Learn how to roast zucchini the best way so it isn’t soggy! Roasted Zucchini is an easy, oven baked recipe perfect all year round. Golden, roasted summer squash is flavored with garlic and seasonings for a healthy side dish everyone will devour!
Zucchini, also known as courgettes, is a summer squash that can be used in variety of recipes, from sweet to savory.
This variety of squash is extremely popular because of its versatility. Easy zucchini recipes include spiralized low carb noodles, oven roasted zucchini, grilled zucchini, or low carb zucchini fries recipe for a healthy side dish.
You won’t be hard pressed to find a plethora of roasted veggies recipes out there, but this side dish recipe shows how to roast zucchini in a way your family will love!
How to roast zucchini that isn’t soggy!
There is a flaw with every roasted zucchini recipe, which I’m sure we have all have fell victim to.
Roasting vegetables is simple, right? Toss cut veggies with oil and salt, and throw them in the oven until golden, caramelized, and brown.
Unfortunately this yields bad results with high water content vegetables like zucchini and summer squash. Salting them before roasting draws out even more moisture which leads to limp, bland looking veggies.
The best way to bake zucchini is to simply toss in olive oil and garlic first, without the seasoning, just like in the lemon garlic sautéed zucchini recipe. Oven roast until golden, then season to your heart’s delight!
size does matter!
Besides salting the zucchini before cooking, the other common mistake is to use large garden zucchini for oven roasting. While it’s tempting to put that overgrown squash to use, save large zucchini for baking in recipes like, zucchini brownies and gluten free zucchini cake.
Instead, pick small, young zucchini to avoid a soggy texture. These squash have less seeds, water content, and great flavor without needing a long cook time.
How To Make Roasted Zucchini
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
- Preheat oven to 450 ºF. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice zucchini (courgettes) lengthwise in quarters and transfer to baking pan.
- On a baking sheet toss zucchini with olive oil and garlic.
- Spread out the zucchini slices in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Bake for 16 minutes until zucchini is tender with crispy edges, flipping halfway through.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with seasonings, salt, and pepper.
recommended seasoning
As exemplified in my gluten-free cookbook, expensive ingredients aren’t required to draw out the best flavor. Besides the garlic, olive oil, and squash, simple kitchen pantry staples are used to season – seasoned salt, dried basil, and Italian seasoning.
Use this gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan recipe as an outline for experimenting with other flavors! Here are some seasoning additions or substitutions to try:
- Add a dash of cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese after roasting
- Try fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, or chives
- Squeeze lemon juice over baked zucchini
Should I peel zucchini?
No, summer squash or yellow squash does not have to be peeled because it has a very thin, edible skin.
The larger the zucchini is, the thicker the skin will be, so peeling those can be a matter of preference.
Some people peel zucchini when baking with it to eliminate the green color, but it’s not necessary. Peeling also helps “hide” the green from unsuspecting kids to use in pasta, meatballs, or casseroles. 😉
How long should I bake zucchini?
I prefer a very high heat (450ºF / 230 ºC) for roasting to help lock in that water content, which helps with browning. It only takes about 15 minutes, or until just fork tender, to have an easy, healthy side on the table!
more expert Tips
- Don’t salt the zucchini before roasting. Very important!!
- Use small-sized zucchini for best flavor and less seeds
- Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray first to prevent the zucchini from sticking
- Make sure the zucchini spears are spread out on the sheet and not touching. This helps the hot air circulate around the veggies so they brown instead of steam.
Click here to see the
step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
More vegetable Side Dishes
- Baked Broccoli and Cheese – Oven roasted broccoli recipe with melty cheese, garlic, and crispy breadcrumbs.
- Bacon Brussels Sprouts – Oven baked with chopped bacon, apples, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Smashed Potatoes – Drizzled with a toasted browned butter, and baked up to gloriously crispy and brown.
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20 Minute Roasted Zucchini (Not Soggy!)
Ingredients
- 4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and position rack to middle. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place cut zucchini, garlic, and olive oil on baking sheet. Toss to combine. Arrange zucchini so they are spread out and one cut side is down.
- Bake for 8 minutes, flip zucchini to other cut side. Bake for 8 minutes longer, or until sides turn golden. While zucchini is baking, mix together spices in a small bowl.
- Remove summer squash from oven and sprinkle with seasonings. Use a spatula to toss so seasonings are evenly coated. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Notes
- Don’t salt the zucchini before roasting. Very important!!
- Use small-sized zucchini for best flavor and less seeds
- Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray first to prevent the zucchini from sticking
- Make sure the summer squash are spread out on the sheet and not touching. This helps the hot air circulate around the veggies so they brown instead of steam.
- Add a dash of cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese after roasting
- Try fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, or chives
- Squeeze a lemon wedge over baked zucchini
Nutrition
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Lori says
Terrible. You failed to mention removing the seeds from the squash. There was no amount of time that could have saved our soggy squash even though I turned the oven temperature to 500 degrees. the outside was charred and the insides were watery and mushy.
Melissa says
Hi Lori,
I’m sorry you missed the note on the ingredient list, in the recipe notes, and in the post that says to use small zucchini for less seeds and best flavor. It sounds like your night was very much ruined by soggy zucchini. Hope tomorrow is a better day!
Best,
Melissa
Linda W says
Best baked zucchini recipe by far. Adding seasoning after baking really made a huge difference. Flavor was amazing!
Melissa says
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Best,
Melissa
Pat says
Zucchini casserole. Slice zucchini into coins and blanch in boiling water with a sliced Vidal onion. Cover bottom of 8×10 pan with Pepperidge farm stuffing herb mix. Mix draIned zucchini and onion with a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of sour cream. Layer on stuffing then top with stuffing mix. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 min. You can add chicken to make it a one pan meal
Melissa says
Sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Faith says
salt vs no salt. I’ve heard both. Why do you say not to salt them?
Melissa says
Hi Faith,
The salt will draw out the water while it bakes. Since zucchini contains so much water content, it’s better to salt them after. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Dianne says
Baked Zucchini is a family favorite. I think I had my heat too low last time though…the texture just wasn’t right. Thanks for the clear directions so they are perfect next time.
Melissa says
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for writing!