Please note that this post contains affiliate links of products that I love and use. This rewards me with a small commission if you choose to buy through the links and none of this will cost you anything – but it does help me pay the bills and deliver you quality content. – Love, Gloria.
There is one vegetable that I absolutely loathed as a child because I only ever got it served in one way. Boiled. Up to this day, there is no single food up that I hate more than boiled zucchini. Whoever came up with the idea of boiling it deserves to eat it boiled for every single meal until the end of time. It is so vile. Now that I got my point across of how much I hate boiled zucchini – let me tell you it is one of my favourite foods today. Especially when served as marinated and grilled zucchini ribbons.
It looks like a lot of work but it really isn’t. All you need is a mandolin or big vegetable peeler to slice them thinly and a few skewers. I use a vegetable peeler for this simply because it’s less to wash up and incredibly quick. As far as the skewers go, you can also use wooden ones but I find that by using metal skewers the zucchini slices are less prone to breaking.
When you thread the zucchini onto the skewers make sure to pack it tightly but not too tight because you want the marinade to get in between the slices and coat everything evenly. Of course, the easier way to grill zucchini is just cutting it into slices or thick batons but this way you coat it evenly with marinade and get the maximum flavour out of it.
I use a cut up baby potato at the end of the skewers to make sure the grilled zucchini ribbons don’t fall off. The potatoes won’t be cooked by the time the zucchini needs, they are merely there to keep the thin slices in place as these get quite soft when cooked and will slide off easily.
Just look at all these delicious grilled zucchini ribbons. Perfectly marinated and grilling away. They will have crispy edges with all the smoky flavours of the grill while still having a bite to them in the center. They are fantastic served hot and straight off the grill, served next to my barbecued mushroom kebabs but you can also turn them into a delicious salad.
I tend to have them with just one or two freshly baked naan bread. They are just so delicious on their own that I gladly turn them into a main. Even someone who says they don’t like zucchini will love these. Take it from me, an ex zucchini-hater. Just look at them, they make me want to lick the screen. Do you like spicy marinades? What would be your seasoning of choice for these? I would love to see what you come up with so tag me in your Instagram posts with #gloriathegreedyvegan so I can find you. Thank you for following my blog and supporting me in what I do. – Love, G.
Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Sriracha Marinade
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini about 500g (1lb)
For the marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice the zucchini with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler.
- Thread the zucchini onto the skewers and pack them rather tightly. It will prevent them from falling off.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl or process in a blender if you prefer a very smooth consistency. Set aside until you are ready to grill the zucchini skewers.
- When you are just about to grill your zucchini spread the marinade generously onto them and make sure you get as much marinade as possible in between the slices.
- Grill the skewers for a couple of minutes on each side. They are done in a few minutes.
- so keep an eye on them, depending on the heat they can burn quickly.
Notes
Nutrition
I need to get a hold of a good sriracha sauce. Can’t seem to find it in Ireland..
I loved these so much. Do you think thy can also be made in the oven? Firing up the grill just for these is a bit much and Id love o have them more often.
Saw this, made this under the oven grill and then DEVOURED this (at a picnick)!! Totally awesome and will be remaking again for the next weekend with altered spices (catering to pregnant friends). Thanks
Glad to hear you liked it. It is amazing with rosemary, garlic and olive oil as well. Do let my know which spices you prefer. Always keen on trying new things. – Love, G.
Having a ton of zucchinis in my garden this year I gave this a try. It’s the best zucchini dish I’ve ever tried. Love it. POST MORE!
Happy to hear that! – Love, G.
Just grilling some of these now and I cant wait to eat them! Thanks for posting recipe 🙂
Hope you liked them! – Love, G.
This recipe is fabulous! We were looking for something different to do with zucchini, something REALLY different from the recipes and variations we’ve seen for years. This marinade changes everything! The coconut oil is a must, delivering a yummy delicate coconut undertone to the sweetness and spiciness. Also, it’s pretty, and makes such a unique presentation. (I found that lightly salting the ribbons and letting them sit for a few minutes allowed them to be bent a little easier onto the skewers without breaking as much.) Then this morning my husband brought in the last of the zucchini of the season, small ones, but time restraints weren’t going to let us cut them into ribbons and do it up right, so I doubled the marinade and threw the slices into a resealable plastic bag and let them marinate all day. He put them in a grill basket and grilled them over a hot flame for about 15 minutes. YUM! It works that way, too. I will make the ribbons when time allows, though. And this recipe is going into my forever file. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
You just made my week with this comment. This is why I started this blog. Sharing recipes and hopefully making someone happy with it. – Love, G.
Hi Gloria, I’m just checking in almost 3 years later to tell you that this recipe has changed many zucchini-haters lives for the better when we serve it to them! We are still making it often and enjoying it all summer with our zucchini from our garden, but even have to BUY the dang things at the grocery in the wintertime when we get the craves for this. Just sayin!
I made this with rosemary and garlic instead of sriracha. It was so good.
Can you do this with other vegetables like sweet potato or pumpkin?
If the vegetable is a little bit bendy and doesn’t break when you thread it on, sure. – Love, G.
That flavour! My kids and husband devoured zucchini for the first time.
I am glad they did! Zucchinis are so good for you! – Love, G.
Used that marinade on potato wedges! So good!
OMG! These look amazing! I love zucchini, and when you add Sriracha…well, that just makes it even better! I will definitely be trying these soon! Shared on Pinterest!
So simple but super cool looking!!!