Grilling Herbs

The benefits of grilling herbs include delicious flavor and actual health benefits. Why would you want to grill herbs in the first place?

Why Grill Herbs?

There are a few reasons why you might want to grill herbs. Grilling herbs may improve the flavor of your meals by increasing their heat. Grilling herbs can provide a touch of smoky magic to meat or seafood dishes when used in marinades or rubs.

Another reason is that it lets you work with whole leaves without having to chop them up first.

This helps create bolder flavors when doing dishes like sauces and pestos, where being able to easily pick out bits of herb leaves would be difficult if they were chopped into smaller pieces.

So What Are Some Good Herbs for Grilling?

Mint, thyme, oregano, parsley, and sage are just a few of the herbs that can be used. One great hint is to avoid cooking with an herb you haven’t used before. You don’t want to end up grilling yourfavorite basil only to discover that it has an unpleasant taste.

When Should I Grill Herbs?

You can grill herbs anytime, but there are certain times they work best.  The absolute best time to grill herbs is when cooking with meats or seafood.

This lets the herb flavors really soak into your dish and give it a smoky taste that pairs well with the meat without actually touching the meat directly.

When doing delicate foods like fish, skewering  the herbs keeps them in place while also infusing flavor into the meat without burning the leaves or causing them to fall off in transit from plate to mouth.

Other than meat and seafood, grilling herbs also goes well with salads. The fruit flavors work well with grilled herbs, and the contrast in temperatures can keep things interesting as your meal progresses.

How to Grill Herbs?

There are a few different methods to grilling herbs. Skewering whole leaves is frequently the best option for allowing tastes to permeate food without burning or losing pieces along the way, since it allows the most surface area in contact with the heat source.

You may also wrap herb bundles in foil before grilling. While this provides for more control over how much heat each piece of herb receives, it does require additional cleaning operations and possibly dealing with caustic burned edges if something gets too hot during cooking.

Another option is simply placing whole leaves right on top of whatever food you’re cooking.

Be sure to keep them in a safe place away from any flames or very hot areas, and be careful when serving so you don’t burn yourself on the steam coming off the leaves.