Grilled Squash

Grilled squash is the easiest summer side dish! Ready in under 15 minutes, this healthy veggie dish is full of flavor.

Grilled Squash recipe

In the summer, I love to grill. It's one of my favorite ways to get a quick dinner on the table.

Whether it's Grilled Turkey Burgers or Grilled Shrimp Skewers, if the weather is nice, I will be making dinner from the comfort of my backyard.

When it comes to grilling, it's easy to come up with great grilled main dishes. But what do you serve with them?!

I really hate running back and forth to the kitchen to check on stuff in the oven or on the stove, so I like to serve grilled sides whenever I can.

Grilled Zucchini is one of my favorites, but the recipe works just as well with grilled squash.

Why you'll love this recipe

Once you know how to grill, you can grill anything, even vegetables like zucchini. Here’s why I think you’ll love this recipe.

• Squash is a healthy yellow vegetable that can add more color to your plate.
• This easy side dish doesn’t require any fancy seasonings or sauces.
• It can be cooked in less than 10 minutes on the grill.
• You can eat it on its own or mix it into soups and pasta dishes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you will need to add to your shopping list to pick up at the grocery store:

• yellow squash
• olive oil (or avocado oil)
• salt
• pepper

That’s all you need! This is a super simple, 4-ingredient recipe that is so full of flavor.

I recommend using sea salt or kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper for the most flavor.

If you like, you can also make grilled squash and zucchini at the same time. Just quarter the zucchini and cook them together in the grill basket.

Types of squash

I like to use yellow squash in the summer for pairing with grilled meats, but there are other types of squash you can grill, including:

• butternut squash
• summer squash
• pattypan squash
• crookneck squash
• spaghetti squash

All of these will have bright colors and would make a tasty addition to your summer menu. Feel free to grill different types of squash at once.

How To Season Grilled Squash

Here's how to season squash for grilling:

First, cut your squash. You can do either quarters lengthwise (pictured), slices lengthwise or slices/circles.

I prefer quarters for yellow squash, but another cut might make more sense depending on the type of squash you use.

Place the cut squash in a large bowl or on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Then toss to combine and make sure all the pieces are coated in the seasoning.

How To Make Grilled Squash

Here’s how to make squash on the grill:

1. Heat up your grill. Clean off the grates while the grill is hot with a grill brush.
2. Cut the squash into quarters, lengthwise. (You can also do slices if you prefer, but you’ll want to use a grill basket.)
3. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Once the grill is hot, place the squash on the grill.
5. If you’re cooking meat at the same time, you may wish to place the squash on the edges so they can cook while your meat does.
6. Flipping occasionally to cook on all sides, cook until softened and charred.

Tips For Success

After starting your grill and letting it heat up, clean off your grill grates with a grill brush. Then use grill spray to grease the grates so the squash doesn't stick. You can also rub half an onion or potato on the grates to grease them.

Make sure you use medium heat if you are cooking only the squash and no other dishes.

If you are cooking meat as well, cook the squash on the edges of the grill away from the main source of the heat. This will use indirect heat to cook the veggies, but it will take a little longer.

How Long Should Squash Be Grilled?

When yellow squash is cut into quarters lengthwise, it takes about 10 minutes on the grill.

You can also dice the squash into 1-inch pieces or slice it, but you’ll need to place these in a grill basket so they don’t slip through the grates and burn. Smaller pieces will cook faster, about 7-8 minutes, in the grill basket.

What to serve with grilled squash

Grilled squash goes with so many things!

It's a great side dish with grilled shrimp. Try it with marinated shrimp over a bowl of cauliflower rice for a healthy dinner.

Serve it with your favorite burger recipe or grilled steaks.

Make this butternut squash crostini with goat cheese, one of my favorite appetizers in the fall.

Stir it into minestrone soup or your favorite pasta dish. We love this Creamy Butternut Squash Kale Pasta in the summer and fall, and it would be great with grilled butternut squash.

Add the grilled squash to a healthy salad for either a side dish or a main.