Why This Is The Best Grilled Zucchini:
I havent ever made a side dish thats as easy as this one! And, my kids LOVE grilled zucchini and squash! Any vegetable the kids will devour is a win all by itself!
In the summer Im always on the farm and getting meals on the table is rushed and hectic. Its pretty hard to make dinner when youre in a tractor! Thats the beauty of these foil packets! I assemble everything ahead of time and then cook them later. Any side dish that can be prepped ahead of time is going to make its way into our meal rotation.
Grilled Zucchini can be thrown on the grill with your meat and taken off with the meat. It really doesnt get any easier than this!
How Thick Should I Cut The Zucchini
Zucchini should be cut lengthwise in quarter inch long slices. The best way to do this is to place the zucchini on it’s side and take a sharp knife and cut all the way down the length of the zucchini making 4-5 slices per one zucchini. Ive found that this is the best thickness to make sure it grills through in about 6 minutes.
How To Roast Zucchini And Squash
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What To Do With Leftover Zucchini
In hopes of using up all that squash, you may have gotten a little overzealous with the amount you grilled. If you have leftover grilled zucchini, repurpose it in some of these dishes!
- Chop it up and through it in an omelet, breakfast egg muffins, or a potato frittata.
- Add to pasta dishes, like Italian sausage pasta or easy baked pasta.
- Top pizzas or chickpea flatbread for a healthier pizza night.
Alternatively, check out the best gluten free zucchini recipes for more inspiration of using up that summer squash!
How To Grill Yellow Squash In Foil
There is a final option when it comes to grilling summer squash and that is in a foil pouch. Two things to note about cooking it this way. First is that your squash will come out softer and lightly steamed. It will have some grilled flavor, but not as much as it would if you grilled it on the grill directly or in a grill basket. However, one benefit to cooking it this way is that it is a great way to add extra veggies. Throw in some diced onions, tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus, whatever you like as long as it cooks quickly. Wrap it up in a foil pouch with some olive oil and seasoning and you will have a delicious veggie medley.
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Tips For Grilled Zucchini
- I like to use small zucchini that Ive cut into quarters. Cooking with larger pieces of zucchini helps to prevent it from getting mushy on the grill. If you prefer to slice your zucchini you can, just make sure the slices are at least 1/2 inch thick.
- I use dried Italian seasoning in my marinade, which is widely available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. If you dont have Italian seasoning, you can use equal parts of dried parsley, oregano and basil.
- Fresh lemon juice is best here, do not use the kind in a bottle.
- I like to garnish my grilled zucchini with fresh herbs such as chopped parsley. If you dont have parsley on hand, other great options are fresh dill, basil or chives.
Variations On Seasoning For Grilled Squash
Yellow summer squash and zucchini work well with Italian and Mediterranean seasonings, but theres no reason not to change it up. Here are a few other seasonings that would work well.
Important: Keep in mind many of these blends have salt included. Use ¼ teaspoon of the salt below, then sprinkle with the seasoning.
- Fajita or taco seasoning: Make them into a taco filling! Try purchased or homemade Fajita Seasoning or Taco Seasoning.
- Cajun seasoning: Add pizzazz, and maybe a little heat! Try purchased or homemade Cajun seasoning or Blackened Seasoning .
- Old Bay: Mix it up and add everyones favorite, Old Bay!
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How To Grill The Absolute Best Zucchini
Zucchini certainly isnt shy about making an entrance. At the first signs of summer, the versatile veggie graces our vegetable gardens, our farmers markets, and our grocery stores with its abundance, begging us to load up and get cooking. And cook we will! Well toss it into pastas and salads all summer long, but the first thing were doing is throwing it on the grill.
Grilling gives the mild-mannered squash a spunky, smoky attitude, and grilled zucchini pairs well with just about anything else youre serving be it grilled steaks, burgers,chicken, ore more veggies. Heres how to grill perfect zucchini every time.
