Here’s how to prepare the best squash that’s grilled, charred, and seasoned to perfection! Grilling this delicious summer side dish is easy.
Need a quick and easy summer side dish? Or do you have a lot of yellow summer squash? try that perfectly grilled pumpkin! It’s simple but full of flavor, seasoned with Italian herbs like basil and oregano. Even better: Grilling only takes 5 minutes! It’s one of those sites that screams summer: you can almost smell the charcoal and hear the hum of the lawn mower. Along with the grilled zucchini, it’s become a favorite for Alex and I because it’s so quick and difficult to screw up.
Want to grill all the veggies? Go to the best grilled vegetables!
Ingredients for the Roasted Pumpkin
When we say roasted squash, we’re talking about summer squash. Yes, that big yellow pumpkin that everyone seems to have more than enough of! Interestingly, there aren’t many recipes that use the summer variety: you won’t find many summer squash soups or risotto the way you’ll find winter squash. So roasting pumpkin is one of the best uses (besides roasting)! Here’s what you need:
- yellow summer squash (or a mix of squash and zucchini to vary the colors!)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Spices: Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
Do you like yellow pumpkin? Try these yellow squash recipes!
How to cut pumpkin for grilling
There are several ways to cut summer squash for the grill. Here’s a little breakdown:
- Sleeve. You can slice the squash into 1/2 inch thick slices. But how we like to do it is…
- Oblique (diagonal). It looks like circles, but if you cut obliquely (diagonally), you get bigger and more interesting shapes.
- Boards. You can also cut the pumpkin crosswise into long boards. (We made this for our grilled zucchini.)
How to grill pumpkin
You can grill the pumpkin directly on the grill grates: no grill basket or aluminum foil needed! It’s quick and easy: just cook them until charred and tender. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. It’s about 375 to 450 degrees.
- Cut the squash at an angle (diagonally). Make the pieces about 3/4 inch thick.
- Mix with olive oil and spices. The Italian spice mix in the recipe below is perfect.
- Grill on the grates for 4 to 6 minutes. Cook until charred and tender, turning once.
Spice variations for roasted pumpkin
Yellow summer squash and zucchini pair well with Italian and Mediterranean spices, but there’s no reason not to switch it up. Here are some other spices that would work well.
Important: Keep in mind that many of these mixes contain salt. Use ¼ teaspoon of salt at the bottom and then season.
More grilled vegetables
Prepare our best grilled vegetables! This grilled pumpkin can be perfectly combined with a few additional vegetables for a great vegetable platter. Just remember that the size of your grill will determine how many you can make at once! Here are some others to try:
The description
Here’s how to prepare the best squash that’s grilled, charred, and seasoned to perfection! Grilling this delicious summer side dish is easy.
- 3 medium yellow summer squash (or a mix of squash and small zucchini)
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Cut the squash diagonally into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Place the squash directly on the cooking grates and grill until charred and tender, about 2-3 minutes per side (4-6 minutes total). Taste and add a few pinches of extra salt if needed.
- Category: garnish
- Method: Goal
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Grilled squash how to grill squash
More summer recipes
Summer is the perfect time for effortless eating! Here are some of our best summer recipes:
