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BBQ’s needn’t be the stuff of nightmares!
With the right tools, your deliciously tender and perfectly seared veggies can be the star of the show.
Come shopping with us and we’ll help you find the saving grace to make your BBQ dreams a delightful and flavorful reality.
In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks
- Outset 76182 Chef’s Jumbo Outdoor Grill Basket and Skillet
- Elizabeth Karmel’s Sizzlin’ Skillet Grill Pan and Vegetable Grill Basket
- Yukon Glory 3-Piece Mini BBQ Grill Baskets Accessory Set with Cleaning Pads
- SHAN PU Grill Basket BBQ Grilling Basket
- Grillaholics Grill Basket
Why You Need a Grill Basket
This is one grilling accoutrement you can’t live without. The humble grill basket will turn your tumbling veggie nightmares into Grill Master worthy success stories you’ll be sharing for years to come.
The grill basket can help you protect your delicate veggies and flip them into the fire and onto the plates of your mesmerized guests like a boss.
So, what the heck is the deal with a grill basket? What makes it the miracle worker for the veggie BBQ lover?
Like other types of baskets, a grill basket cradles your vegetables, creating a barrier to protect them. The difference is, you can use the grill basket on the grill itself, and there won’t be any escaping into the fiery flames of doom.
Your days of skipping the barbecue, or hiding in the kitchen over a hot stove, steaming your veggies into a limp oblivion are over. Get yourself a grill basket and get back into the game!
Basket Styles and Grilling Styles
There are a variety of different styles of baskets, just as there are a variety of styles of grills. Lucky for you, there’s more than one to fit your needs to a tee.
Grill baskets are as individual as you are, and there’s one out there waiting for you right now!
What’s Best: A Flat or Rounded Locking Basket?
Are you a stickler for an old-fashioned grill experience with only the choicest briquets for that smoky infused flavor?
A flat or rounded locking basket with a long handle is probably best for you. It allows you to securely lock in your veggie array and flip them to your heart’s content.
Your veggies will never stick to the grill grate and disintegrate into oblivion again.
Propane Style Grilling
Does your grill style lean more towards fancy propane and propane accessories? This type of grilling affords more variety, and really, any type of basket will work.
But we love a flatter style basket which allows you to spread your veggie wares out along the top of the grill, finding the sweet heat spot which matches the myriad textures of your veggies for joyful perfection.
Campfire Grilling
Do you find yourself tending a campfire and longing for more than gelatin-free marshmallows?
The flat locking basket is perfect for resting just above the flames without scorching, so you can cook everything from veggie dogs to shish kebobs without fear and loathing of the outdoor adventure.
Smoking Vegetables
What about a hardcore smoker? We love smoky flavors as much as the next guy and can tell you for a fact that smoking vegetables is like heaven on Earth.
The rounded basket is perfect for securing within the smoky realms of your favorite smoker, and the results are to live for!
5 Top Picks for Grill Baskets
So, there you have it. Grilling and chilling isn’t just for meat eaters.
Veggie lovers rejoice to the heralds of grilling season and get your grill on! Here’s a list of our favorite grilling baskets for where your vegetable fantasies come to life.
Outset 76182 Chef’s Jumbo Outdoor Grill Basket and Skillet
The first basket on our list is Outset’s Chef’s Jumbo Outdoor Grill Basket and Skillet. This is a multi-use product which allows use as a skillet, grilling basket, or deep-frying basket.
Its two-piece design makes it easy to switch from one use to the next, giving you more versatility without having to purchase more products.
Made from sturdy, PTFE/PFOA free, non-stick coated mesh, this basket does it all! It works on any and all types of grills, and the handles are removable for use even in a small smoker.
The mesh makes cooking even the smallest of veggie bites simple and convenient.
This style of basket gets extremely hot, so watch where you rest it on your grill. The handle is also not heat tempered, so use caution when touching and make sure to use a mitt or handle guard that’s rated for the high temperatures of grill cooking.
What We Like
- Non-toxic, non-stick coating for easy cleanup
- Two-piece design for use in a variety of cooking applications
- Removable handles for compact storage
What We Don’t Like
- No way to secure basket closed for flipping
- Mesh material can get damaged rather easily
Elizabeth Karmel’s Sizzlin’ Skillet Grill Pan and Vegetable Grill Basket
Next up is Elizabeth Karmel’s Sizzlin’ Skillet Grill Pan and Vegetable Basket. This open-topped, stainless steel mesh basket is ideal for veggies which need a gentler touch.
Use this one for flame-kissed mushrooms, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, even tofu!
The shallow skillet style allows the veggies to move around freely with a simple shake. No additional utensils needed to get a good, even toast on.
This basket functions most like a stovetop skillet, so there isn’t much of a learning curve.
Its detachable handle allows you to move it easily around the grill and to pull it from hot spots as necessary.
