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!
Why You'll 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 super easy 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
Special Equipment
- Gas Grill or Charcoal Grill
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 melted Garlic Herb Compound Butter instead 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:
For complete details, please see the printable recipe card below.
- Make dressing: Whisk olive oil and vinegar together and brush over halved romaine hearts.
- Grill cut side: Grill the heads of romaine (uncovered), cut side face down, for 2 minutes.
- Finish: Flip and grill 1 more minute. Each romaine heart should have that nice charred look on the outside but still be crisp on the inside. Adjust seasoning and top with shredded parmesan cheese 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:
- Grilled Pork Steak Recipe
- 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 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
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.
Grilled cooked romaine tastes like raw romaine does, but the outside get slightly charred, and you get a nice smoky taste.
Rinse the romaine in water then let drain. Dab any excess water before grilling.
No romaine lettuce does not have to be cooked.
Yes, cooked lettuce is as healthy as raw lettuce but this does depend upon the recipe you are using.
Can I ask you a favor?
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
📖 The recipe.
Easy Grilled Romaine Hearts
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts (cut in half lengthwise)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ 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.
Kori's Tips
- 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
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
Related Recipes
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)
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
Jan Robinson
Simply, marvelous!
Kori
Awwww, thank you so much! 🙂 Aren't they super easy?