If you’re looking for a simple vegetable recipe for the grill, this Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan is it. We love how the zucchini gets charred from the grill grates and takes on a light smoky flavor without becoming mushy. The addition of the breadcrumb topping adds a whole other layer of flavor and texture: a little saltiness from the parm and freshness from the herbs with a toasty crunch that complements the tender-crisp zucchini. Keep reading for cooking success tips, including how to make sure your zucchini cooks to that perfect tenderness.
Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen
These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!
- If you don’t have a grill available, you can use an air fryer, indoor grill, stovetop grill pan or bake the zucchini in the oven at 375°F on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- Get creative with seasonings by adding red pepper flakes, garlic or onion powder, Italian seasoning or fresh herbs at the end of cooking. For extra flavor, you can also add a spritz of fresh lemon.
- Grilling the zucchini in foil packets is an option, but you won’t get the nice grill marks.
- This recipe is also suitable for grilling yellow summer squash, eggplant, bell peppers and asparagus.
Nutrition Notes
- Zucchini may be a humble low-carb vegetable, but it’s loaded with fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. Altogether, the nutrients in zucchini may help knock down your heart disease risk and support healthy vision. We love how zucchini soaks up whatever flavors you toss at it.
- Using whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs instead of traditional panko will add fiber and other nutrients that the whole-wheat kernel naturally contains. Traditional panko is made from refined white bread which has had the outer layers of the wheat kernel removed. Doing so also removes a lot of its nutrients (although many refined wheat breads have been fortified).
- Parmesan cheese is one of the saltier cheeses, but thankfully, a little bit goes a long way. Like other types of cheese, Parmesan provides some calcium and protein. If your body is super sensitive to sodium and you want to replace the Parmesan with a lower-sodium cheese, you could try Swiss since it offers a little pungent bite—although it’s hard to get that nutty Parm flavor from another cheese. If you follow a vegetarian diet, be sure to use a Parmesan that was made with a vegetarian rennet.