Remove the handle and it fits inside even the smallest smoker or grill when covered to impart the desired smokiness.
As with the basket above, the handle is not heat protected, and you must use a mitt, oven glove, or handle wrap when touching it. Grilling is intense business and no one (not even your food!) wants to get burned!
What We Like
- Compact design works with all size grills
- Evenly cooks delicate foods with ease
- Removable handle for compact storage
What We Don’t Like
- Mesh material can get crushed or dented
- Difficult to clean
Yukon Glory 3-Piece Mini BBQ Grill Baskets Accessory Set with Cleaning Pads
The first set on the list, Yukon Glory’s 3-piece mini BBQ grill baskets, comes with everything you need to grill up a veggie-tastic feast!
It comes with three sizes and styles of basket pans, which work together or separately to make the magic happen!
The compact sizes can be Tetris-ed on your grill top to cook up all courses of your meal at the same time.
The set comes with a flat pan, a deeper square basket, and a circular basket. The flat pan is awesome for veggie patties and carrot dogs, or for toasting buns.
The deeper square basket is just waiting for your lip-smacking kabobs and anything else you need to load into it.
The circular basket is ideal for use as a wok, sautéing and flipping veggies for a tender-crisp snap.
With this set in your repertoire, you’ll be a grill master in no time. Veggies aren’t a mere side-dish. They are the colorful, flavorful stars of your BBQ show!
What We Like
- Three sizes for versatility
- Sturdy stainless-steel construction
- Easy to clean (even comes with cleaning pads)
What We Don’t Like
- All baskets are roughly the same size
- Can become misshapen with intense heat (but easy to straighten back out)
SHAN PU Grill Basket BBQ Grilling Basket
Shan Pu’s Grill Basket is a more traditional style of basket, ideal for all open grill types, even campfires!
This style of basket features two pieces, hinged at the back to clamp over your food and lock tight at the handle.
It allows you to turn the food as necessary over the flames, to get the perfect sear without having to scrape anything off the grill itself.
This basket style is best for larger veggies, like corn on the cob, zucchini, squash, potatoes, etc. It also holds patties and kebobs securely without squishing them.
It’s not great for more delicate veggies, or for smaller pieces, but shines with eggplant, asparagus, and any larger vegetable you can put in it.
The wooden handles are a nice touch, as they don’t get hot and burn the crap out of your hands, so an additional glove isn’t necessary.
But we still recommend having something close by to protect your grip, just in case. Grilling is seriously hot stuff!
What We Like
- Two-piece hinged design offers secure hold
- Wooden handle to protect hands
- Sturdy stainless-steel construction
What We Don’t Like
- Large openings not ideal for smaller foods
- Smallish size more apt for personal cooking
Grillaholics Grill Basket
Last but not least is the Grillaholics grill basket. This deep dish mack-daddy of all baskets is a great addition to your veggie feasting.
The sturdy stainless-steel basket can be loaded with all the veggies your tummy desires, without worrying about them escaping the vessel. You can stir, flip, fluff, turn and aerate your morsels with ease in this basket.
The large cooking surface can cook a lot or a little, whatever you need. The punched holes are just the right size to ensure even cooking, without fear of losing even the smallest bite.
We love that the holes are punched from the inside out, to keep the cooking surface smooth. Even your most delicate veggies won’t snag or tear here.
The welded corners are the only part lacking in the construction.
Some corner welds come loose during shipment, and after a few vigorous uses, but the steel material is strong enough to stand up on its own, even without reinforcement, so don’t let this slight flaw lead you asunder.
This basket is ready to take on whatever you can stuff into it.
What We Like
- Large cooking surface
- Easy to clean (when used with oil or cooking spray)
- Deep dish style holds lots of veggies
What We Don’t Like
- Welds come loose in shipment and/or after use
- Large square shape not as compatible with small round grills
Top Choice for the Best Grill Basket
So, after testing out all these beauties, we had to come up with the winner, and our pick for the best of the best.
It wasn’t an easy decision, and we had to eat so many grilled veggies (poor us!) to find the Holy Grail. It was an arduous undertaking, but we managed!
Our absolute favorite is the 3-piece mini set from Yukon Glory. We love the versatility of the different baskets and found more is better when it comes to grilling up a five-course veggie feast.
With this set, you can create mouth-watering veggie cuisine in a myriad of ways, all on the same grill.
Organize your cooking surface to take advantage of hot spots and cooler spots, to sear and smoke your veggies to heaven sent perfection.
Tofu, veggie dogs, patties, kabobs, corn cobs, and everything in between. They all come off the sizzling grill with savory seduction that can’t be beat.
Your grill skills just got kicked up a notch and no one will doubt how veggies make a great meal!
If you’re ready to take the plunge into the wild world of grill masters and make your own (grill) marks, you’ll need these tools to compete!
