Cast Iron Skillet Zucchini

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Seared to golden brown perfection and tossed in a lemon garlic butter, this will certainly be the best zucchini you’ve ever had! Cast iron skillet zucchini is an easy 15-minute side dish that’s packed with flavor. We’ll be eating it on repeat all summer long!

Golden browned zucchini n a cast iron skillet.

It’s officially zucchini season! If you have a garden or know someone with a garden, you are probably in desperate need of some good zucchini recipes this time of year.

I love to embrace the zucchini overwhelm and enjoy them in as many different ways as I can.

Of course, my kids’ favorite way to eat zucchini is my homemade zucchini bread with lemon glaze. I can’t say I blame them!

But we also enjoy plenty of gluten-free zucchini lasagna, fried zucchini cakes, and good old-fashioned boiled zucchini in the summertime.

This cast iron skillet zucchini is the perfect side for any of your summer meals!

I made buttery charred cast iron skillet green beans last week, and it inspired me to try a similar cooking method with the summer squash.

The result is perfectly tender zucchini slices that are golden brown and packed with buttery, garlicky flavor.

We’ll be enjoying them as often as possible for the rest of zucchini season!

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make Cast Iron Skillet Zucchini
Tips + Notes
What to Serve with Cast Iron Zucchini
Recipe FAQs
Related Recipes
Cast Iron Skillet Zucchini

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

15-minute side dish: I love a side dish that can be made fast and with minimal ingredients. It gives me more time to focus on the entrée or make a special dessert (maybe freshly milled chocolate cake?).
Flavorful: No bland, soggy summer squash over here! Searing the zucchini in the cast iron brings out a ton of delicious flavor. Plus, we’ll be adding plenty of seasoning and a yummy garlic butter to really make it wow-worthy!
Summer favorite: I just love zucchini in the summer! It’s delicious with grilled meat and any of your other favorite summer side dishes.
Serve it with anything: One of my favorite things about simple veggie dishes like this one is that they go with pretty much anything. I don’t need to spend a long time meal planning; I can just make whatever meat I have thawed and serve it with this versatile zucchini recipe!

Ingredients

Zucchini: I’ve found it’s really best to stick with medium or small zucchinis. The larger ones have more seeds and higher moisture, which affect how they cook.
Oil and butter: The key to delicious cast iron veggies is searing them in oil, then adding butter towards the end. The oil gives them a nice golden-brown finish and can handle hotter temperatures, while the butter adds so much delicious flavor.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled works if that’s what you have.
Parmesan cheese: Adding freshly grated cheese is the cherry on top for this recipe! It adds a ton of salty, savory flavor that perfectly complements the garlicky zucchini.

The full recipe, including all ingredients and measurements, can be found at the bottom of this post!

How to Make Cast Iron Skillet Zucchini

Patting dry sliced zucchini rounds with a paper towel.

Step 1. Pat the zucchini rounds completely dry with paper towels.

Step 3. Heat your cast iron over high heat for 2 minutes. Add olive oil.

Step 3. Add zucchini in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Do not overcrowd, as it’s going to steam instead of searing. Let them cook untouched for 2–3 minutes until the bottom is deep golden brown.

Golden brown zucchini in a cast iron skillet after the initial flip.

Step 4. Flip each round once. Cook another 2 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with any remaining zucchini.

Step 5. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and let it melt. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning, cook 60 seconds, stirring constantly.

Cooked zucchini in a cast iron skllet with melted butter.

Step 6. Return all the zucchini to the pan and toss to coat in the garlic butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 7. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and parsley, toss gently. Finish with Parmesan.

Cast iron skillet zucchini on a blue plate.

Tips + Notes

To avoid soggy zucchini, make sure you get it very dry before adding it to the skillet. We want to avoid steaming the zucchini and instead give it a fast and hot sear.
Be careful not to burn your garlic and butter! It’s important to turn the heat down before adding them, and cook just until the garlic is fragrant.
If you like crunchier zucchini, you can cut it a little thicker. Similarly, feel free to cut it thinner for a softer texture.

What to Serve with Cast Iron Zucchini

The beauty of this pan-seared zucchini is that it will go with just about anything! You can keep zucchini on hand for any night you need a quick side dish to go with whatever tasty entrée you’re cooking up.

Here are a few of my favorite main dishes to serve with zucchini:

If you’d like to add another side to your meal (especially if you love carbs as much as I do!), you can never go wrong. Try Dutch oven mac and cheese, freshly milled Hawaiian rolls, Dutch oven mashed potatoes, or easy balsamic bruschetta.

Scooping zucchini rounds out of a cast iron skillet.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use yellow squash?

Definitely! When I have them, I like to substitute one of the zucchinis with yellow squash for a colorful squash medley — you can use them somewhat interchangeably if they’re similar sizes.

Can I make this in advance?

I love make-ahead sides, but this zucchini is really best served fresh out of the skillet. Feel free to pre-cut the squash so it’s faster to make day-of!

How thick should I cut the zucchini?

I cut mine ¼-inch thick. This gets it perfectly tender but not too soft and overcooked.

Can I use frozen zucchini?

Frozen zucchini will not cook properly in this recipe, unfortunately. It has too much moisture and too soft a texture to get a nice sear.

If you tried this Cast Iron Skillet Zucchini recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!