What Size Zucchini Is Best For Grilling
- The ideal size zucchini for grilling is what I call medium large. That would be 7 to 8 inches long.
- But you can grill zucchini that is bigger if you happen to have it.
- I dont recommend grilling the mega zucchinis that you left for too long and are the size of a chiuaua. They are too punky and seedy. Instead use them to make zucchini soup.
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Some More Grilled Sides We Love
I love to make pretty much everything on the grill. A touch of smokey flavor will make anything taste so much better. One of our all time favorite side dishes are grilled potatoes, of course. But, you can forget about buttery grilled mushrooms.
When you want something sweet, grilled pineapple is wonderful with cinnamon and brown sugar glazed over.
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Make This Recipe In The Oven
If you dont feel like turning on the grill for this zucchini recipe, you also have the option or roasting it in the oven.
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Is Foil Safe To Use On The Grill
As you can see, this recipe calls for you to use foil on the grill. Is it safe? YES!
Many people even use aluminum foil to help keep the grill clean.
Aluminum foil helps to keep the juices together, so the food turns out even better than you expected. I love using aluminum foil on the grill, it just makes life a lot easier.
If youâve tried this recipe for Grilled Zucchini and Squash or any other recipe on Cultured Palate please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on , , , and .
How Make Grilled Zucchini
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Grilled Zucchini Squash And Asparagus Recipe
Grilled veggies are delicious, nutritious and super easy. Try this Grilled Zucchini, Squash and Asparagus recipe for a quick side dish for your next BBQ.
My family loves grilled zucchini and squash. They let me add asparagus since its one of my favorite vegetables.
You can experiment with different veggie combinations, just remember to cut your veggies to about the same thickness, so they cook evenly.
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How To Cut Zucchini For The Grill
How you cut zucchini and squash for grilling can drastically affect cooking time. I slice mine into & frac13 ” – ½” medallions. A lot of people like to do ribbons, but I find the medallions both more difficult to deal with when slicing, and later while cooking the squash on the grill.
The medallions are surprisingly easy to work with! I don’t even use a grill pan or foil, although I provide instructions for using all methods below, for those who wish to do so.
How To Grill Zucchini And Squash
Now, lets get to the grilling! All you need to know is the grill temperature and basic timing. Once youve got that down, memorize this recipe and make it on repeat! Here are the basic steps :
- Preheat a grill to medium high heat. Thats about 375 to 450 degrees.
- Cut the zucchini and summer squash into rounds or on the bias. Make the pieces about 1/2-inch thick.
- Toss with olive oil and seasonings. See the recipe below adjust as necessary if you have more or less quantity of vegetables.
- Grill on the grates for 4 to 6 minutes. Cook until charred and tender, turning once.
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Variations: Try These Seasoning Blends
There are lots of ways to season grilled zucchini and squash! While theyre perfect with Mediterranean or Italian seasonings, there are lots of ways to think outside the box. These are especially nice if youre making a meal in the style of another cuisine. Here are some ideas:
- Cajun grilled zucchini and squash: Toss them with about 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning or Blackened Seasoning.
- Mexican-style zucchini and squash: Add 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning or Fajita Seasoning.
- Ranch grilled zucchini and squash: Toss with 1 tablespoon Ranch Seasoning.
- Greek grilled zucchini and squash: Use 1 tablespoon Greek Seasoning.
Grilled Zucchini And Squash
This recipe for Grilled Zucchini and Squash has quickly become our favorite recipe for all the summer squash our garden produces. And, it all started in an effort to keep the kitchen cool! Plus, it is great for any real food diet including GAPS, Paleo, Keto and AIP.
Squash is one vegetable that our garden produces a lot of. No, I am not complaining – in fact, I love it!
But, I normally use this recipe for grilled zucchini and yellow squash since that is what I grow. And, the yellow and green give the meal a nice pop of color!
When so much comes in that we cannot eat it all, I freeze it – see How to Freeze Squash.
