Grilling is generally linked with delicious food high in calories, but it does not have to be that way. The same way as any other type of food, with proper preparation and choice of components, low-fat grilled food will not suffer from tastelessness. You do not need to worry about your health while enjoying grilling, whether you are a professional or a beginner in grilling, here are some delicious and healthy recipes that will make your mouth water. Be it Lean meats, fresh vegetables, or any delicious food, these recipes provide different meals, most of which are healthy. Here are eight delicious, nutritious recipes to throw on the grill along with cooking instructions:
1. Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and garlic, rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper.
- Put the chicken breasts in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over the chicken breasts. Put the chicken in a zip lock and close it tightly, then run your hands to spread the marinade on the chicken. Leave it to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or better still overnight.
- Turn the grill on and set it up to medium high.
- Take out the chicken and drain out the excess of the marinade you had prepared for it.
- To prepare juicy chicken servings, griddle the chicken for 6-7 minutes on both sides or until the internal temperature of the chicken attains the required 165°F (75°C).
- Serve the chicken hot, sprinkle it with more lemon zest and garnish with fresh herbs.
Lemon and fresh herbs bring a sour taste to the chicken enhancing the taste, while garlic makes it more rich. The process of grilling the chicken helps for the skin to lock the juices into the chicken so that it will be moist when served.
2. Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Balsamic Glaze
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 zucchini, sliced into thick rounds
- 1 red onion, cut into chunks
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 8 large mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Coat the grill lightly with olive oil and heat the grill at medium level.
- Place the vegetables on skewers, placing vegetables of different colors and kinds one next to the other.
- Rinse the vegetable skewers with water and lightly coat with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Put the skewers on the grill and for about 8-10 minutes of turning occasionally, let the vegetables soften as well as slightly caramelize.
- In a small saucepan, melt the balsamic vinegar and honey mixture on medium heat with indirect flame and whisk until thick and syrupy.
- Before serving, drizzle the grilled veggie skewers with the balsamic glaze.
The balsamic glaze sweetens up the smoked and charred vegetables while at the same time, providing a citrusy taste to the dish.
3. Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
- 4 salmon filets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the dressing in a small bowl mix olive oil, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread the spice mixture all over the sides and top of the salmon filets.
- Place the grill on medium high heat.
- Grill the salmon filets for 4- 5 minutes on each side or until the fish can be flaked easily.
- As the salmon grills, to make the avocado salsa mix all the salsa ingredients in a bowl.
- After grilling the salmon, place a scoop of the avocado salsa on the fish.
The luxurious and silky salmon goes so well with the vibrant and tangy avocado salsa to give a great texture play and taste sensations.
4. Grilled Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Feta
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Whole-grain burger buns
- Sliced tomatoes, red onion, and lettuce for topping
- In a larger bowl mix the ground turkey, spinach, feta cheese, garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape them into appropriate shaped patties.
- Some of the ingredients require grilling and so the first step is to heat the grill to medium level.
- Cook the turkey burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the inside part is slightly pink and the thickest part of turkey burgers has reached a temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- In this recipe, the burgers can be served in whole grain buns and with your preferred toppings.
The feta cheese brings out the salty taste while the spinach gives the food a natural and mildly rich feel. The Dijon mustard and oregano help tie all the ingredients together for that juicy turkey burger that is both good for your health, and delicious to eat.
5. Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 small corn tortillas
For the Cilantro-Lime Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, julienned
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a big mixing bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Next put in the shrimps and toss to coat. The longer it stays within the marinade, the more tender it will be when done so, let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- For this, the grill ought to be warmed to about moderate heat.
- Cook the shrimp at a grill for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip the shrimp over to grill on the other side until they turn to a pink shade and become opaque.
- For preparing the slaw, mix cabbage, carrot and cilantro with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Corn tortillas should be warmed on the grill for approximately 20-30 seconds turning them to the other side after a while.
- To prepare the tacos, take the grilled shrimp and place it in the tortillas and add the cilantro-lime slaw on top.
The cilantro lime slaw recipe definitely has an essential role added to its citrus like taste to complement the strong flavors of grilled shrimp and definite hint of spiciness from the chipotles in adobo sauce in these chipotle grilled shrimp tacos.
6. Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic and Herbs
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- To make the marinade, combining the ingredients, in a small bowl mix olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Apply the mixture on both the surface of the Portobello mushrooms.
- Heat a grill to medium.
- This should take about 5-7 minutes each on both sides and until the mushrooms are soft and have grill marks.
- The mushrooms can be eaten as you do baked beans or substitute them for a beef patty if preparing vegetarian burgers.
Portobello mushrooms are meaty by nature and the garlic-herb marinade underlines their somewhat earthy taste; therefore, this vegetarian dish is ideal for all those who also do not need to cut back on protein.
7. Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon and Honey
- 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Ignite the grill to medium-high temperature.
- Stir honey, cinnamon, lime juice for about 30 seconds in a small bowl.
- Drain pineapple slices and coat them with honey mixture on top of it.
- Drain the pineapple and then place the fruit on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side depending on whether the pineapple gives clear signs of grill marks and some sort of light caramelization.
- The grilled pineapple tastes best served warm and you can have it on its own, or top the yogurt or ice cream with the grilled pineapple.
The cookability of the pineapple is great on the grill and honey, cinnamon, and lime give a sweet, spicy, and tangy taste, which is downright delicious.
8. Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packets
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
- 1 red onion, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced
- Grilled should be preheated to the medium level of heat.
- Mix the chicken, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Distribute the mixture equally among four sizable aluminum foil sheets.
- Put an individual lemon slice on the mixture in each packet, then bring the foil over the mixture and join the edges to make a packet.
- Remove the packets from the grill and cook them for about 20-25 minutes, in order to soften the chicken and to have a crispy taste from the vegetables.
- Carefully open the foil packets, remove them out of the foil packet easily and serve hot.
The foil packets steam it and retain the moisture that is needed for the chicken and at the same time, all the flavors are absorbed by the vegetables. This dish is light, yet tasty due to the addition of lemon slices which gives the dish a citrusy taste.
Grilling most certainly delivers the non-harmful and tasty way to cook food and that has been shown through the following eight recipes. Such dishes are very nutritious and the taste of each meal is revealed to be rich and different but it is not going to harm your diet plan at all. From the Grilled Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Feta to the more light eating Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw, there is definitely something for everyone. Such recipes also indicate that people on a diet do not have to stick to tasteless meals and boring preparations. With fresh products, herbs and spices it will not be a problem to cook tasty and healthy dishes for you and your family. So turn on the grill and move to the healthier tasty meals that will nourish your body and keep the energy levels high.
