Roasted Zucchini (30-Minute Side Dish)

This Roasted Zucchini recipe is an easy side dish packed with summer flavors. It’s also low-carb, vegan, and gluten-free, so the whole family can enjoy it.

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If you love zucchini and never have enough recipes using this amazing summer squash, this recipe is for you. Zucchini can be so versatile that you can make noodles, like in my pesto zucchini noodles, or no noodle zucchini lasagna. The possibilities are endless, and a great way to sneak more vegetables onto your plate.

Zucchini are bland in flavor, so it’s a great veggie to start with if you are not a veggie lover. Kids, for example, tend to avoid zucchini but try my keto zucchini bread, and they will ask for more. So enough about zucchini talk, let’s see how you can roast this amazing squash in your oven or air fryer.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need to make delicious roasted zucchini are:

• Zucchini – Not small courgette. The best are medium-large zucchini because they are firmer after roasting. Small zucchini, also known as courgette, tend to turn mushy pretty quickly.
• Avocado Oil – or olive oil. I prefer high-smoke point oils for roasting vegetables, such as avocado oil which is stable at high temperatures. It means no smoke in your kitchen, and better for your health.
• Paprika or smoked paprika for a smoked zucchini flavor.
• Garlic Powder – For flavor.
• Dried Oregano – Or dried Italian herbs.
• Dried Marjoram – Or dried rosemary.
• Salt and Pepper – To taste.

How To Make Roasted Zucchini

There are two ways of roasting zucchini. You can use your oven or an air fryer. Whatever the method, the preparation of the vegetable is the same.

1. First, trim the zucchini ends and discard them.
2. Next, using a sharp knife, cut zucchini slices of about 0.8 inches (2 cm). Don’t slice them too thin, or the zucchini will lose its texture in the oven. Zucchini are mostly made of water, so they turn pretty soft quickly when baked. As a result, if you slice them too thin or peel their skin off, they fall apart.
3. Next, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Zucchini are high in moisture, so the trick to roast them and keep a nice texture is to roast them at higher temperatures.
4. Finally, place the zucchini slices in a large bowl and drizzle avocado oil and seasoning ingredients on top: garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, dried marjoram, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast or grated parmesan.
5. Toss the zucchini slices with the mixture until all the round slices are coated with oil and spices.
6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Slightly oil the paper with avocado oil.
7. Now, lay the zucchini slices on the baking sheet, and make sure they don’t touch each other or overlap.
8. Bake the zucchini on the center rack of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes at 425°F (220°C). The best way to check the roasted zucchini texture is to insert a toothpick in the center of one of the slices after 15 minutes of baking.
9. Remove them from the oven if it goes through easily but is still tender. If you like the zucchini softer, keep baking for an extra 2 to 3 minutes.

Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini

You can also roast zucchini slices in the air fryer.

1. Spray some oil on the air fryer basket.
2. Next, arrange the slices of zucchini prepared before in a single layer in the basket, leaving some free space between each.
3. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 15 minutes, slipping the slices halfway.
4. Remove the zucchini from the air fryer as soon as they are golden brown and the texture suits your liking.

Serving

These baked zucchini are perfect for dipping into sauce, stirring in pasta, or serving as a side to meat. You can serve the roasted zucchini plain, or add some of the below on top:

• Drizzle of sriracha sauce
• Chili flakes
• Salt flakes
• Ground pepper
• More Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley

Here are some delicious dip recipes that marry well with roasted zucchini:

• Garlic Tahini Sauce
• Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
• Zaalouk
• Whipped Feta Dip
• Onion Dip
• Keto Ranch Dressing
• Avocado Ranch Dressing

You can also serve this recipe as a side dish to meat like some of the below:

• Lemon Garlic Pasta – stir the zucchini into the recipe for a boost of green.
• Cast-Iron Chicken
• Broiled Pork Chops
• Blackened Chicken
• 4-Ingredient Oven-Baked Pork Chops

Storage Instructions

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to a month. Thaw the zucchini in the fridge the day before and rewarm in the air fryer or non-stick saucepan.

Allergy Swaps

If you are allergic to some of the ingredients, you can try the following substitutions:

• Avocado Oil – Swap for any oil you have at home. The higher the smoke point, the better, like peanut oil, coconut oil, or olive oil.
• Low-FODMAP – Skip garlic powder.
• Dried Herbs – You can replace herbs with the same amount of Italian herb seasoning.
• Nutritional Yeast – Swap for grated Parmesan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are my answers to your most common questions about roasting zucchini.

More Roasted Vegetable Recipes

Roasting vegetables is an easy method for preparing flavorsome, tasty vegetables, and here are some more recipes for you to try.