There's something so delicious about the caramelizing effect grilling has on veggies; grilled broccolini is no exception.
Seasoned with olive oil and garlic, it's an easy side dish you can make in 10 minutes.
The more I grill vegetables, the more I realize how much I love them cooked this way. Some of my favorites are grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, grilled okra, and grilled portobello mushrooms.
Not that there's anything wrong with steamed veggies, especially when topped with butter. I enjoy steamed carrots, for example. But there's something incredibly good about the browning effect that grilling has. And grilled broccolini is indeed excellent.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Fresh broccolini: You'll need one large bunch for this recipe.
- Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. Melted ghee is another excellent option.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Variations
- As mentioned above, you can use melted ghee instead of olive oil.
- Another option is to coat the broccolini with melted butter.
- In addition to garlic powder, I sometimes add a sprinkle of onion powder. I don't usually use dried herbs, which tend to burn on the hot grill.
- You can top the cooked broccolini with red pepper flakes and/ or grated parmesan before serving.
Grilled Broccolini Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high. Meanwhile, place the broccolini on a large platter. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (Photos 1,2).
- Toss the broccolini with your hands until it's well-coated. (Photo 3).
- Grill the broccolini, turning it often, until the stalks are tender-crisp and the tops are browned and caramelized. (Photos 4,5).
- As mentioned above, you can top the cooked broccolini with red pepper flakes and/ or grated parmesan before serving. (Photo 6).
Expert Tips
- You don't want your grill too hot because then the broccolini will burn before it has a chance to become tender.
- I prefer garlic powder (or garlic granules) to minced fresh garlic in this recipe. The powder better coats the broccolini and doesn't burn as easily as fresh garlic.
- How long you'll need to grill depends on the thickness of the stems. For thicker ones, it should take about 8 minutes. For thinner ones, 3-4 minutes are all it takes. The photo below shows the difference in thickness you can expect when shopping for broccolini.
Recipe FAQs
Broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It is milder and sweeter than broccoli. Broccoli has a certain bitterness that broccolini lacks. Happily, this means my kids love it, even The Picky Eater! So I make it quite often.
When grilling vegetables, I almost always use my George Foreman grill. It's convenient and versatile. If you prefer, you can use a grill pan or an outdoor grill.
The instructions are similar, but with the dual-contact electric grill, you don't need to keep turning the vegetables, and the grilling time is a bit shorter.
The entire vegetable is edible. You can eat the stems, florets, and leaves. However, for thicker-stem broccolini, trim off the very bottom of the stems if they're tough.
Yes. Check out this recipe for roasted broccolini.
Serving Suggestions
Grilled broccolini makes an excellent side dish to any main course you can think of. It goes well with chicken, meat, and seafood. Sometimes, I serve it with fried or poached eggs for a tasty meatless meal, topping it with hollandaise sauce.
But since I use the grill to make this recipe, I like to serve it with something I can make on the same grill. So, I often serve this side dish with grilled skirt steak, grilled shrimp, or grilled chicken breast.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 350°F oven. You can also enjoy them cold, antipasti-style.
More Broccolini Recipes
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Recipe Card
Grilled Broccolini
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccolini - (8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat a dual-contact electric grill, a grill pan, or an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, on a large platter, drizzle the broccolini with olive oil and sprinkle it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Use your hands to toss everything together until the broccolini is well-coated.
- Grill the broccolini, turning it often, until the stalks are tender-crisp and the tops are browned and caramelized. How long you'll need to grill depends on the thickness of the stems. For thicker ones, it should take about 8 minutes. For thinner ones like the ones shown here, 3-4 minutes are all it takes.
- You can top the cooked broccolini with red pepper flakes and/or grated parmesan before serving.
Video
Notes
- You don't want your grill too hot because then the broccolini will burn before it has a chance to become tender.
- I prefer garlic powder (or garlic granules) to minced fresh garlic in this recipe. The powder better coats the broccolini and doesn't burn as easily as fresh garlic.
- How long you'll need to grill depends on the thickness of the stems. For thicker ones, it should take about 8 minutes. For thinner ones, 3-4 minutes are all it takes. The photo below shows the difference in thickness you can expect when shopping for broccolini.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power or in a 350°F oven. You can also enjoy them cold, antipasti-style.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
alice
So simple and easy and sooooo good!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Alice! Thank you for leaving a comment.
alison
This is the simplest most delicious vegetable recipe ever. I doubled the black pepper and garlic powder. I also think garlic powder is better than fresh garlic as fresh garlic would burn. (I grilled it outside.)
Vered DeLeeuw
So glad you liked this recipe, Alison!