Sautéed Zucchini with Lemon and Garlic

Learn how to make sauteed zucchini and squash with this quick and easy lemon garlic recipe. In little as five minutes you’ll have a richly flavorful, zucchini recipe ready to enjoy!

Ingredients Needed 

If you have some fresh zucchini or summer squash on hand, chances are you are ready to make this easy zucchini recipe!

• Zucchini and Squash – Use one or the other, or a combination of them both. If you are using garden zucchini, pick smaller sized ones so they don’t contain as many seeds.
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon

How To Sauté Zucchini

The key to making the best sauteed zucchini recipe is to not season with salt until it is done cooking. Similar to roasted zucchini recipe, salting the squash before cooking draws out the moisture and makes it mushy during cooking.

1. First heat the pan and oil so it is nice and hot before adding the zucchini and squash.
2. Add the zucchini, toss with olive oil, and then let it sit in a single layer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.
3. Cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes for the veggies to finish cooking and saute the other sides. In the last 30 seconds add the minced garlic.
4. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

How Long to Cook Zucchini on the Stove

When the pan and oil are heated adequately beforehand, zucchini chunks only take 4 minutes to cook on the stove. This yields perfectly crisp tender zucchini and squash that still has a little of a bite and texture.

Why Does Zucchini Get Mushy?

Some people turn their nose up at zucchini because they do not care for the mushy texture, but that is a result of improperly prepared zucchini. Learn how to cook the best zucchini by following these tips.

• Choose the right sized zucchini and squash – Save larger zucchini for baking recipes, such as gluten free zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, and blueberry zucchini bread.  Ideally harvest zucchini, or buy, when it is 5-7 inches long. Otherwise it can be tasteless or bitter.
• Salting before cooking – Salt draws out moisture, so save the seasoning until after the summer squash has cooked.
• Overcooking – If you have chosen a young, small squash, it only requires a few minutes to become crisp tender.
• Leaving in seed core – To avoid mushy zucchini, cut out the seed core, leaving only the flesh and skin around it. When the seeds come in contact with heat they automatically soften and can become spongy.
• Use high heat – The key is cook the zucchini as quick as possible on high heat. Lower temps means longer cooking times, allowing more time for the vegetables to break down and soften.

More Yummy Variations

Use this easy sautéed zucchini recipe as basic guide for cooking various versions. Add preferred spices, fresh herbs, or finish with a sprinkle of cheese. Below are some suggested modifications.

Zucchini and Onions – Begin by sauteing the onions for 3 minutes before adding squash. Use any type of onion – yellow, sweet, red, or white.

Zucchini and Tomatoes – Add halved cherry tomatoes or chopped Roma tomatoes with the seeds removed. Since more veggies are being added, slightly increase the amount of garlic, salt, and pepper to adequately flavor the dish.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash – Combine a variety of summer squash for a more vibrantly colored dish.

Cheese – After it has finished cooking sprinkle on freshly grated parmesan, feta cheese, or goat cheese.

Herbs – Add dried or fresh herbs after cooking, such as basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil, or thyme.

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

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