Grilled Broccolini Caesar
This Grilled Broccolini Caesar is the perfect summer side dish that everyone will love! Broccolini is grilled until lightly charred and tossed in an incredible homemade Caesar salad dressing and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. 
Summer hasn’t even started and I am already calling this my go to side dish of the summer. I am completely obsessed with how incredibly flavorful broccolini becomes when grilled and what better way to make the dish even better than by topping it with everyone’s favorite salad dressing, caesar! Unlike a caesar salad which becomes limp after a short time, this is a great dish to make in advance and leave to sit if need be. This Grilled Broccolini Caesar Salad is my new obsession. and I think you will love it too!
Why You Will Love This Grilled Broccolini Caesar Salad
- Grilling the broccolini and giving each piece a nice char gives the dish incredible flavor
- This is the perfect side dish for summer that everyone will go crazy for
- You can grill the broccolini and make the dressing a day in advance and quickly assemble before serving.
- Leftovers are fantastic enjoyed cold the next day.
- There are various ways to modify this, and you can cater to any dietary restrictions.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Broccolini: Broccolini is, of course, in the broccoli family, but has a less bitter flavor, smaller florets, and the stalks are not as firm as broccoli spears.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is so good for you and has a very neutral flavor. You can also use avocado oil.
- Lemon: A combination of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice gives a bright and zesty flavor in the broccolini and in the dressing.
- Spices: Kosher salt and black pepper are all I use, but you can add more spices if you want. See below for some suggestions.
- Mayonnaise: Use homemade mayo or store-bought, and the results will be delicious.
- Dijon Mustard: I love the zing of Dijon mustard in homemade Caesar dressing, but you can use regular yellow mustard.
- Anchovy Paste: A small, but very key ingredient for Caesar dressing; however, you can leave it out if you don’t like fish.
- Worcestershire Sauce: To keep it gluten-free, you can use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or omit it altogether.
- Fresh Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves, well minced, or pre-minced. You can also use garlic powder.
- Parmesan Cheese: This recipe is incredible with the umami flavor of the Parmesan cheese. I have suggestions below to make it dairy-free.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter, or try vegan butter or more olive oil if your diet doesn’t allow for butter.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: You can also use regular breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs, and even gluten-free ones.
What is Broccolini
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Small Bowl
- Whisk
- Large Bowl
- Outdoor Grill or grill pan
- Grilling Tongs
- Serving Platter
How to Make This Grilled Broccolini Caesar Salad
- Wash and trim the ends off the broccolini stems.
- In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the Caesar dressing and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- In a small pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add in the breadcrumbs, and stir frequently until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown color. Set aside.
- In a large dish or bowl, add the broccolini.
- Drizzle in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Toss to ensure they are all well-coated.
- Heat a barbecue to medium-high heat. Add the broccolini perpendicular to the grill grates.
- Cook the broccolini for approximately 8-10 minutes, turning frequently to ensure that they don’t burn. They are done cooking when the broccolini has a little char.
- Transfer the grilled broccolini to a medium bowl and add approximately half of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing as needed.
- Arrange the coated broccolini on a serving platter and spoon the toasted breadcrumbs and freshly grated parmesan over the top of the broccolini (sprinkle with a pinch of chili flakes if desired)
Ways to Modify
- Add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh herbs, or lemon pepper seasoning.
- Can’t find broccolini? Fresh broccoli florets will also work, just be sure not to cut them too small.
- Use a pre-made Caesar dressing, but check the ingredients for added sugar and unhealthy preservatives.
Dietary Customizations
- Make this dairy-free by using dairy-free Parmesan or Nutritional Yeast
- If you can’t have butter, use vegan butter or use more olive oil in place of the butter.
- Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs.
- You can buy gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or even swap it for coconut aminos.
- Omit the garlic if necessary for your diet.
Other Cooking Methods
Air Fryer: Toss the broccolini in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes until perfectly charred to your liking. Toss with the desired amount of dressing and enjoy.
Grill Pan: Using a grill pan is a great option for indoor cooking. Heat the pan until it’s hot, over medium-high heat, and add the broccolini after tossing in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Turn with tongs every 2-3 minutes to ensure they cook evenly. Toss in the dressing and serve with your main dish.
Oven: If you have a roasting setting on your oven, these will turn out beautifully, or use the convection oven setting if you have it. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare the broccolini according to the recipe card. Lay in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes until crispy and charred. Toss in the dressing and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Want to keep with the easy clean-up theme? For chicken, I recommend Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Cajun Chicken, or The BEST Grilled Chicken.
If you’re not a chicken fan, Grilled Kofta, Asian Grilled Salmon Skewers, or a Ribeye Steak are great ideas!
Meal Prep and Storing Leftovers
Prep-Ahead: You can grill the broccolini a day in advance and then quickly warm it in the microwave or oven until heated through, before tossing in the dressing which can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, they will last in the fridge for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before storing. Warm in the microwave, air fryer, or oven until heated through.
More Grilled Side Dishes You Will Love:
- Garlic and Herb Grilled Eggplant
- Grilled Asian Asparagus and Scallions
- Grilled Zucchini and Asparagus Salad
- Grilled Radicchio & Orange Salad with Cinnamon Dressing
- Grilled Lime and Chipotle Watermelon Skewers
If you make this Grilled Broccolini Caesar recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Grilled Broccolini Caesar
Ingredients
Grilled Broccolini
- 1 lbs broccolini
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan
Topping
- 1 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs (or gf breadcrumbs)
- 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a small bowl add all of the ingredients for the caesar dressing and whisk until smooth (2-3 minutes). Set aside
- In a small pan on medium high heat melt the butter. Once melted add in the breadcrumbs, and stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown color. Set aside.
- In a large dish or bowl add the broccolini (if there are any thicker pieces of broccolini, cut them in half lengthwise to split them in two thinner pieces).
- Drizzle in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to ensure they are all well coated.
- Heat a barbecue to medium high heat. Add the broccolini (i recommending placing them perpendicular to the grill grates so they don’t fall through the gaps).
- Cook the broccolini for approximately 8-10 minutes turning frequently with long tongs to ensure that they don’t burn. They are done cooking when the broccolini is lightly charred.
- Transfer the grilled broccolini to a bowl and add approximately half of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing as needed until the broccolini is lightly coated (you will likely have caesar dressing leftover).
- Arrange the coated broccolini on a platter or later plate and top with the toasted breadcrumbs. Finely top with freshly grated parmesan.
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