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Grilled Zucchini with Miso Glaze

Grilled zucchini with miso glaze featuring a deeply umami lacquer that caramelizes to a dark amber finish. Grilled cut-side down until charred, then flipped and glazed again for shiny, glossy results.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
marinating 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-American
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini
  • 4 medium zucchini Halved lengthwise.
Miso Glaze
  • 3 tbsp white or yellow miso paste
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sake or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic Grated.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
Garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 green onions Sliced.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the miso glaze
  1. Whisk all miso glaze ingredients until smooth.
  2. Score the cut surface of each zucchini half in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin.
  3. Brush miso glaze generously over the cut surface and let sit 20 minutes.
Grill
  1. Preheat grill to medium-high and oil grates.
  2. Grill cut-side down for 4–5 minutes without moving, until the miso caramelizes and chars slightly.
  3. Flip skin-side down, brush more glaze over the top, and grill for 3–4 minutes.
Finish and serve
  1. Top with sesame seeds and green onions and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: brush the glaze on in a thick, even coat so it turns lacquered and dark amber where it hits the grill. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; rewarm briefly on a hot grill pan or skillet to re-gloss the glaze. Freezing is not recommended because zucchini gets watery. Dietary swap: for gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.