or asparagus: Make grilled zucchini or grilled asparagus.
- Mushrooms: Try grilled mushrooms or grilled portobello mushrooms.
- Tomatoes: Go for grilled tomatoes.
Dietary notes
This grilled broccolini recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
No pre-cooking is necessary! Grilling broccolini directly allows it to char slightly while remaining crisp-tender inside.
No, you can place the broccolini right onto the grill grates.
Seasonings: Toss the broccolini with your favorite spices like paprika, chili powder, or garlic powder before grilling.
Sauces: Drizzle the grilled broccolini with a flavorful sauce like lemon-butter sauce, pesto, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Grilled broccolini is a versatile side dish. Here are some ideas:
On its own: Simply season and enjoy the smoky goodness.
As a salad topping: Add grilled broccolini to your salad for a warm and flavorful touch.
With protein: Pair it with grilled chicken, grilled fish, or tofu for a complete meal.
Pasta dishes: Toss grilled broccolini with pasta and your favorite sauce for a flavorful side or vegetarian main.
Grilled Broccolini
This grilled broccolini comes out bright green and charred! Spritz it with lemon to make the perfect side dish for grilled meals.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Grilled
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds or 3 bunches broccolini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
- Wash the broccolini and pat it dry with a towel. Chop off about 2 inches of the ends of the broccolini. In a medium bowl, mix it with with the olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.
- Place the broccolini directly on the grill grates and grill for about 5 to 7 minutes until charred and tender, turning often. Remove when bright green and charred.
- Remove from the grill and spritz with lemon juice from wedges from ½ of the lemon. Taste and add a few more pinches of kosher salt, if needed. (Variation: You can grill lemon slices 1 to 2 minutes per side until grill marks form, then serve with the broccolini.) Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Notes
Optional variations and flavor adders:
Top with shredded or grated Parmesan. Aged Pecorino makes an even saltier, more savory pop.
Drizzle with sour cream sauce, chimichurri, or lemon dill sauce. Or, add a few spoonfuls of Parmesan peppercorn dressing or Caesar dressing.
Add a sprinkle of chives or chopped basil or thyme.
Grill lemon slices 1 to 2 minutes per side until grill marks form, then serve with the grilled broccolini.
I was looking for a simple grilled broccolini recipe and this is perfect! I tossed them with a combination of evoo, garlic herb oil, salt and pepper. Since I’ve lost many a broccolini in the grill (even though I laid them crossways), I cooked the oil coated broccolini in a perforated bbq tray. They were so delicious! (This might be a repeat comment..I forgot to include my email on the first one)
So glad you enjoyed!
Goeswellwith baby cabsge or
Brussel sprouts
Let us know if you have any questions!