Calling all zucchini lovers! This recipe make the BEST Roasted Zucchini! It’s flavorful, caramelized and so delicious! Perfect for a summer side dish.
Do you like zucchini? I didn’t enjoy it for a really long time. It’s a very watery vegetable and a little flavorless when eaten by itself. But, over the years I’ve learned to really love it and have found delicious ways to prepare it. This Roasted Zucchini Recipe is so good and I think you will love it!
Zucchini is usually really affordable at the grocery store when it’s in season and if you grown your own, you usually have an abundance. I just planted some zucchini in my garden and I’m hoping it really takes off this summer.
How To Pick The Right Zucchini
- Picking a good zucchini isn’t very hard. When they’re ripe they will be a dark green and pretty firm to the touch. You can tell that the zucchini is a little past rip if the skin is wrinkly and it’s soft to the touch.
- Zucchini comes in many different sizes. They range from fairy small to really, really large. The grocery store doesn’t usually sell the really large ones and I find those are best for grating and making zucchini bread out of.
- I like to use medium sized zucchini. I really like the skin so I want each thin slice of zucchini to have skin on it. If you get a zucchini that is too large you’ll have some pieces that are just the white, inside part and I don’t find that to be as flavorful. It’s just my preference though!
My Secret To The Best Roasted Zucchini Recipe
As I said above, I haven’t always liked zucchini but I’ve recently figured out how to make it taste great and I want to share my recipe with you!
- Seasonings – honestly, you don’t need a ton of seasonings to really bring out the great taste of zucchini. Salt and olive oil are very important though. The salt helps draw out some of the water and the olive oil helps give it a nice brown color. For this recipe I did add a few other seasonings because they give the roasted zucchini a really great taste.
- Caramelizing the zucchini – this is the most important thing for making your roasted zucchini taste amazing! Zucchini can be cooked in just a few minutes, but if you give it some extra time and let it really get brown and caramelized, that is when the amazing flavor comes out. I roast mine for 35-40 minutes and it really does the trick. It may seem like a long time, but it’s totally worth it!
How To Use Your Roasted Zucchini
I just stood by the pan and ate this roasted zucchini with my fingers 🙂 But, here are a few other ways to enjoy it:
- As a vegetable side dish – It’s flavorful enough that it doesn’t need a dipping sauce but you could dip it in a tzatziki type sauce or mix up some plain yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, fresh herbs and salt.
- In a Buddha Bowl – This zucchini would go great with a big hearty bowl of veggies and proteins.
- In tacos – It would go great as a vegetarian taco filling. You could mix it with some black or refried beans or just use it by itself.
- As a pizza topping – You could slice it up and add it to a summer grilled veggie pizza.
- In a salad – a grilled vegetables salad would be delicious with a tangy dressing on top.
Enjoy more zucchini recipes here:
Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti Bake
PrintThe BEST Roasted Zucchini
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Roasted Zucchini is so flavorful and easy to make!
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized zucchini
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs, I like herbs de Provence
- Cayenne, to taste
- Salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut it in half, width wise. Cut each of those in half, lengthwise, and then cut those halves into quarters, lengthwise.
- Add all of the seasonings, excluding the salt, to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the zucchini and toss to coat.
- Pour the zucchini onto a large sheet pan, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and toss. Roast zucchini until caramelized and very tender, 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Side, Vegan
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Sharon M. BristerBal says
This turned out great! Zucchini stands out well with the explosion of flavors!
She Likes Food says
That’s so nice to hear, Sharon! Glad you enjoyed it!
EM says
Sorry! Never mind – I see it now
She Likes Food says
No worries! I hope you enjoyed!
CHARLOTTE APPLE says
Can yellow summer squash be used as well or with the zucchini?
She Likes Food says
Sure!
Wes says
I have been preparing my zucchini the same way for years. I often change up the flavor but this recipe is a great combination of flavors!
I recommend that everyone rry out this method of preparing zucchini.
Patti Koosed says
I love zucchini and I can’t wait to try this. Sounds divine!
She Likes Food says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!