Grilled Vegetable BBQ Skewers with corn, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers marinated in a homemade honey soy sauce. Grilled on the BBQ, these are a perfect summer side dish!

Vegetable BBQ skewers on wooden skewers arranged together on plate.

These marinated grilled vegetable BBQ skewers are easy to make and throw on the grill as the perfect side dish.

Or like my Soy Tempeh Skewers, you can easily cook them on any skillet, and even in the oven.

The homemade honey soy marinade lends a delightful balance of sweetness and umami.

The addition of fresh garlic cloves and sesame oil further elevates the marinade.

The chopped vegetables are marinated in the sauce for 30 minutes – 1 hour.

Using wooden skewers, the corn, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes are threaded onto each.

Close view of skewers on plate with corn in the corner.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Healthy homemade vegetable skewers.

Marinated in a honey soy and garlic sauce.

Great on the BBQ during summer.

Can be cooked in the oven or in a regular skillet.

Keep the leftover marinade after removing the veggies.

You’ll use this to brush extra sauce over the cooked skewers, it’s delicious!

If you don’t have a BBQ, the skewers can be cooked on a stovetop grill pan, regular flat-based skillet, or even in the oven.

Close up view of vegetable skewers stacked together on plate.

Can I use Different Vegetables?

Should you find yourself without the specified vegetables, these veggies are also great for these grilled skewers:

Onion: Red offers the most flavor but brown onion also works.

Mushrooms: Portobello or button, they’re like tiny flavor powerhouses.

Pineapple: Wait, what? Yep! It’s delish with savory flavors, especially for the summer!

How Long to Marinate the Vegetables?

The vegetables need to marinate for anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour.

You’ll be brushing your skewers with the extra honey soy glaze after they’ve been grilled.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Absolutely. Marinate the vegetables and thread them onto the skewers a day in advance to make BBQ day a breeze.

I don’t have a barbecue. Can I use an oven?

Sure thing! I have baked these in the oven and they turn out just as delicious.

You’ll see the instructions on how to bake these vegetable skewers in the oven in the recipe card below.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

A comprehensive recipe card featuring all the ingredients can be found at the end of this post.

Individual ingredients laid out to make vegetable bbq skewers are garlic, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, cracked black pepper, zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, corn on the cob and wooden or metal skewers.

Zucchini: Can be substituted with more eggplant or another color of bell pepper.

Eggplant: Substitute with extra zucchini, onion, or mushrooms, in particular portobello or button.

Corn: Opt for fresh corn on the cob, cut into thick rounds. While I’ve also tried this with frozen corn cobs, they held up nicely. Just a heads-up—slicing gets tricky once they’ve thawed.

Bell Pepper: Use any color you like. I used red. Yellow would also be fantastic on these skewers.

Cherry Tomatoes: Use small cherry tomatoes. As they grill, they won’t burst or turn mushy. They remain whole, juicy with a slight char.

Honey: For the honey soy garlic marinade. Use runny honey, not raw solid honey. I don’t recommend substituting this for anything else.

Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free sauce, use gluten-free soy sauce or try tamari. Keep in mind tamari is less salty than soy sauce, so you may like to add some salt to your marinade.

Sesame Oil: This gives the marinade a delicious level of flavor. If you don’t have it on hand, I suggest using olive oil instead or omitting it from the recipe.

Garlic: Use fresh cloves of garlic for the best results. In a pinch, use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the 2 garlic cloves.

Black Pepper: To season the marinade.

Equipment

Skewers: Use wooden or metal skewers. If using wooden, you must soak these in water for 30 minutes before threading on your vegetables.

BBQ: Alternatively, use a grill pan or a regular skillet. Baking them in the oven is also an option.

🥣 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)

There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step one: In a mixing bowl, add honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic and black pepper.

Whisk until well combined and the honey is dissolved and you can no longer feel it with the whisk, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Making honey soy marinade in mixing bowl.

Step two: No prep is necessary if using metal skewers.

If using wooden skewers, place them into a baking dish, cover with room temperature water, and soak for 30 minutes. I like to do this while my veggies are marinating at the same time.

Wooden skewers soaking in water in baking dish.

Step three: Chop vegetables. Slice zucchini and corn into 1/2-inch (1cm) thick rounds.

