Grilled zucchini is so delicious when you use fresh, firm zucchini! The balsamic marinade is superb, and this easy side dish is ready in 20 minutes.
This grilled zucchini is amazingly flavorful. Grilling is the perfect cooking method for this vegetable, which has a high water content. The high heat cooks off excess moisture, browns and caramelizes the zucchini, and turns it into a delicacy. Roasting zucchini is another great method. Pair the zucchini with a grilled main dish, such as grilled shrimp, for the perfect summer meal!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Fresh zucchini: Try to find firm zucchini with smooth, dark green skin. Medium-sized is best. The large ones are often soft and watery.
- Olive oil: If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil.
- Balsamic vinegar: This is the secret ingredient! It adds flavor and promotes caramelizing. Please use aged balsamic vinegar. A young vinegar will be too acidic.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Slice the zucchini lengthwise. Mix a marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic. Brush the zucchini slices with the mixture, setting aside the remaining marinade.
Grill the zucchini until just tender.
Brush the zucchini with the remaining marinade and serve.
Recipe Tips
- To prevent your zucchini from becoming limp and mushy, use young, firm zucchini and avoid overcooking. It's better to slightly undercook zucchini than overcook it.
- For stronger grill marks, don't move the zucchini around. Once you place the slices on the grill, leave them undisturbed until it's time to flip them. Moving them too soon interferes with browning and makes it harder to develop distinct grill marks.
- Don't crowd the grill. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer with a little space between the slices. Good contact with the hot grill helps them brown rather than steam.
- I like to slice off a thin sliver off the zucchini's long edge, as shown below. This promotes better contact with the grill surface.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I sometimes do exactly that, as shown in the image below. However, it's easier to flip larger lengthwise slices on the grill, and they're especially convenient on an outdoor grill because the larger pieces are less likely to slip through the grates.
Garlic powder works better in this recipe. It distributes more evenly and doesn't burn on the grill as quickly as minced garlic.
Zucchini skin is edible and tasty, so you can leave it on. There are two exceptions, though. If you can tell that the skin has been waxed because it's unnaturally shiny, it's best to peel it off.
You might also want to peel the skin off very large zucchini because it can be bitter. However, very large zucchini are not recommended anyway.
There's no need to salt the zucchini in advance to draw out moisture. This technique can be helpful in recipes where excess zucchini water is a problem, such as zucchini fritters or zucchini casserole, but it's unnecessary when grilling.
Serving Suggestions
Since I'm firing up the grill, I like to serve grilled zucchini with a main dish I can also grill. So, I often serve it with one of the following:
- Grilled halibut
- Grilled shrimp
- Grilled chicken breast
- Grilled chicken skewers
- Grilled salmon
- Grilled chicken tenders, as shown below.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It's best to enjoy them cold, antipasti-style, as shown in the image below.
Even if I use the leftovers as a side dish to a cooked meal, I prefer to serve them cold. The photo below shows the sliced leftovers served with crispy chicken thighs and cold roasted peppers.
If you prefer to reheat the leftovers, do so gently in the microwave at 50% power.
Recipe Card
Balsamic Grilled Zucchini
Video
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini - medium, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - extra-virgin
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar - make sure it's marked "aged"
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Trim the zucchini edges and slice it lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices. You can expect about 3 slices from each medium zucchini.2 zucchini
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Brush the zucchini slices with the mixture on both sides. Set aside any remaining marinade. No extra marinade? Quickly mix some more while the zucchini grills.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan over medium heat.
- Grill the zucchini slices until just tender, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Adjust the heat and timing as needed. Even the location on a double burner or outdoor gas grill matters. Switch the slices around if needed. Some of them will be ready sooner.
- Brush the zucchini slices with the remaining marinade and serve.
Notes
- Look for firm zucchini with smooth, dark green skin. Medium-sized is best. The large ones are often soft and watery.
- To keep your zucchini firm (not limp and mushy), use young, firm zucchini and avoid overcooking. It's better to slightly undercook zucchini than overcook it.
- Don't crowd the grill. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer with a little space between the slices. Good contact with the hot grill helps them brown rather than steam.
- There's no need to salt the zucchini in advance to draw out moisture. This technique can be helpful in recipes where excess zucchini water is a problem, but it's unnecessary when grilling.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It's best to enjoy them cold, antipasti-style, as shown in the image below. If you prefer to reheat the leftovers, do so gently in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Dawn says
I only had 1 zucchini (9 oz - yep, weighed it) so I halved the ingredients, including what you stated about the salt. It was "ok." Once off the grill, I sprinkled a little bit of salt and drizzled some balsamic glaze. BAM! That's what gave this a 4 star rating.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review.
Linz says
Great recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the review.
Brian says
Enjoyed the recipe. Reduced the vinegar with a pinch of sugar to thicken and it stayed put nicely. Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Brian!
Anna U says
Loved the flavor. The flavor was so good! I think I need a thicker balsamic. How did you get it to stay on like your photos with the balsamic clearly on top? Do you have a balsamic vinegar recommendation?
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Anna! It's best to use a high-quality aged vinegar rather than a young one. The aged ones are thicker. I typically use this balsamic vinegar from Whole Foods.