Grilled Zucchini Recipe - All Day I Dream About Food (2024)

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Raise your hand if you need more delicious recipes to use up some of that garden zucchini. Because if you grow your own, then you know how it comes in fast and furiously during the summer months!

We make this grilled zucchini at lease once a week in the summer. Whenever we have the grill going for meat or fish, we toss some sliced zucchini on first. It becomes so perfectly tender, without being mushy. And that slightly charred flavor is utterly delectable.

I have many wonderful keto zucchini recipes, both savory and sweet. But this recipe and my keto zucchini bread are two of my all-time favorites.

Cooking zucchini on the grill is about as easy as it gets for summer side dishes. But not all grilled zucchini is created equal. Some of it is so painfully soggy, it’s absolutely depressing!

But somewhere along the way, I hit upon the best trick for perfect grilled zucchini. I call it “dry grilling”. In other words, don’t brush it with oil or season it at all before you place it on the grates.

Salt and seasonings draw water out of zucchini, and the moisture sitting on the surface causes the slices to become mushy. Brushing it with oil seems to have a similar affect.

So leave your zucchini completely naked. Simply slice it and lay it on the grill as is. If the grates tend to stick, you can brush them lightly with oil beforehand but that is all!

Once grilled, you can add oil, seasoning, cheese, pesto, or whatever else you might enjoy. We love this grilled zucchini with a simple dressing of olive oil and garlic, and we always toss in some feta cheese.

1. Slice the zucchini: Use a sharp knife to slice the zucchini crosswise but on a slight diagonal. I like ¼ inch thick slices, but you can make them slightly thicker, about ⅓ inch as well.

2. Grill until tender: Place the slices on a grill preheated to medium high, and grill on both sides until grill marks appear and the edges are slightly charred. Watch them carefully, as they can go from barely grilled to over-charred very quickly, especially when they are sliced thinly.

3. Drizzle with the oil: Transfer the zucchini to a bowl and add a few tablespoons of oil. Toss to coat well.

4. Add seasonings and cheese: Add the garlic, salt and pepper, cheese, and any fresh herbs. Toss again to combine and serve warm or room temperature.

Pick fruit that’s relatively wide and fat for this grilled zucchini recipe, as it makes the slices less likely to fall between the grates of the grill.

Always use a good sharp knife when slicing any vegetables or meats. A dull knife requires more pressure to cut through the food, and thus it’s more likely to slip and cut you.

You can also use a mandolin slicer for really even slices. Set the blade width to ¼ inch thick. I wear a pair of protective gloves whenever I use my mandolin, so I don’t cut myself on the sharp blade.