Grilled Zucchini with Feta and Pine Nuts is a great way to use up some of summer’s favorite garden vegetable. Marinating and grilling the zucchini gives it incredible flavor, complemented by the creamy feta cheese and the crunchy toasted pine nuts.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Grilled Zucchini Recipe
• What You’ll Need for Grilled Zucchini
• How to Make the Best Grilled Zucchini
• Grilled Zucchini Tips and Variations
• Why is My Grilled Zucchini Soggy?
• What is the Best Way to Slice Zucchini for Grilling?
• Is Zucchini Allowed in Keto?
• Should You Salt Zucchini Before Grilling?
• More Keto Zucchini Recipes

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Grilled Zucchini Recipe

• Smoky grilled flavor, brightened up with lemon
• Creative way to use up zucchini from your garden
• Nice contrast in texture with creamy feta cheese and crunchy pine nuts
• Only 2 net carbs per serving

Every once in a while, there's a side dish that comes along that can outshine most any main course you serve it with. After you take the very first bite of this lemony, grilled zucchini, I think you'll agree this is such a dish.

Zucchini is just one of those vegetables that you can create such a wide variety of recipes with. From sweet and tasty Chocolate Zucchini Bread to using it in place of pasta in recipes like these Chicken Tenders over Zoodles, there are countless and creative ways to cook with it.

But when it's grilled, it takes this popular veggie to a whole new level. With grilling season in full swing, this grilled zucchini recipe is the perfect celebration of simple, basic ingredients that are in abundance this time of year.

A tangy homemade Lemon Vinaigrette soaks into the zucchini slices and as they grill, it coats each slice giving them the most incredible yet subtle lemony flavor.

One of the things that makes this recipe so great is you can just throw it on the grill after grilling your Steak or Chicken. Then, in a matter of minutes, you'll have a side dish ready without having to mess up a separate baking dish.

If you love grilling veggies as much as I do, you should also try this Grilled Broccolini! It's another really popular grilled veggie recipe that takes very little prep work and it always a hit.

What You’ll Need for Grilled Zucchini

• Zucchini
• Lemon Vinaigrette 
• Feta cheese
• Pine nuts
• Fresh parsley

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

How to Make the Best Grilled Zucchini

Wash, dry and slice your zucchini in thick slices.  I cut them on the bias, I think they look prettier that way, but you can slice them however you like.

Add them to a large ziplock baggie, then pour most of the lemon vinaigrette over them.  Reserve some to drizzle over the tops later.

Seal up the bag and toss to make sure all the zucchini is coated. 

Allow to marinate at room temperature while you heat up your grill.

Grill the zucchini for a few minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Tip: Too rainy outside to grill? You can get the same flavorful grill marks using a grill pan indoors.

Add them to a platter and top with the crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and a drizzle of the remaining lemon vinaigrette and serve warm.

Tip: Make sure to top the zucchini with the feta while it's still warm. This helps the cheese to soften and blend in with the texture of the zucchini.

Grilled Zucchini Tips and Variations

Cheese: If you're not a fan of feta, you can use goat cheese. You can also use parmesan cheese because it compliments grilled zucchini, but keep in mind, it doesn't have the same creamy texture as feta or goat cheese.

Zucchini: I typically cut zucchini on a diagonal angle because it makes them a little easier to handle than smaller round slices. You can cut them length wise if you prefer.

Another option is to add them skewers before grilling. This is especially helpful if you are feeding a crowd and need to cook them in larger batches. But if you want those gorgeous grill marks, you'll want to grill them with the flesh side down in individual slices.

Marinade: Lemons and summertime go hand in hand, and they make the best vinaigrettes. But if you have another favorite vinaigrette, feel free to use it. This Apricot Vinaigrette is a delicious option.

Nuts: If you can't find pine nuts in the grocery store, you can use finely chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans. Just make sure you adjust the carb counts accordingly if you're counting macros.

Glaze: If you want to add a whole other layer of flavor, instead of drizzling additional vinaigrette over the finished side dish, this tangy and sweet homemade Balsamic Glaze is so tasty.

Herbs: Feel free to use any fresh herbs you have available. Fresh basil or lemon thyme adds a nice freshness to the grilled flavors in the zucchini.

Why is My Grilled Zucchini Soggy?

Grilling zucchini on too low of a heat is usually the cause of them being soggy. Marinating zucchini with some sort of oil, like olive oil, or rubbing zucchini slices with oil helps to cook the zucchini quicker when placed on the grill. You'll want to place them straight onto the grill grates over direct, medium-high heat.

Once they have nice grill marks on one side, flip them over to the other side. Cooking them quickly helps prevent them from over cooking and becoming soggy.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to try and grill super thin slices because as soon they begin to heat up, they will start to release water which will make them soggy.

What is the Best Way to Slice Zucchini for Grilling?

For best results you want to create a wide surface when slicing zucchini for grilling. Because they shrink some as they begin to cook, smaller round slices may slide down between the grates in the grills. You'll also want thicker slices so they won't become limp and soggy.

Slicing them diagonally like in this recipe or lengthwise is recommended. If you want to cut round or super thin slices, you'll want to use a grill mat to prevent you from losing any of them.

Is Zucchini Allowed in Keto?

Zucchini is a great vegetable for Keto. It contains many wonderful vitamins and minerals like, vitamin A, manganese, vitamin C and potassium.

It's also low carb! The carbs in zucchini is especially low because it's made up of mostly water. For a one cup serving, there are 4 total grams of carbs, which when you minus out the fiber, there's only a little over 2 net carbs in zucchini.

Should You Salt Zucchini Before Grilling?

This is not a necessary step if you're adding them to a marinade. If you're just grilling fresh zucchini slices, you may want to sprinkle them with a little salt and let them sit for about 15 minutes to help draw out some of the water. Then just dab off the extra moisture with paper towels.

More Keto Zucchini Recipes

• Keto Zucchini Fritters
• Keto Zucchini Lasagna
• Buffalo Zucchini Boats
• Zucchini noodle "pasta" salad
• Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Lasagna Zucchini Boats