Grilled Zucchini With A Cajun Twist

By James Kimble April 27, 2025 8 mins read 11 Views

Forget soggy, bland zucchini. This Cajun-spiced grilled version delivers crisp char marks, tender (never mushy) centers, and bold Louisiana-inspired flavor in just 10 minutes.

It’s converted countless vegetable skeptics at my backyard cookouts and pairs perfectly with anything from smoked brisket to grilled chicken.

The Best Grilled Zucchini

This recipe is more about the process than the ingredients themselves. While many vegetables can be thrown on the grill, zucchini requires just a bit more prep to get the best out of it, but trust me on this, the process is worth it.

cooked grilled zucchini on a white plate

This recipe is more about the process than the ingredients themselves. While many vegetables can be thrown on the grill, zucchini requires a bit more prep to get the best out of it, but trust me on this, the process is worth it.

Tips for the best grilled zucchini

Scoring the zucchini in a cross-hatch pattern achieves a couple of things. It helps the seasoning penetrate deeper into the vegetable to ensure flavor in every bite. It also helps get extra char on the zucchini, which results in a fabulous taste and texture.
Dry brining – You can skip the dry brining step, but your zucchini will be soggy at the end. The salt helps remove moisture from the zucchini and creates the perfect texture in the final dish.
Seasoning – Try to avoid any seasonings with sugar, as the sugar will burn on the grill.
A hot grill – Heat your grill to medium-high to get the best grill marks, and to help prevent sticking.

Ingredients you’ll need

Fresh zucchini – I used four large zucchini, but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you cook for a larger crowd.
Coarse sea salt – Used to dry-brine the zucchini. This process helps pull moisture out of the vegetable and is a key step to the best texture.
Olive oil – This will help the seasoning stick and prevent the zucchini from sticking to the grill.
Cajun seasoning – You can substitute any seasoning blend you prefer.
Butter – The zucchini gets braised in butter at the end of the grilling process.

four raw zucchini on a wooden chopping board — Look for firm, unblemished zucchini.

Equipment you’ll need

Sharp knife
Plate or baking dish – The zucchini needs to dry-brine in the fridge, so whatever you sit it on needs to fit on a shelf.
Paper towels – For mopping up the excess salt and liquid after the dry-brine.
Grill – Any grill will work for this recipe. I’ve cooked the zucchini over an open fire, in my Weber kettle, on gas grills, and even on pellet grills. They all work great as long as they can reach a medium-high temperature of around 400°F.
Tongs – Ever so helpful when flipping the zucchini on the grill.
Aluminum pan (or baking dish) – Used at the end for the butter braise.

How to make grilled zucchini

1. Prep your zucchini

The prep portion of this recipe is the most important part of the process.

Wash the zucchini, and cut about ¼” off each end. Then cut the zucchini in half lengthwise to expose the inside.

raw zucchini cut in half on a wooden board with a knife in the background

Carefully score the cut side of each zucchini half in a cross-hatch pattern.

raw zucchini with a cross hatch pattern sitting on a wooden board — Chef Thomas Keller has a similar method for prepping zucchini, though his method involves cooking it in a pan instead of on the grill.

Scoring zucchini in a cross-hatch pattern is a trick that I picked up from my friend Al Frugoni. We were at an event together a few years ago, and he made amazing zucchini over an open fire. I noticed the technique he used and have been using it ever since.

Once you’ve prepped and scored the zucchini, transfer it to a plate that will fit on the shelf of your fridge.

2. Dry brine your Zucchini for better texture and flavor

If you have ever found zucchini too soggy, you are not alone. That soft texture turns a lot of people off. Dry brining helps solve that by pulling out excess moisture before cooking, so the zucchini stays firm and flavorful.

To dry brine, sprinkle about one tablespoon of coarsely ground sea salt over the cross-hatch side of each zucchini half. The salt will start drawing moisture to the surface.

After salting, place the zucchini in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to three hours for even better results. This step makes a big difference in achieving a tender but not mushy bite.

raw zucchini sweating out water sitting on a white plate — The zucchini will look like they are sweating. You want to get rid of this moisture. Moisture equals soggy zucchini.

When you remove them from the fridge, you will see droplets of water all over the top of the zucchini. You may also see moisture pooling on the plate.

Take a paper towel and gently wipe away the salt and excess moisture prior to seasoning.

