When summer rolls around, you will find me making lots of zucchini and squash dishes since I grow them in my garden. This easy grilled zucchini and squash is my go to recipe for a delicious and easy way to prepare them.
The zucchini and squash are dressed with a simple garlic and olive oil marinade then thrown on to the grill for just a few minutes per side. Serve this as a side to marinated citrus and garlic kabobs for a complete meal everyone will enjoy.
About this recipe
In the summer months, I have to make lots of zucchini and squash recipes because I grow so much of it in my garden. From Italian zucchini, sautéd zucchini, zucchini pancakes , zucchini and tomatoes and this grilled zucchini and squash, making sure you have a variety of zucchini recipes in the summer is so helpful.
It keeps you from getting bored of this summer staple.
If you have not grilled zucchini and squash before, it is very easy. The main thing you want to do to grill them is to make sure you cut them length wise (so they do not fall through the grill grates) and grill them over medium heat (which is around 400-450 degrees).
Once you know these two things, the rest is really easy. The entire cooking process takes less than 10 minutes.
The prep. portion adds maybe 5 more minutes to the time. It is a really easy recipe that tastes amazing!
Ingredients you will need:
- Zucchini.
- Squash.
- Olive Oil.
- Garlic Powder. Garlic powder works better when grilling because fresh garlic will burn too easily.
- Kosher salt.
- Fresh ground black pepper.
Here are the steps to make this super easy and delicious grilled zucchini and squash recipe:
Step 1:
You want to slice all of your zucchini and squash lengthwise (the long way). This helps make sure the vegetables do not fall through the grill grates.
Step 2:
Add the sliced zucchini and squash to a large bowl. Then add olive oil and garlic powder and toss well. Notice, I do not add the salt yet.
The reason is I do not want the vegetables sitting with the salt which draws out moisture and makes getting a nice sear difficult on the grill. I like to sprinkle this over the zucchini and squash when it is grilling.
That is it. Once you have tossed the zucchini and squash in the olive oil, you just head straight over to the grill which you will have per-heated over medium heat.
Just grill the vegetables for about 2-3 minutes per side and serve immediately.
Pro-Tips for making the best grilled zucchini and squash:
Grilling zucchini and squash is not difficult at all but even the easiest recipes can benefit from a few tips. Here are some of the things I do to ensure I make my grilled vegetables the best they can be.
- Do not salt the zucchini and squash until it is on the grill. Adding salt before grilling draws out moisture which can affect the searing on the grill.
- Make sure to slice those veggies lengthwise so they do not fall through the cracks of the grill.
- Do not over cook the zucchini and squash. I find 2-3 minutes per side yields a non soggy zucchini and squash with just a little firmness on the inside.
- Once the zucchini and squash are done grilling, serve them right away. They will keep cooking off the grill which could cause them to over cook and get mushy.
More ideas for using up zucchini
If you love this zucchini recipe, you may also like some of these:
Grilled Zucchini and Squash
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch thick strips
- 3 small yellow squash sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch thick strips
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat your grill to medium heat or between 400-450 degrees for 10 minutes. If you are using a grill pan, pre-heat that over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Slice the zucchini and squash into ¼ inch thick slices lengthwise.3 small zucchini, 3 small yellow squash
- Add the sliced veggies to a large bowl.
- Now add the olive oil and garlic powder and toss the veggies well making sure to coat all of them.3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Once you have added the olive to the veggies, start to place them on to the grill making sure they lay the opposite direction of the grates.
- Sprinkle the kosher salt evenly over the veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes.1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Now with tongs, flip the squash and zucchini over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Once done cooking, remove and serve immediately
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Lara M says
I’ve tried a few different recipes for grilling squash. This is the best one! You gave tips that no one else has. Like salting after they’re cooked made a huge difference. I also loved how these are cut. Usually recipes say to cut in circles or like pickle spears. This will be the only recipe I use from now on.
Melissa says
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Jill says
They were perfect. We had a bunch from our garden that we needed to cook and this was the perfect recipe.