How to Grill Leeks and Why You Should
How to grill leeks perfectly every time! The trick to getting perfectly tender grilled leeks is to take a hot minute to boil them first. Only takes a few minutes, but it gets rid of that tough, fibrous texture. They turn out SO delicious and are the perfect unique summer side dish for a nice grilled steak!
As I type this, Eric is watching a very gothic, silent, black-and-white film version of Snow White, set in Spain. The dwarves are all bull-fighters, and they train Snow White to be a full-fledged matador.
I have to say that it is way more hardcore than the sighing-damsel Disney version. Still pretty creepy though I’m not gonna lie. It’s a good thing Eric and I agree on the chocolate peanut butter milkshakes we’ve been addicted to lately. Because I don’t think he’s going to be converted to rom-coms anytime soon. Only artsy foreign films will do. Gosh I’m so boringly mainstream.
Well I know what you’re thinking. It’s about time the Food Charlatan put up a Leek-Grilling tutorial! I’ve been waiting.
Okaaay so maybe not.
Have you ever even had a leek? Allow me to convert you to leek-loving ways. Leeks are cheap. I bought 4 at the farmers market for $2.50. Leeks are healthy. I mean just look at all that green fibrous-ness. Vegan, paleo, low-fat…the works. Leeks are easy to grill or pan-fry. I’ll show you! And last but not least, leeks are freakishly delicious. They are related to the onion and have a similar sweet taste. We all know how delicious grilled onions are, so don’t be shy now.
I particularly like grilled leeks paired with a nice steak, as pictured here. I can’t put up a recipe for steak until I can actually cook one without burning it to a crisp or singeing my eyebrows. (We just got a grill for the first time ever, can you tell??) (UPDATE! It only took me 6 years guys. But I finally figured out steak. Here is how to cook the BEST Ribeye Steak OF YOUR LIFE.)
The tutorial is below. Please tell me if you make this! I want to have leek-bonding conversations with you! If you already love leeks, tell me how you use them!
P.S. For those wondering, Eric and I have decided to spend the 4th of July in San Francisco to celebrate our anniversary. Thanks for all the heads-ups about Yosemite being crowded! If you’ve been to SF and loved something in particular, let me know! I’m pretty familiar with the city having grown up nearby, but I certainly haven’t tried everything.
How to Grill Leeks
Choose leeks that have their roots intact, if possible. This will keep them fresher much longer. The one pictured on the left had had it’s roots chopped off, and the leaves were noticeably limper.
Chop off the top portion of the leeks. The inside layers should stop looking tender at some point–chop there.
Chop off the roots, as close to the root as you can.
Peel off the tough outer layers, as many as you need to so that all you have left are tender leaves.
This is just after I peeled off the outer layers. Look how dirty it is! Ewww
Chop the leek almost in half, keep the root intact.
Peel back the layers like this and wash them under running water.
This picture is completely unnecessary. I kinda just wanted to flip you off. KIDDING!! Wash all those layers now!
If there are any outer layers where the bottom looks good but the top looks tough, cut them off like this.
Now they are ready to be boiled. Boil for 3-4 minutes. If you don’t boil them they will burn on the grill before they get tender.
Lay out on a towel, let cool, and finish cutting them in half.
Transfer them to a plate and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, or any seasonings you want.
Grill for about 2 minutes on each side, or until they are marked like this.
Enjoy! Grilled leeks are tasty with grilled steak, chicken, or fish.
More leek recipes:
Leek Tomato and Mushroom Quiche from Pip and Ebby
Cream of Potato and Leek Soup from Life as a Strawberry
Potato, Leek and Bacon Pizza from Bev Cooks << I sooo want to try this.
Carrot “Rice” Leek Risotto with Bacon from Skinnytaste
Greek Macaroni & Cheese with Roast Garlic and Caramelized Leeks from Adventures in Cooking
How to Grill Leeks
Ingredients
- fresh leeks
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (about 3-4 inches of water)
- Begin by chopping off the upper portion of the leek. Keep the white and pale green portion at the bottom. If in doubt, chop high. You can always peel or cut off tough layers later on.
- Next chop off the roots. Get as close to them as you can.
- Peel off the tough outer layers.
- Chop the leek down the center, but leave the root end intact (see photos).
- Wash the leek thoroughly, carefully peeling back the layers to clean the inside.
- Boil the leek in the pot for 4 minutes. Remove to a towel and let cool. When cool enough to handle, finish cutting them in half. (Chop the root end that you kept intact earlier)
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Transfer the leeks to a plate or platter and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- When your grill is hot, add the halved leeks. If you didn't use much olive oil on the leeks, be sure to brush the grill with oil.
- Grill over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then flip and grill for another 2 minutes.
- Serve with steak, chicken, fish, or pretty much anything that can be grilled.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow. These were the most amazingly delicious grilled vegetable I’ve ever had! I was Super Skeptical about bothering with the boiling step but I am so glad I did it! They just melt in your mouth! My family was devastated I only had one leek per person. This is going to be a staple for grilling season I can tell.
