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This Grilled Zucchini recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish that can accompany so many main dishes to make a healthy and hearty meal. It’s so easy to make and is ready in just 20 minutes, or even quicker if you prep it the day before!
Table of Contents
Zucchinis are low-carb, high in fiber, Vitamin A, and other antioxidants too. They are tender, versatile vegetables, that can be used in almost any dish to add extra nutrients or enjoyed as the more focal point of a dish, or on their own.
They are relatively easy to grow at home, and can be prepared in lots of different ways! This post will tell you everything you need to know about how to grill zucchini to make this side dish taste irresistible for family and friends.
Zucchini is mainly a summer vegetable, but the domestic zucchini season goes all the way from May to October. It’s particularly suitable to be grilled because as the weather gets warmer in the year grilling outdoors is so much fun. You can grill them indoors too, and enjoy them whatever the weather!
Grilled zucchini is very aromatic, especially with added smoky flavors from an outdoor grill. The marinade is made with garlic, red pepper flakes, mustard, and thyme. These ingredients blend so well together to make an irresistible tangy spicy flavor. Zucchini on the grill is a very popular vegetable side dish, but can also be served as a main course. Tips on how to do this are below.
If you love zucchini, you’ll also want to try those vegetarian stuffed zucchini boats or roasted vegetable pasta salad for some filling zucchini dish ideas. You can also enjoy zucchini as a dessert with this chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe too!
Tips For Grilling Like A Pro
- Zucchini should be marinated for 30-60 minutes, or can also be left overnight in the refrigerator.
- The grill or grill pan should be well preheated and rubbed with a little oil.
- If you want beautiful grill stripes (like in the pictures), you must not move the zucchini while grilling. Turn it just once to cook evenly, and no more!
- Get creative and adjust the marinade to your own taste! 😉
Tips For Serving
- Crumble feta (or vegan feta) over the grilled zucchini and decorate with some mint. Serve it as a light vegetarian main course with rice or pasta on the side. It also works well on its own as an appetizer.
- Put a light layer of parmesan cheese on top while the zucchini is still on the grill for cheesy grilled veggies.
- Serve with chimichurri sauce for extra flavor.
- Drizzle balsamic cream over the top.
- Garnish with lemon zest for an added burst of citrus flavor.
- Put the grilled zucchini slices back into the marinade (what was left in the dish) and let it sit for a short time. Gladly also overnight. So it tastes very tasty even cold.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Zucchini → I like to use smaller zucchini. You can also mix green and yellow zucchini depending on availability.
- Garlic → Use finely chopped garlic or garlic powder. If you are intolerant, please omit it.
- Olive oil → Nothing works without oil when grilling, I prefer to use a neutral cooking oil like olive oil, but you could use canola oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil too.
- Balsamic Vinegar→ The aged balsamic vinegar provides a slightly acidic note. The vinegar can be substituted with a little lemon juice or lime juice.
- Maple Syrup → Also works with sugar or honey.
- Spices: Mustard, dried thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes → Provide flavor. Feel free to omit chili flakes.
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner! 😉
- Prepare zucchini: Wash zucchini well and cut lengthwise into ½-1 cm thick slices.
- Make marinade: Mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini, mix well (easiest with clean hands), and let marinate for 30-60 minutes. → If you need to cook them quickly, grill the zucchini directly after dipping them in the marinade, or pour the sauce over them while they’re on the grill.
- Prepare the grill: Heat the grill or grill pan. → I always rub my grill pan with a little bit of oil beforehand, you can also do this to an outdoor grill to keep food from sticking to the grate.
- Grilling Zucchini: Grill the zucchini on both sides for 2-3 minutes at high heat.
- Serve: Arrange them on a serving platter and enjoy!
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? You can marinate the zucchini in the marinade and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day ahead of cooking it. When you’re ready to cook it, remove it from the fridge and grill it immediately!
How long will it last? Store leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
How do I reheat grilled zucchini? You can reheat grilled zucchini in the microwave, though it may lose some of its crispiness. To reheat it and keep it crispy, place the slices in a single layer on parchment paper on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven at 400 degrees f for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, put them back on the grill!
Hint: I always keep the leftover marinade aside, even if it is heavily watered down by the zucchini. Then I put the grilled zucchini slices back into the marinade and let them stand for a short time before eating them. If I have leftover grilled zucchini, I put it back in the marinade in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. The zucchini will continue to absorb the marinade and becomes a bit more flavorful for the next time you eat it!
More Recipes for the Grill
- Grilling Vegetable Kebabs
- Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
- Grilling Green Asparagus
- Grilled Peach Salad
- Grilled Tofu
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Zucchini
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Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp mustard
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Wash zucchini well and cut lengthwise into ½-1 cm thick slices.
- Mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini, mix well (easiest with clean hands), and let marinate for 30-60 minutes. → If you need to cook them quickly, grill the zucchini directly after dipping them in the marinade.
- Heat the grill or grill pan. → I always rub my grill pan with a little bit of oil beforehand, you can also do this to an outdoor grill to keep food from sticking on the grate.
- Grill the zucchini on both sides for 2-3 minutes at high heat.
- Arrange them on a serving platter and enjoy!
Notes
- Garnish the zucchini with mint and crumbled feta cheese before serving.
- Drizzle with balsamic cream.
- Place the grilled zucchini slices back into the marinade (what’s left of it) and let them sit for a bit. Doing this will set the flavors together a little longer and makes them even more delicious when enjoyed cold.
