Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (2024)

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Grilled Romaine Lettuce is a super simple recipe for the tastiest - yet surprising - vegetable to grill! You'll love the slightly chargrilled taste paired with the simple balsamic vinaigrette. So easy to make with only 4 ingredients and 3 minutes on the grill. Enjoy!

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (1)
Jump to:
  • Why you will love this Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe
  • What You'll Need For Grilled Romaine Hearts
  • Grilled Romaine Recipe Variations
  • How to Make Grilled Romaine Lettuce
  • How to Serve This Recipe For Grilled Romaine Lettuce
  • Grilled Romaine Lettuce Storage
  • Grilled Romaine FAQs
  • ✔️ Related Recipes
  • Easy Grilled Romaine Hearts
  • Comments

Why you will love this Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe

An unexpected grilling wonder. Cooking vegetables on the grill has always been a favorite way to eat veggies. Grilled lettuce is surprising and delicious! I love the smokey chargrilled taste paired with the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette! So delicious.

Grilled lettuce is SUPER easy. Grilling romaine lettuce is one of the easiest grilling recipes you'll ever make. Simply brush halved romaine hearts with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and black pepper. Grill and 2 minutes later, voila!

Healthy. This recipe is gluten free, low carb, dairy free, keto, Whole30, vegan, vegetarian, and paleo.

What You'll Need For Grilled Romaine Hearts

Here are the ingredients and tools you will need to make this grilled lettuce recipe:

Ingredients

  • Romaine hearts: these usually come in a package of 2 together, they are small in size than full romaine lettuce. Iceberg lettuce cut into 2" thick wedges can be substitute.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Kosher salt or Sea Salt
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Tools

Grilled Romaine Recipe Variations

This recipe is the quick and easy version of grilled romaine. While it tastes great as is, you can certainly dress it up if you want.

  • Squeeze on a little fresh lemon juice and add a few red pepper flakes.
  • Top with crumbled bacon and parmesan or blue cheese.
  • Make a grilled romaine Caesar salad. You can either leave it as a whole and top it with croutons, fresh parmesan cheese, and caesar dressing, or you can rough cut it into pieces. Add bacon and tomato chunks (or cherry tomatoes).
  • Make it a delicious grilled salad wedge with blue cheese dressing, crumbles, and bacon
  • Top with goat cheese and fresh thyme, and a little honey Dijon mustard.
  • Brush with a little meltedGarlic Herb Compound Butterinstead of olive oil. Proceed with the recipe as listed below.

How to Make Grilled Romaine Lettuce

Grilling lettuce is simple and delicious with only 4 ingredients. Here's how you make it:

1. Preheat grill on high. Half romaine heads lengthwise leaving the stem intact. Whisk olive and balsamic vinegar together.

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (2)

2. With cut sides up, brush the romaine hearts with olive oil and balsamic mixture using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (4)

4. Flip and cook for 1 additional minute. Each romaine heart should have that nice charred look on the outside but still be crisp on the inside.

5. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle olive oil if desired.

That's it! I told you it was simple. 😉

How to Serve This Recipe For Grilled Romaine Lettuce

Since the grill is going, it would be super convenient to make your main dish and your sides on the grill at the same time! Here are three really good, simple recipes. Simple and easy is good, right? Serve grilled grilled romaine with:

  • Herbed Butter Steak
  • How To Grill A Ribeye Steak
  • Dry Rub For Chicken - The white bbq sauce is delicious - and would be amazing over grilled romaine
  • The Best Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Want more low carb and easy keto grilling recipes? Check out 15+ Quick and Easy Low Carb and Keto Grilling Recipes

Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 🙂

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (5)

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Storage

Grilled lettuce does not keep well and gets soggy easily. It’s best to prepare only what you plan to eat. If you do have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Grilled Romaine FAQs

But why would you grill lettuce?

If done correctly, grilled lettuce takes on a fabulous smoky flavor. It’s only cooked for a very quick amount of time so it still retains some of its crispiness on the inside, but the outside gets that delicious grilling seared taste.

What does cooked romaine taste like?

Grilled cooked romaine tastes like raw romaine does, but the outside get slightly charred, and you get a nice smoky taste.

How do you wash romaine before grilling?

Rinse the romaine in water then let drain. Dab any excess water before grilling.

Does romaine lettuce have to be cooked?

No romaine lettuce does not have to be cooked.

Is cooked lettuce as healthy as raw?

Yes, cooked lettuce is as healthy as raw lettuce but this does depend upon the recipe you are using.

Grilling Recipes

  • Herb Marinated BBQ Vegetables (Vegetable Barbeque)
  • Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe (Shrimp Louie Salad)
  • Buffalo Chicken Burgers (Low Carb Keto Burgers)
  • Herbed Butter Steak (Simple Steak Recipe Grilled)
  • Grilled Filet Mignon Recipe

Vegetable Recipes

  • Layered Salad (Layered Overnight Salad)
  • Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad (Keto Low Carb)
  • Italian Antipasto Salad Platter Recipe
  • Best Greek Salad Recipe (Keto Low Carb)

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (6)

Easy Grilled Romaine Hearts

A super simple recipe for the tastiest - yet surprising - vegetable to grill! So easy to make with only 4 ingredients and 2 minutes on the grill. This is the perfect foolproof recipe for your next cookout or BBQ.

4.52 from 31 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Author Kori

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 8 minutes mins

Course Grilling Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 144 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 romaine hearts (cut in half lengthwise)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat grill on high. Halve romaine hearts. Whisk olive and balsamic vinegar together.

  • With cut sides up, brush the romaine hearts with olive oil and balsamic mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

  • Grill lettuce (uncovered), cut side face down, for 2 minutes.

  • Flip and cook 1 additional minute. The lettuce should have that nice charred look on the outside but still be crisp on the indside.