Ok, it really is so sad when you realize how much vegetables shrink when you cook them right?? Oh the let down!! Leeks start out as enormous monsters! Haha! SO glad these were a hit with the family Lady, thank you so much for taking the time to review!
I use leeks instead of onion in almost everything! Chicken Pot Pie and Scalloped Potatoes are my specialties !
Ooh leeks in scalloped potatoes is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing your tips Tara!
I clean and peel the leeks as I would green onions, but leave most of the green. Then, a light coating of butter or margarine, or extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt (if you need salt for flavor, but I found that lemon gives a zest in place of salt), add a light dusting of black pepper and ground garlic. Wrap them in foil, and place them on the grill for about 2-3 minutes, then check them, because leeks tend to cook very quickly, and over-cooking can cause them to become soggy.
Great tips William! I like the lemon zest idea. Thanks for chiming in!
I’m not one for reading blogs usually I go straight to the recipes but something about the goth movie just caught my attention and I read through your entire little piece.💚
You are so funny and cute!! 👩🌾
I’m so glad I took the time to look up how to grill leeks before I just did it just throw in my roasted corn🌽 and black bean salad cuz I would have never put them in water first.
👩🍳 thank you for that little bit of tidbits they turned out wonderful💜
Haha! Thanks Maygin! Honestly people could comment on the recipes all day long, but a comment about my stories is always going to make me happiest :) So thanks for taking the time to tell me!! Grilled leeks with black bean salad and roasted corn sounds amazing. I need to make these again clearly!
Thanks Karen. I did them this way last night and they were delicious.
That’s great to hear Joe! Leeks are totally underrated. Thanks for coming back to leave a review!
Thank you! Just what I was looking for, turned out delicious!
That’s awesome Tyson! So glad it was helpful. Leeks are the best. Thanks for the comment!
These look great! I’m looking for more grilled veggie recipes, so I’ll add this to the list. They seem easy enough.
The main point of my comment though is chocolate peanut butter milkshakes for the win! Have you ever added banana?! OMG! Chocolate, peanut-butter, banana milkshakes – Earth-shattering. :)
ooh we should totally try adding banana! That’s never a bad idea :)
Hey Karen, why don’t you try “The Pig and Pie” in the mission district? I’ve been told it has awesomely, delicious bacon, spinach and hard-boiled egg salad!
Also, in defense of Eric, he’s about the only guy I know (except for Chip) that has sat through all 6 hours of “Pride and Prejudice” and not been asleep during it.
Pig and Pie foreverrrrrrr!!!! :)
One summer in high school, my brother and I spent days watching all of our old Disney movies on VHS. Yes, VHS… That seems so long ago! We could still sing along to every song, which amused our mom. I doubt I’d last very long through that artsy version… Anything scarier than Captain Hook and I have to cover my eyes or leave the room!
Oh, yum, I love roasted leeks and will have to try grilling them next time! Looks delicious especially with the pretty grill marks :)
These look amazing but I have yet to locate a leek where we live (south Texas) Or shallots… :(
But man do we have good tortillas! #idratherhaveleeksandshallots
We slice them in 1/2″ rings and saute them (without boiling), then eat them like any other side vegetable with a bit of gravy.
That sounds good Lianne! I like the gravy idea :)
Looks positively delicious!! I love leeks…they are so yummy! I use them in pasta too :D
That’s a good idea Beeta! I need to branch out. I like grilling them, but I like the idea of pasta too. and pizza! Yum.
I have always been intrigued by leeks, but never tried preparing them since I didn’t really know what to do. Thanks for solving my dilemma :). Grilling leeks, it is!!!
I do love leeks, but I’ve never grilled them. Now I know what I’m going to do next time I see them at the store…
Well I, for one, am convinced! That sounds fabulous. I love sauteeing leeks for soups and pizza toppings, but I usually use them only in the fall and winter. I never thought to grill them. This is going to be a new summer obsession, I can already tell.
This is such a good post! I am intrigued by leeks but the one time I tried adding them to a pasta dish it wasn’t very good. I think I added parts of it to the dish I wasn’t supposed to? I didn’t know how to cut it properly, but now I do! :)
Hey I love a good rom-com as much as probably more than, the next guy. There are just so few good ones we haven’t already seen!
I love the idea of grilling the leeks. I will definitely give this a try.
It wasnt until this year that i realized Leeks were good for something other than potato leek soup. But i havent grilled them yet! We just got a bbq too so ill be trying this for sure. Yay for SF! My fave restaurant is Kokkari (Greek Food) and a new popular one ive been dying to try is State Bird Provisions on Fillmore St. Or Zero Zero for Italian. Oh the list could go on…you will enjoy anywhere you go though, im sure :)
I like leeks sliced in rounds (only the tender parts of course) as a pizza topping along with carmelized mushrooms. No need to pre-boil; they roast nicely (we cook our pizza at 500 degrees for seven minutes as it’s usually a thinner artisan crust). Yay grills! And grilled vegetables! Keep the goodness comin’!