Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

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Academic

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US

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secondary

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none

Retrieved

2026-08-14

State

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Original document

Published July 2021, reviewed by Anirudh Naig, Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist for Retail Food Safety, and updated May 2026. The only source in the catalogue that times vegetables by name and by cut size on a stated heat: corn 4–5 minutes turning frequently on a medium grill; peppers and courgette 4–5 minutes a side on medium-high; aubergine in ½-inch slices 5 minutes a side; button mushrooms skewered 7–8 minutes. Before this, BBQHQ's only vegetable duration evidence was a manufacturer's.

Culinary practice

• Explicitly not safety: A grilling-technique article is not a food-safety instrument.

• “You should grill corn over a medium grill for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives husked sweetcorn 4 to 5 minutes over a medium grill, turning frequently, cooked directly on the grate so the kernels lightly blacken and caramelise.

  Preparation:

  Husk and silk removed, and the source argues the point: 'Some people like to grill corn with the husks still on, but that's just steaming the corn, really.' That is a different cook, not a longer one.

  Heat:

  A medium grill, direct.

• “Toss with olive oil and salt/pepper and grill over a medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Then turn and grill 4-5 minutes longer.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives sweet peppers, cored, seeded and cut into about four sections, 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, then turned and grilled a further 4 to 5 minutes.

  Preparation:

  Cored, seeded, quartered and oiled. Not a whole pepper on the coals.

  8 to 10 minutes in total, stated as two turns.

• “Produce should be removed before it is soft as it will continue cooking once removed from grill. On a medium hot grill it typically takes 10 minutes or less for most vegetables to cook.”

  Iowa State University Extension states that most vegetables cook in ten minutes or less on a medium-hot grill, and that produce should be taken off before it is soft because it goes on cooking after it leaves the heat.

  What it covers:

  A ceiling across a category rather than a figure for a food. Useful as a sanity bound on the individual rows and not usable as a duration for anything in particular.

  A qualitative carryover statement about vegetables, which no other source makes.

• “Eggplant, ½-inch slices, about 5 minutes per side on a medium-high grill, brushed with oil.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives aubergine slices 5 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Half-inch slices. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Zucchini and yellow squash, ½-inch pieces lengthways, 4 to 5 minutes per side on medium-high.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives courgette slices 4 to 5 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Half-inch lengthways slices. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Asparagus, trimmed and tossed in olive oil, 4 to 5 minutes per side on medium-high.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives asparagus spears 4 to 5 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Whole trimmed spears. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Onions, ½-inch slices tossed in olive oil, 2 to 3 minutes per side on medium-high.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives onion slices 2 to 3 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Half-inch slices. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Button mushrooms tossed with olive oil and Kosher salt, skewered, 7 to 8 minutes turning frequently.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives button mushrooms 7 to 8 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Whole, skewered or in a basket. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Portobello, whole cap, 8 to 9 minutes smooth-side-down.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives portobello mushroom 8 to 9 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Whole cap. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Cabbage, halved then cut into thick 1-inch slices, tossed with olive oil, about 10 minutes per side on medium-high.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives cabbage wedges 10 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Inch-thick slices cut through the core. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Cauliflower, large florets tossed in olive oil and skewered, about 10 minutes, to tender and lightly charred.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives cauliflower florets 10 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Large florets, skewered. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “Plum tomatoes halved lengthways with the seeds removed, about four minutes per side.”

  Iowa State University Extension gives halved tomatoes 4 minutes per side on a medium-high grill.

  Preparation:

  Halved lengthways, seeded. The cut is the publisher's own, printed beside the time.

  Heat:

  Stated as a medium-high grill. No temperature in degrees is given anywhere in the article.

  Endpoint:

  Per side, not a total — the distinction is the publisher's and BBQHQ keeps it. A per-side figure becomes a total only if the food is turned exactly once, which is an assumption about the cook rather than a statement by the source.

• “should be soaked in water for 30 minutes before using to keep them from burning”

  Iowa State University Extension recommends stainless steel skewers or perforated baskets for small grilled items, and says wooden or bamboo skewers should be soaked before use.

  Method:

  The soaking figure is the publisher's, not bbqhq's. It is recorded because a land-grant extension service states it, and attributed for the same reason — the advice is widely repeated as folklore and BBQHQ holds exactly one source for it.

  Preparation:

  The same passage prefers stainless steel skewers, perforated baskets and PFOA-free mats, which is the containment answer for anything narrower than a grate gap.