Easy Grilled Zucchini Recipe

Grilled zucchini is the perfect side dish to serve with almost anything from chicken, beef, or fish to pasta. It’s super easy with only a couple of ingredrients and so versatile.

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Beautiful, fresh zucchini is everywhere right now.

And you don’t need to do a lot to it to turn it into a really yummy side dish.

In fact, our grilled zucchini doesn’t need an outdoor grill to shine.

Really all you need is just a hot grill pan and a few minutes on the stove.

Our grilled zucchini recipe brings out that same smoky, caramelized grill flavor right from your kitchen.

It’s quick, simple, and a perfect way to make the most of fresh zucchini and round any meal or even to serve on the side of your favorite pasta.

An easy alternative to turning it into more time intensive- but super yummy- dishes like Zucchini Lasagna, this recipe will make sure you make the most of all that abundant summer produce.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

Grilled zucchini doesn’t need a lot to shine as a side dish, here’s all you need:

• Fresh Zucchini – During the summer, you can often find this at local farms and farm stands or you might even grow your own. Most grocery stores offer zucchini year-round, so you can make grilled zucchini even in the dead of winter.
• Olive Oil – This helps to give the zucchini a bit of a char and prevents it from sticking.
• Italian Seasoning – You can use your own blend or get a premixed Italian seasoning container.
• Garlic Powder – This helps give some extra flavor to the zucchini.
• Salt, Pepper, and Red Pepper Flakes – This is to taste and you can omit them if you prefer.

If you plan to make zucchini on your grill, then you need an outdoor grill.

If not, this works best on a grill pan.

Other helpful tools include:

• tongs
• mixing bowl

How to Make Grilled Zucchini

1. Cut the zucchini.

Wash and dry your zucchini.

Cut the two ends off the zucchini.

Using a sharp knife, cut the zucchini into roughly even thickness rounds, about a 1/2 thick.

You can make them thinner or thicker, but you will likely need to adjust your cook times.

2. Mix the zucchini with spices and olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, add your zucchini rounds, garlic, Italian seasonings, olive oil, and salt and pepper (if using).

We find it easiest to use tongs to gently mix the zucchini with the spices, turning and flipping until well-coated.

You can let the zucchini rest in the seasonings for a bit, if you like, but it does not make a big difference in this recipe.

3. Grill the zucchini.

We tend to make zucchini on our grill pan inside, but when it is nice out, we will take outside to the grill.

It’s the same cooking process either way.

Heat your grill pan to medium to medium-high heat and let it warm up.

Place the zucchini into the grill pan, one by one, leaving a little room between each round.

Allow them to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until char lines begin to form on the bottom.

Use tongs or a spatula to carefully flip the zucchini and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the second side starts to get some grill lines.

Remove from the pan and serve hot.

Serving

Grilled zucchini is just about the perfect side dish.

It has flavor, but it is relatively neutral and not over-powering, so you can serve it with your favorite main dishes.

If you are not super hungry, zucchini from the grill can also make a light lunch.

We often pair grilled zucchini with our Italian grilled chicken because already have the grill pan out anyway.

You can also add some fresh green to chicken pesto or spaghetti and meatballs.

Or serve it with Instant Pot rice and Italian sausage from the air fryer for another complete meal.

For an after meal, summery treat, try our peach cobbler with cake mix – an excellent way to end the night!

Storing

After cooking, zucchini tends to get limp and can release some more water the longer it sits.

It will still taste good for about 1 to 2 days, but expect the texture to change some.

We highly recommend using just what you think you’ll need, but if you do have leftovers or want something light to bring along for lunch the next day, you certainly can store it once it cools.

Tips and Tricks

• While you could slice zucchini super thin, we’d recommend at least 1/2 inch thickness for the rounds. This helps prevent them from burning instantly or becoming too limp to effectively flip or remove from the grill or grill pan.
• If you find your zucchini sticking, you can spray either the grill or grill pan with non-stick spray or rub some olive oil over the surface to help prevent sticking.
• We cut the zucchini into rounds, but you can certainly make it into spears or cut it into oblong shapes if you rather. It can make for some more visually interesting food or better fit how you plan to serve them.
• We talk a lot about grilled zucchini being a side, but you could also mix it into a summer pasta or add it other dishes that either use zucchini or would be enhanced with a little bit of charred flavor.

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