How Long To Grill Zucchini (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 6 To 10 Minutes

Summertime is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy delicious grilled foods. Grilling is a summer staple. 

There’s nothing like the taste of food cooked over an open flame. If one is looking for a new way to grill the vegetables, give zucchini a try. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that one can examine in under 10 minutes. 

How long to grill zucchini depends on one’s preferences – whether one wants it soft or crispy. The whole recipe, including the prep, will not take more than 15 minutes to complete.

How Long To Grill Zucchini?

Heat the grill to medium-high heat to grill zucchini with a good, even char on all sides. Trim the ends of two zucchinis and slice them four layers thick so they will lay flat for grilling. 

Grill, each side for 2-3 minutes or until dark marks appear on all sides of the slices. Serve as a healthy alternative to French fries with burgers or enjoy alongside one’s favorite sandwich filling.

A zucchini only takes 2 to 3 minutes on each side, but it needs to be about one inch thick or less. Many people cook zucchini by placing them in squash boats and grilling them until they’re slightly browned with firmer texture; squash boats are great because one can cook more at once with this method.

Tips to grill zucchini:

1. Grilling zucchini is an excellent way to enjoy this summer squash.
2.  Zucchini’s natural sweetness and moisture content make for one of the best vegetables ever. 
3.  Slice zucchini lengthwise into quarters, spray with olive oil, salt and pepper, then grill on high heat until done. 
4. A few other tips are to use a little olive oil or cooking spray to coat the zucchini before grilling them – This will prevent the pieces from sticking to the grill pan.
5. Try flipping once after they have been flipped onto their opposite side for even cooking. Use a wide spatula to turn them over without breaking up any one piece to adversely affect their shape.

Why Would Grilling Zucchini Take So Long?

Grilling zucchini takes 6 to 10 minutes because they need to be exposed to enough heat from the grill to soften. Depending on one’s grill, it is either skin-side down or skin-side up, and turn them every 2 minutes before cooking the full 10 minutes.

The time it takes to grill zucchini depends on the thickness of the slices; 15 minutes is too long for most sizes.

If eaten raw, a zucchini can make people very gassy. If one eats it raw, use a knife to cut off both tips, then slice into sticks about 3 inches long and ¼ inch thick.

 Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before grilling for a couple of minutes on each side until browned but still a little al dente in the center – or roast for 10 mins at 400 degrees.

To avoid sticking problems, start by grilling zucchini upside-down. It is important to slice the vegetable into four layers that are thick each to produce even charring from zucchini. This will allow it to cook evenly and quickly without relying upon excessive oil or butter required by most vegetables during grilling.

Overall, Grilling zucchini has a reputation for being time-consuming because most people start cooking the zucchini skin-side down before flipping over and finishing up with crispy skin. They do this to prevent sticking, which means that it can take 10 minutes or more before the results are worth eating. 

Conclusion

Overall, do not grill zucchini over an open flame to avoid burned edges or overcooked interior. Place zucchini on a solid surface that doesn’t require grill marks. 

Some options are microwavable non-stick baking pad, pizza stone, or cut-up aluminum foil placed on a baking sheet and then half-folded into triangular-shaped pieces. 

Sometimes vegetables like zucchini and squash do best when they’re brought inside for 4 minutes at 400°F in the oven before grilling for about 4 minutes or until browned with nice grill marks.

 Try starting with the slick side of the zucchini facing upwards on the grill grates and flipping them halfway through cooking for evenly roasted slices of squash without risking sticking or burning oneself.

References

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11509
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfpe.13895