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Grilled Zucchini is the best summer side dish! Coated with a wonderful sesame-soy glaze, this simple squash recipe pairs perfectly with all of your favorite grilled meals or quick stir fries like my easy bourbon chicken.
Quick & Easy Grilled Zucchini
When the weather gets warm, the grill comes out! We love grilling up juicy pork chops, flavorful salmon, tender steaks, etc. All of those delicious main courses require a nice, light side dish, though, and that’s where zucchini comes in!
Grilled zucchini is so easy to make and tastes fantastic, too. Long strips of squash are brushed with a garlic and soy sauce marinade and then grilled to tender and charred perfection.
What You’ll Need
This quick and flavorful grilled zucchini recipe uses just a handful of simple pantry ingredients. Zucchini cooks fast, making it perfect for an easy side dish ready in about 15 minutes.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce for this recipe, but you can use regular if you like.
- Sesame Oil: For added flavor.
- Garlic: 4 cloves, finely minced.
- Sugar: To give the marinade a little sweetness.
- Zucchini: You’ll need a couple of zucchinis, sliced into planks.
- Garnish: I like to garnish with toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.
What Size Zucchini to Use
I find that medium-sized zucchini works best for this recipe. It’s not too small or difficult to slice on a cutting board, but the strips still fit on the grill without being too long. A good weight for a medium-sized zucchini is right around 8 ounces.
How to Grill Zucchini
The basic breakdown is this: first, you’ll mix the marinade together, then you’ll slice the zucchini. Next, you’ll marinate the zucchini strips, grill them, and enjoy!
- Prep. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Then, brush the grill grates with oil.
- Prepare the Marinade. In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar; whisk and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- Slice the Zucchini. Cut the zucchini into long thick strips.
- Grill. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip over the zucchini, cover and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until tender.
- Serve. Remove from heat. Brush each slice of zucchini with the sauce and then garnish with sesame seeds and pepper flakes.
How to Slice Zucchini
To start, cut both ends off of your zucchini. Then, carefully slice it horizontally into 1/4-1/3 inch slices. If you like, cut a very thin slice off the side of the zucchini before you do that last step so that you have a flat surface to work with.
If you don’t want to slice the zucchini by hand, feel free to use a mandoline – just make sure to slice with caution and protect those fingers.
Katerina’s Recipe Tips
- Experiment with the Spices: If you generally like more spice to your food, add more red pepper flakes. If you’re not a big fan of sweet and savory, slightly reduce the amount of sugar. Do what fits your tastes and preferences!
- Preheat the Grill: This is an important step if you want to see those beautiful char marks on the zucchini. It’s also important to oil the grates so that the zucchini strips don’t stick.
- Let the Marinade Soak into the Zucchini: If you have time, let the zucchini sit for 15-ish minutes after brushing it with the marinade. It will be even more flavorful.
What Goes with Grilled Zucchini?
Grilled zucchini is the perfect side to grilled meats, and I like to serve it with meals like chimichurri steak skewers or honey mustard chicken. It also goes great with seafood! Make it alongside something like grilled salmon with avocado salsa, or garlic basil shrimp skewers.
You can also serve some of this squash next to a plate of pasta. If you’re looking for ideas, try this garlic butter pasta with spinach, and add a light salad to the menu.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Grilled zucchini is best the day it’s made. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Reheat the zucchini strips on the grill or in a skillet on the stovetop, and with the leftovers, make this grilled zucchini salad.
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Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 to 3 zucchini, sliced into thick strips (you'll need about 12 to 14 strips, total)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the grill to medium-high and brush the grill grates with oil. Cut the zucchini into long, 1/4-inch-thick strips and set aside.
- Make the glaze. In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar; whisk and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Grill. Place the zucchini on the hot grill in a single layer. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the zucchini over; cover and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until charred and tender. Remove from heat.
- Finish and serve. Brush each slice of zucchini with the prepared glaze sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and pepper flakes and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- To cut long slices of zucchini, using a mandoline slicer is the best approach. It allows you to set your desired thickness and makes slicing quick and easy. Always use the hand guard or a cut-resistant glove for safety because the blades are extremely sharp.
- Adjust Spices: Add more red pepper for heat or reduce sugar to suit your taste.
- Preheat and Oil the Grill: For char marks and to prevent sticking.
- Marinate Zucchini: If possible, let it sit for 15 minutes after applying the marinade for extra flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Love the sesame flavor!
Thank YOU! 🙂
These look perfect and full of flavor! My family and I absolutely love this recipe. We just love grilling this time of year!
Thank you so much! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂
I’m definitely making this again! Everyone loved it!
That’s great! I’m very glad everyone loved it! Thanks for chiming in! 🙂
This is the perfect summer side dish! Zucchini are my favorite!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
We loved these grilled zucchini. It was tasty and so easy to make. Grilled zucchini is definitely a have-to in the summer!
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
So much love for this!
Thank YOU! 🙂
Big fan of zucchini this time of year. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This turned out perfectly! Love the flavor.
That’s great! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
These grilled zucchini were amazing. I loved the Asian flavor!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