Zucchini sliced into thick rounds on chopping board.

Step four: Eggplant into 1/2-inch rounds, depending on the size of the eggplant, you may need to chop large rounds into smaller triangles.

Bell pepper into 1-inch x 1-inch pieces.

Chopping red bell pepper into small chunks.

Step five: Place all chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Pour over honey soy marinade. Toss veggies in the sauce until coated.

Refrigerate to marinate for 30 minutes. They can marinate for up to 1 hour.

Chopped vegetables marinating in honey soy sauce in mixing bowl.

Step six: Remove vegetables from the refrigerator and drain water from soaked wooden skewers.

Begin threading vegetables on skewers, alternating between each vegetable.

Set aside on a tray or plate. Keep any leftover marinade to brush over cooked skewers.

Marinated chopped vegetables threaded onto wooden skewers sitting in baking dish before grilling.

Step seven: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Or if using a grill pan or a flat-bottom skillet, heat on the stovetop over medium-high heat. For flat-bottom skillets, add a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place skewers onto grill (or skillet) and grill for 4-6 minutes per side, while rotating skewers.

Once vegetables have softened, are cooked through, and have some light char grilled marks, remove them from the grill.

Brush with extra honey soy marinade and serve warm. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Precision Cutting: Making sure all your veggies are cut to a similar size ensures they all cook at the same rate.

Soak Skewers: Your wooden skewers need to be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. It’s the BBQ equivalent of sunscreen!

Marinating: Soaking your veggies in the marinade for too long can cause them to turn soggy. You only need to marinate them for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Rotate Skewers: Turn those skewers every few minutes for even cooking.

Veggie skewers after grilling displayed on serving plate with fresh corn on the cob next to plate.

What Can I Serve These With?

Here are some popular serving suggestions to compliment your veggie skewers:

White Rice: Fluffy, simple, and lets the skewers shine.

Couscous: Quick to make, and kind of fancy!

Flatbread: My quick garlic flatbread is perfect for scooping up any leftover marinade.

Make it a Meal

Let’s turn these honey soy vegetable skewers into a main meal:

Salad Side: Easy Pasta Salad or Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad

Potato Side: Air Fryer Canned Potatoes or Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Veggie Side: Cauliflower Fritters

Beverage: Rosé Mimosa or Coconut Lemonade

Dessert: Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding or Mini Apple Pies

Overhead view of skewers arranged together to serve.

Troubleshooting

Solution: If your veggies are charring but still raw inside, your grill is too hot. Turn down the heat or move the skewers to a cooler spot on the grill.

Solution: If your skewers are sticking to the grill, brush the vegetables with a light layer of olive oil as well as the grill pan/flat-bottom skillet to prevent them from sticking.

Solution: If veggies look steamed, not grilled, they’re overcrowded. Space them out for better grilling. Ensuring adequate spacing between the vegetables will promote better heat circulation.

Solution: Insufficient flavor? It may be due to inadequate marination time. To achieve optimal flavor, make sure to allocate enough time, such as 1 hour, for the vegetables to fully absorb the marinade. Remember to also brush any extra marinade over the cooked skewers.

Storage Instructions

Refrigeration: Place the cooked and cooled skewers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating: For best results, reheat them in the oven until heated or briefly return to the grill for a few minutes.
Freezing: It is not advisable to freeze the skewers, as the texture of the vegetables may degrade upon thawing.

Recipe FAQ’s

Yes! The bonus is you won’t have to soak these either like you do wooden skewers.

No problem! Cook them the same in a flat-bottom skillet or grill pan or check out my oven method in the recipe card below.

You sure can! Cut both tofu and tempeh into small cubes that match the size of your veggies for consistent cooking. Opt for firm tofu—it’s better on the grill. Tempeh may need extra time, so go for thinner slices.

Not recommended. The vegetables can get mushy when you thaw them.

Related Recipes

Honey Soy Tempeh Skewers

Garlic & Herb Flatbread

Tomato Onion Cucumber Salad

Crispy Garlic Roasted Smashed Potatoes

Air Fryer Roasted Canned Potatoes

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x

First published in May 2021, this recipe was updated in September 2023 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.

Grilled Vegetable BBQ Skewers with Marinade