Notes

  • Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
  • TIPS: Only cook for a few minutes on the grill - you want the lettuce slightly wilted but still crisp-tender inside.
  • VARIATIONS:
    • Grilled romaine Caesar salad: leave the grilled lettuce whole or cut it into bite-sized pieces; top with a small amount of caesar salad dressing, croutons, tomato, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
    • Blue cheese wedge salad: top with blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes, and crispy cooked bacon.
  • SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with shaved or shredded parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 143mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

© 2024 Seeking Good Eats™

The easiest grilled vegetables to make is our grilled romaine hearts! This grilled romaine lettuce recipe is tasty! With minimal ingredients and only 2 minutes grill time, these are quick to make! A healthy recipe, perfect for your next weeknight dinner, cookout, or barbecue. Quick and easy, tasty BBQ perfection! A low carb, whole food, Whole30, and Keto recipe that everyone will love. #healthyrecipe #vegetables #grilling #bbq #cookout #barbecue #keto #lowcarb #whole #cleaneating #seekinggoodeats

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (2024)

FAQs

Why do people grill romaine lettuce? ›

Lettuces do nicely on the grill, softening slightly at their centers and charring beautifully at their tips. Their bitterness is a fine counterpart to the sweet spiciness of a lot of grilled foods.

What is the best way to eat romaine lettuce? ›

Romaine lettuce is most often eaten raw, but it can also be cooked! Use it in salads, in sandwiches or as a garnish for tacos. It's also fantastic grilled!

What can I do with an abundance of romaine lettuce? ›

10 Ways to Eat Lettuce Besides Salad
  1. Soup. Lettuce and soup? ...
  2. Juice. We all know that lettuce contains a lot of water, so take advantage of that and throw it into your next juice blend or smoothie. ...
  3. As lettuce wraps. ...
  4. Seared or sautéed. ...
  5. Grilled. ...
  6. Braised. ...
  7. Topped like a cracker. ...
  8. Layered into spring rolls and wraps.

Is grilled lettuce healthy? ›

This easy recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, so it's perfect for a quick and tasty weeknight meal. And since romaine lettuce is a good source of fiber, it's a healthy option that will leave you feeling satisfied. So fire up the grill and give this recipe a try!

Is it okay to eat romaine lettuce everyday? ›

While the headlines make it seem as if all romaine is harboring illness-causing germs, the reality is less attention-grabbing. "Millions of servings of leafy greens are eaten safely every day in the United States," per the CDC.

How to make romaine lettuce crisp? ›

Unless it's really far gone (very shriveled or starting to turn slimy), you can place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl or salad spinner filled with ice water for 20 to 30 minutes. The ice water will help rehydrate and crisp the leaves.

Is it OK not to wash romaine lettuce? ›

Unwashed vegetables can be a source of bacteria that causes food-borne illness. That risk increases with produce that's eaten uncooked, including lettuce. Washing romaine rinses away any tiny insects that might be hidden in leaf crevices. Bagged produce should always be washed as an additional precaution.

How to keep romaine lettuce crisp? ›

Our general rule of thumb for storing romaine hearts or heads of lettuce is to discard any damaged outer leaves, then gently wrap the heads in paper towels, storing them in plastic bags in the crisper drawer.

What part of the romaine lettuce do you not eat? ›

Avoid eating the ribs of the romaine hearts which can taste bitter. Should you leave the core in lettuce? No, you can take it out! We discard the romaine lettuce's core just before chopping the rest of the leaves.

What does cooked romaine taste like? ›

What does cooked romaine taste like? While it's less common to see romaine lettuce cooked, it takes on a whole new dimension of flavor and texture when exposed to heat. The leaves become tender, the sweetness is heightened, and there's a distinct nutty undertone.

How many days is romaine lettuce good for? ›

How Long Does Romaine Lettuce Last in the Fridge? A whole head of romaine should keep in the fridge for 10 to 20 days, while the hearts usually last a week to 10 days. Make sure you make the most of both by following these tips for storing romaine in the refrigerator.

How many people does 1 romaine lettuce feed? ›

If one head of Romaine delivers five servings, then you'd need nine heads for forty-five people. weighs 55 g or 2 oz. Going by 45 persons, you'd need 90 oz. (5.625 pounds) of lettuce after coring.

Can you eat too much romaine lettuce? ›

Generally, lettuce is safe for most people to eat. It isn't a common allergen. Because it's low in calories, there's not a big problem with eating too much lettuce.

Should you eat the stem of romaine lettuce? ›

Leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. The stalks and stems on leafy greens are completely edible and can add a nice crunch when eaten raw. If salad is not your thing, try experimenting with different preparations for leafy greens.

Why would you cook lettuce? ›

Lettuce transforms dramatically under heat, which breaks down the stems and leaves to create a silky, tender-crisp texture. Additionally, the lettuce's vegetal flavors become more mellow and sweet.

Do people grill lettuce? ›

Grilled lettuce gets a bad rap for being wilty and hot, which makes sense, because hot and wilty lettuce sounds pretty gross. But if cut and prepped correctly, certain greens are more than sturdy enough to stand up to a few minutes on a hot grill, and are all the better for it once they hit the plate.

What does cooked romaine lettuce taste like? ›

What does cooked romaine taste like? While it's less common to see romaine lettuce cooked, it takes on a whole new dimension of flavor and texture when exposed to heat. The leaves become tender, the sweetness is heightened, and there's a distinct nutty undertone.

Does romaine lettuce like heat? ›

Romaine grows really well during the cool season (it loves temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees F), but unlike a lot of other lettuces, romaine can usually tolerate some heat. It's best to grow romaine in the spring and the fall. In the spring, wait until the threat of frost has gone.

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