3. Season

like to use Cajun seasoning when I make this recipe, but you can use just about any seasoning you like. I recommend avoiding any seasoning blends with sugar in them, as the sugar will burn on the grill.

I’ve found that steak seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and savory barbecue rubs all work really well in this recipe.

Drizzle over the olive oil and toss the zucchini to coat. Then, go ahead and give the zucchini a good sprinkling of seasoning. You only need to season the cut cross-hatch side.

Zucchini tastes great with many flavors, try these combos as well

Italian seasoning – with a nice grating of parmesan at the end.
Mediterranean seasoning – with a nice dollop of garlicky yogurt on top.
Middle Eastern seasoning – with a nice dollop of tahini yogurt on top.
Simple seasoning – salt, pepper, and garlic powder with a drizzle of lemon juice or red wine vinegar to finish.

4. Fire up the grill

You can use any grill you have available for this recipe. Gas grills, charcoal grills, and even pellet grills are great options.

You want to preheat the grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F) and let it fully preheat for about 10 minutes before you start cooking.

I used my Ninja FlexFlame gas grill for this recipe and set it to 400°F on the two-zone cooking setting.

Once your grill is preheated, you can place the zucchini on the grates with the cross-hatch side facing down. Let it grill for three to five minutes, or until grill marks are visible.

raw zucchini on the grill with cross hatch side down — Place the zucchini crossways on the grill to get the best grill marks.

Use tongs to flip each piece of zucchini over and let it grill for another three to five minutes.

zucchini on the grill with the crosshatch side up and some nice grill marks

5. Butter braise

At this point, your zucchini should have dark grill marks on both sides. It may look like it’s done, but the inside of each piece may still be undercooked. The best way to finish the cooking process is to braise the zucchini in a pan.

Transfer the grilled zucchini to an aluminum pan or baking dish with the cross-hatch side facing up. Take a stick of butter and cut it into pats. Place the pats on top of the zucchini, close the grill, and let them cook for five to seven minutes more.

zucchini in an aluminum pan with pats of butter on the top, in the grill

The best way to check to see if they are done is to give one a gentle poke with a fork to see if they are cooked enough for you.

Then, you can remove the pan from the grill and serve it immediately.

cooked zucchini in aluminum tray with a butter braise

Serve grilled zucchini alongside these main proteins

This smoky, savory zucchini makes a standout side dish for any grilled or smoked main. Here are a few favorites that pair beautifully:

Smoked Cajun turkey carved and served on a white platter with lemon slices, fresh rosemary, and sage garnish, placed on a green napkin on a wooden surface.

Cajun Smoked Turkey

Easy Salmon on the Blackstone Griddle

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak

If you tried this recipe, leave a rating below and let us know what you thought. We’d also love to hear what flavor combinations you used.

Grilled Zucchini with a Cajun Twist

Smoky, tender zucchini scored, dry-brined, grilled, and butter-braised with Cajun seasoning.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 17

Dry brine 1

Total Time 1 27

Servings

Calories 232kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

4 zucchini, large
1 tbsp course sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning Use your favorite store-bought cajun seasoning or make up a batch of our rub below.
½ stick salted butter, cut into pats

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

1 tbsp paprika
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp garlic powder
¾ tsp black pepper
¾ tsp white pepper
¾ tsp onion powder
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Wash your zucchini and chop ¼” off each end.
Use a knife to slice the zucchini lengthways, then score the inside in a cross-hatch pattern.
Lay your zucchini on a plate with the cross-hatched side facing upward and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Place the salted zucchini in the fridge for one hour (up to three hours).
You will be able to see water droplets on the surface and pooled on the plate. Using paper towels, wipe the salt and moisture off the zucchini.
Drizzle the oil over the zucchini and toss to give them all a good coating. Sprinkle with seasoning over the cross-hatch side.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Once preheated, place the zucchini on the grill's grates with the cut side facing down.
Let grill for three to five minutes, then flip and grill for three to five minutes more.
Remove the charred zucchini from the grill grates and transfer to an aluminum pan.
Top the zucchini with the pats of butter, place back on the grill, and close the lid. Cook for five to seven minutes or until the zucchini is softened to your liking.

Notes

Dry brining – You can skip the dry brining step, but your zucchini will be soggy at the end. The salt helps remove moisture from the zucchini and creates the perfect texture in the final dish.