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Grilled Zucchini, marinated in lemon juice and olive oil, is a healthy summer side dish that everyone loves! It takes just a few minutes to prepare and only 10 minutes to cook.
Grilling out is the only way to eat during the summer months. We love this grilled zucchini side dish with some grilled potatoes, grilled Steak, chicken thighs or smoky spice rubbed tri-tip.
Grilled zucchini is healthy and delicious, seasoned simply with just olive oil, lemon and salt. Cooking it on the grill adds so much flavor to the food, plus a smokiness that you just can’t get indoors. Because of the high water content in zucchini, it’s incredibly juicy when cooked properly.
Ingredients for Grilled Zucchini
- Zucchini – Each zucchini will serve 2 people, so grab just what you need. choose medium sized zucchini that are about 7-8 inches long. Larger ones tend to be too watery and the smaller ones lack flavor.
- Lemon – I use both the zest and the juice from a lemon. Zest it first, the cut it in half and squeeze out the juice, careful not to let the seeds into your marinade.
- Seasoning – I usually just stick with simple salt and pepper, but Italian seasoning is also quite delicious.
How to Grill Zucchini
There are just a few steps in this recipe and all you need is a large, sharp knife and a cutting board. You can slice it in different ways, whichever you prefer. I like to quarter them.
- Trim the ends, then cut the squash in half lengthwise, then into quarters. You’ll end up with long, triangular strips. You could also just slice them in half, or even into half-inch thick rounds.
- Toss them in some olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with salt. Let them marinate in a sealed bag for about 30 minutes.
- Grill ’em up! You’ll want to have some long handled grilling tongs to be able to grab the zucchini to flip them. If you are cutting them into rounds, you’ll want to use a grilling mat or vegetable basket for ease in flipping.
Expert Tips
- Slice zucchini into uniform sized pieces so they will cook evenly. I like to cut the whole zucchini into halves or quarters. Thinner strips tend to cook too fast and get a little mushy.
- I like to give my squash 30 minutes to marinate, but if you’re short on time you can just toss them in lemon and olive oil and throw them on the grill.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or toss into a stir fry (at the end, just long enough to warm through).
Frequently Asked Questions
Salting the zucchini adds flavor and also pulls out some of the moisture which helps keep them from getting soggy.
Yes! There is no need to peel the skin unless you really want to. For larger zucchini, you may want to peel them because the skin can be bitter. Also if there is a waxiness to the skin (sometimes grocery stores do this to extend the shelf life), you may want to peel them.
Squash is pretty tender to begin with, so they don’t take long to grill – just about 10 minutes total. You could throw them on the grill and forget about it for 10 minutes if you wanted, or you can flip them a few times to grill marks on both sides and ensure even cooking.
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Goat Cheese and Marinara Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- Zucchini Pancakes
- Zucchini Bread Recipe
Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 pounds zucchini about 3-4 medium zucchini
- Olive oil
- 1 lemon
- Salt
Instructions
- Trim the ends from the zucchini and slice into quarters, lengthwise.
- Place zucchini into a large zip-top bag and add a few tablespoons of olive oil, zest and juice from half a lemon. Marinate in the bag for 30 minutes. You could also do this in a large, shallow dish.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat (350-375 degrees F). Place zucchini directly over the heat and close the lid. Cook the zucchini for 10-12 minutes, or until tender, flipping every 3-4 minutes to char all sides.
- Transfer to a plate and tent with foil until ready to serve.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Also delicious with shreded Parmesan cheese.
Can i prepare the zucchini and leave in refrigerator for a few hours?
If you mean grill it and then refrigerate, I would recommend not doing that. It will get mushy as it sits.