Grilled Zucchini

Fast, easy, and healthy, this grilled zucchini uses ingredients that are already in your pantry! Zucchini is a plentiful and affordable vegetable, so this makes for a great side dish for summer!

Make sure to make your very own Italian Seasoning for this recipe. Or try pairing your grilled zucchini with this Roast Beef on the Barbecue recipe for the ultimate summer meal.

Grilled Summertime Zucchini

There is something about summer that brings about the desire to start eating healthy and treating our bodies to the vegetables that are all too easy to skip.

At the same time, no one wants to spend the beautiful summer days hidden away in the kitchen, carefully crafting healthy dishes.

This grilled zucchini recipe is perfect for summer. Not only is this recipe super healthy, but it also works those all-important vegetables into your diet while requiring minimal time in the kitchen.

Grilled Zucchini Ingredients

Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.

• Zucchini

• Olive oil

• Italian seasoning

• Salt & pepper

How To Make Grilled Zucchini

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grate

• Cut the ends off of the zucchinis, and then slice into 4 quarters lengthwise so that each zucchini turns into 4 sticks; leave the skin on if the zucchini is fresh and young

• Place on a baking sheet, then drizzle with the olive oil

• Season generously with the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper

• Grill the zucchini arranged in a single layer with one cut face down on the grill grates

• Close the grill lid and grill without disturbing until grill marks appear, around 2 minutes, and then flip to the other side to grill

• Flip them onto the skin side, and then grill until tender, and then remove and serve

Do You Have To Use Olive Oil, Or Can You Substitute For Other Oils?

This recipe calls for olive oil, and for a good reason; it just tastes the best when combined with most veggies.

However, if you check out the oil aisle in your local grocery store, you will probably notice that olive oil is one of the most expensive options. 

After comparing the price of other common cooking oils, you might be left wondering if you can simply substitute olive oil for one of the cheaper options, such as sunflower or canola, and save a little extra money.

While you could definitely try this grilled zucchini recipe with other cooking oils that you have in your kitchen, it is worth noting that the end result will not have quite the same flavor.

Why Do I Have to Use Oil?

The olive oil serves a number of purposes in this recipe, some of which other oils will be able to do just as well.

Firstly, the oil acts as a surface to which your Italian seasoning mixture, salt, and pepper can all stick. Without the oil, the majority of the seasoning will be lost to the grill as zucchini are dry in texture.

Secondly, the olive oil prevents the zucchini from charring and potentially burning on the grill. The zucchini are able to cook much longer on the grill and retain their tender texture thanks to the oil.

Olive Oil Adds Taste

Other cooking oils can serve both of these purposes just as well as olive oil; however, there is one last thing that olive oil adds to the dish that other cooking oils lack; taste.

Olive oil has a distinct flavor that shines through when used in recipes in a way that few other oils do not. The addition of olive oil helps to give the zucchini a much deeper flavor and pairs perfectly with the seasoning within the dish.

So, while you could definitely try this grilled zucchini recipe with cheaper oils, the layered flavors that olive oil adds to the dish are probably not going to be worth losing just to save a little bit of money.

How To Use This Grilling Method For Other Vegetables

The really nice thing about this grilled zucchini recipe is that it can be easily adapted for other vegetables that you might have in your kitchen.

The blend of seasoning and the particular grilling method works best on vegetables that can be cut and sliced in a similar way to zucchini. Carrots, eggplants, and parsnips can all be easily prepared and grilled in the same way that zucchini can.

When choosing vegetables to try with this recipe, it is not just their shape that is worth thinking about. The texture of the raw vegetable is also important for recreating the same summery vibe of grilled zucchini. 

Zucchinis work well when grilled as they have a relatively dry texture giving them a firmness that helps them to withstand being cooked on a grill. This is also why carrots and eggplants work so well as a vegetable substitution, as they share the same properties.

Why not try experimenting with the different vegetables that you have in your kitchen? Cut them into slices and prepare them ready for the grill to see what fun, summery side dishes you can wow your friends with at the next BBQ.

Looking for more healthy Side Dish recipes? Try these out:

• Fast and Easy Greek Grilled Eggplant

• Roasted Garlic Asparagus With Sorvrano Cheese

• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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