Easy, Healthy, Savory Grilling Recipes for Summer

Summer – time to enjoy the beach, camping out, and late nights in the backyard. One of the most enjoyable parts of summer is the ability to grill healthy meals outdoors – and enjoy them there, too! We’ve rounded up some tasty yet healthy grilling recipes to make those late-night meals perfect.

These recipes require little preparation, offer quick results, and are typically low-calorie. So, here’s to enjoying one of the best parts of summer – firing up the grill!

Main Dishes

Grilled Steak and Vegetables with Lemon-Herb Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. beef sirloin steak
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated
• 2 lrg. zucchini cut into 3/4 in. slices (may substitute yellow squash)
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter (must be room temperature)
• 1/2 c. BBQ sauce
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cooking instructions:

Be sure to preheat the grill to medium high. In a large bowl, combine the onion, zucchini or squash, and steak. Add BBQ sauce, salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt. Toss over steak, then let the meat marinate for five minutes.

While the steak is marinating, mix parsley, lemon zest, and a dash of salt in a separate bowl. Set this aside.

Place the steak on the grill and cook for a medium-rare doneness (approximately 4 – 5 minutes). Remove the steak, and place it on a cutting board.

Place the vegetables on the grill. You’ll want to achieve a crisp-tender consistency with a few slightly charred spots (approximately 8 minutes). Remove from grill.

Cut the steak into four pieces, then top with the lemon-butter mixture. Serve with the grilled vegetables for a tasty yet healthy meal.

Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken, approximately 3 – 4 lbs.
• vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 c. wood chips (we suggest mesquite or apple wood)
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• 1 12 oz. can of beer
• 1/4 c. dry spice rub, divided

Directions:

First, you’ll need to soak the wood chips in cold water for an hour. A kettle grill works best for this recipe, so once the wood chips are ready, you’ll set up this grill for indirect grilling.

To prepare the chicken – and keep in mind you’ll want a kosher roasting chicken as it has already been brined – you’ll remove the neck and giblets. Pat the chicken dry. Rub oil over the exterior of the chicken for peak tenderness and sprinkle salt and pepper as well as three tbsp. of dry chicken rub over the uncooked chicken.

Open the can of beer and pour about one-half over the wood chips. Use a church-key can opener to make an extra hole in the top of the can. Spoon one tbsp. of dry chicken rub into the open can (expect a little fizz as a result). Add the garlic and rosemary as well.

Slide the chicken over the opened can, and put the legs in front of the can. Take the wings and fold them behind the chicken. Put chicken with can inserted in a disposable tin pan for cooking.

Make sure the coals are to one side of the grill, and place the chicken on the opposite side. Shut the grill lid, and cook about 1 to 1.5 hours until the chicken is golden brown. Before removing the chicken, you’ll want to make sure the interior temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees.

When it’s time to remove the chicken and carve it up, be sure to support the tin pan. Let the chicken sit for about ten minutes before carving it.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Soy Sauce, Fresh Ginger, and Toasted Sesame Seeds

Ingredients:

• Multiple four-inch wooden skewers
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 24 large shrimp
• 1/4 c. peanut oil (set aside a little extra for drizzling)
• 1/2 c. light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Directions:

Before preparing the grill or the shrimp, be sure to soak the wooden skewers for at least one hour prior to the meal.

When the skewers are done soaking, thread one shrimp lengthwise onto the skewer so that the shrimp will lie flat when on the grill. Set aside on a plate.

Combine the garlic, ginger, lime juice, oil, soy sauce, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk until completely mixed. Drizzle this mixture over the shrimp, and add a dash of salt and pepper to the meat.

There is no need to preheat the grill for a lengthy amount of time, and you’ll want to cook the shrimp on a low heat. About two minutes is all that is required to get these shrimp to a just cooked through consistency.

Place shrimp on a serving platter. You may wish to spritz vinaigrette and sprinkle sesame seeds over the cooked shrimp for a beautiful presentation.

Tasty Side Dish

Healthy Grilled Summer Vegetable Spaghetti Foil Pack

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes cut into 1/2 in. chunks
• 1 eggplant, also cut into the same size chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 in. chunks
• 8 tbsp. parmesean cheese
• 12 olives, pitted
• 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 1/4 c. sun-dried tomato pesto
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat the grill on medium-high. Toss tomatoes, eggplant, olives, pesto, oil oil, pepper, salt, and zucchini in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add two cups of water to the wine. Set aside.

Fashion the foil packs out of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Tear four-inch squares, and arrange them for filling on a cutting board. Place the spaghetti (broken into smaller pieces and uncooked) in the center of each piece of foil. Evenly divide the mixture of vegetables among the foils. Fold the foil so that it is in the shape of a canoe.

Pour the wine and water mixture in each packet.

Put the packets on the grill. Pinch the tops together, but leave a little room for steam to be released. Close the grill lid and cook for 24 minutes.

Remove the packets from the grill and let stand for about ten minutes. Open the packages carefully, letting steam seep out slowly. Add two tbsp. of the Parmesean cheese into the cooked mixture.

Place the cooked mixture into serving bowls and top with basil if desired.

Dessert

Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream and Rum Sauce

Ingredients:

• one pineapple
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• nonstick cooking spray (olive oil)
• 1/4 c. rum
• 2 tsp. butter

To prepare the pineapple, cut both the top and bottom from the fruit. Slice into eight rings at least one-half inch in thickness. Carve the center core of each slice.

Spray a grill pan with the cooking spray. Heat the pan over a medium flame. Lay the slices on the pan and grill on each side for two – three minutes.

In a saucepan, heat the butter, rum, and brown sugar over low flame. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and the overall sauce has thickened. Remove from hit.

Place a grilled pineapple ring on a serving plate. Place about one-fourth a cup of ice cream or frozen yogurt onto each slice, then drizzle the rum sauce over the ice cream.

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