Grilled summer squash is definitely a family favorite. Besides tasting good, it is super duper easy.
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How Thick Should I Cut The Zucchini Before Grilling
- Take your zucchini and lay them on the cutting board and cut both ends off.
- Then cut them into slabs that are about 1/3-inch thick. I find its the perfect thickness for grilling. Any thinner and theyll overcook very quickly.
- Not only that, they will be hard to remove from the grill without breaking apart. If you were to cut them into thicker slabs, the final texture is too slippery and mushy.
- If you have small zucchini, you can cut it in half lengthwise once and grill it just a little longer per side to reach the ideal doneness.
- For thicker larger zucchini, cut them in half crosswise, then into 1/3-inch thick slabs.
Grilled Zucchini With Garlic And Herbs
This grilled zucchini is bathed in a flavorful garlic and herb marinade, then cooked to perfection on the grill. An easy side dish thats quick to make and always gets rave reviews!
I adore grilled vegetables, especially asparagus, potato foil packets, and this amazingly delicious zucchini. Once youve tried zucchini on the grill, you wont want to cook it any other way.
When the warmer months roll around, I find myself eating zucchini and other summer squash on a regular basis. Zucchini is inexpensive, widely available and healthy too! My favorite way to eat zucchini is in this grilled zucchini recipe. Its so simple with ingredients you probably already have on hand, yet it tastes so delicious!
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Grilled Zucchini And Summer Squash
This grilled zucchini and summer squash is the perfect summer side dish! Why just grill your main dish when it is so easy to grill your side dish?
Zucchini and yellow summer squash are marinated in lemon juice, white wine vinegar, garlic, fresh thyme and olive oil.
The squash soaks up all that herby lemon flavor and come out amazingly delicious!
Grilled Zucchini Squash And Asparagus
- 3yellow squash-about 1 pound total, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles
- 3zucchini-about 12 ounces total, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles
- 1red onion-medium cut into quarters
- Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1tchopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1tchopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2tfinely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
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Ways To Cut Zucchini And Squash For Grilling
How to cut zucchini and summer squash for grilling? There are a few ways we like to do it. Heres a little breakdown:
- Rounds. You can slice the zucchini and squash into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
- On the bias . If you cut diagonally or on the bias, you get larger, most interesting shapes.
- Planks. You also can cut the vegetables width-wise into long planks: see this grilled zucchini.
Grill Your Side Dishes
Let’s face it, when you are grilling you don’t want to be running inside every few minutes to check on your side dishes. That’s why potato salad and coleslaw are such favorites when you are grilling.
But what about if you grilled your side dish?! It turns out, it’s easy and delicious!
I’ve been making this marinated zucchini and summer squash from Giada for years and years. It’s in her Family Dinners Cookbook which was published in 2006, so that’s how long I’ve been making it!
I love that it goes with everything, it’s the perfect side for chicken, pork, beef or seafood!
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How To Grill Zucchini
Grilled Zucchini! If I had to pick one go-to vegetable for the grill I can never spell right the first time, it would be zucchini. With minimal prep and a fast grill time, zucchini is a great vegetable for any meal.
My enjoyment of zucchini is strange seeing it is a member of the cucumber and melon family and neither cucumbers or melons rank high on my food like list. Maybe if I grilled the melon…
While there are many different ways to prepare zucchini for the grill, I have a preferred method:
- First, take a zucchini and slice it into lengthwise sections, no more than a ¼ in thickness.
- Next, rub both sides of the zucchini slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and your choice of fresh herbs
- Lastly, grill the zucchini over direct medium heat approximately 2 minutes a side, turning once.
And there you have it! Simple, delicious grilled zucchini that pairs well with any one of our other meat recipes like Smoked Beer Can Chicken or Grilled Kabobs. Find more veggie recipes like this zucchini and summer squash recipe and learn more about mastering fruits & veggies. There are a ton of great grilling tips & techniques in our blog so you can learn how to grill like a real grill master.
