Fresh and full of flavor, grilled green onions are a great addition to any picnic, party or family meal. Also called scallions or spring onions, these little green-topped veggies are done in no time when grilled.
Preparation is easy. Trim the roots from the end, and the tips from the green tops. Remove any parts of the top that doesn’t look fresh and vibrantly green. A light coating of oil holds seasonings on and prevents sticking to the grill.
Grilling Green Onions
Green onions grill nicely on a charcoal or propane grill, but it’s important to watch them closely. High heat can cause the tops to blacken and burn before the white root-end is done.
When grilling indoors, there’s not as much chance of burning the tops. Indoor grills don’t get as hot as your outdoor grill. Just be careful of overcooking. Left on the grill too long, green onions will become chewy and dry.
Grilling Green Onions – Recipes
Here are a few simple recipes for your green onions, spring onions or scallions. Whatever name they go by, they ARE good eating!
Green Onion Bundles
3 or 4 bunches of fresh green onions
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Butchers’ twine
Trim the onions to equal lengths, leaving most of the tops. Combine the oil, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Marinate the green onions in the mixture for one hour.
Drain the onions. Gather them into one-inch diameter bundles and tie them, one inch from each end.
Outdoor Grilling? Cook over medium heat until tender, turning often to prevent burning. Allow them to brown just a bit for the best flavor.
Indoor Grilling? Grill for 4 or 5 minutes in a contact grill, or until tender. On an open grill, give them 3 to 4 minutes per side. Again, watch closely for burning.
Quick Green Onions
2 bunches of onions, trimmed
Spray cooking oil, (olive oil if available)
Salt and pepper
Spray the onions lightly with oil, season with salt and pepper, place on a hot grill for 1 or 2 minutes on each side. Keep the onions separated for more even cooking.
If you enjoy onions, you should give grilled green onions a try sometime. They go well alongside just about anything, and can even be chopped after grilling and used as a tasty topping!