You'll Never Grill Veggies The Same Way Again With This Brilliant BBQ Gadget

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When firing up the grill, whether you're making perfectly cooked ribeyes, nice browned pork chops, or barbecued chicken, there's a wealth of great advice out there to get you grilling like a master. But when it comes to asparagus, zucchini, and the like, even if you're already experienced at the flame, there are some tips all of us need to grill better vegetables. Cut them into uniform sizes, so they'll grill evenly, and create heat zones on the grill, so you can cook different items at different temps. Celebrity chef José Andrés even skips peeling grilled vegetables at all, because leaving them in the skins will help protect them on the inside, so the flesh doesn't get scorched entirely.

But one simple gadget will help get you perfectly grilled veggies every time: use a grill basket when you grill your veggies. It will also save some headaches. Are you sick of your asparagus always falling through the grill grates? Are you tired of the tedium of turning smaller items, piece by piece? A grill basket on the barbecue will keep them all in one place — making it easy to flip multiple veggies at once and keep them separate from other grill items, so you're not constantly chasing them around to move from place to place. Plus, they still allow plenty of smoke and flame to reach the veggies, so they're nice and roasted, rather than steamed or burned.

When choosing a grill basket, the first decision to make is whether you want something open or closed. The open style could be sort of a frying pan with holes or a restaurant-style fry basket, while a closed-style basket typically has a top part that clamps down to allow you to flip it.

For the former option, the OXO Obsidian Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan Skillet is great for when you want to give your veggies a lot of movement over the flame. It allows you to keep an eye on the vegetables and toss them or flip them as you would with a kitchen skillet — to get them just as you'd like them. There are plenty of options in this category, but the OXO's removable handle and nonstick-like surface make it super versatile.

Clampable baskets, like the ORDORA Grill Basket, give you a little less control over each individual piece of your veggies, but they allow you to simply fill them and flip after you've gotten a decent char. Plus, many come with more than one chamber, allowing you to grill multiple, differently seasoned ingredients at the same time.

To prep your veggies, you can marinate or season them as you normally would; just be aware that they're in an appropriately heated area because, even though these gadgets are a huge help, you're still cooking over an open flame. And if you find you've grilled too much, don't throw out leftover grilled veggies; turn them into a dip, instead.