This Sautéed Zucchini recipe is the perfect way to transform this humble vegetable into something perfectly tender, flavorful, and supremely easy to make.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
We love zucchini in our house, and this is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. Here’s why this recipe is a winner:
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen or that are easy to find like our Tender and Juicy Beef Cutlet.
- Crowd Pleaser: Everyone seems to love it! It's a great appetizer to serve at your next family dinner or party.
- Perfect Texture: The zucchini is perfectly cooked and the breading is nice and crispy.
- Supremely Flavorful: The garlic and mayonnaise spread adds a ton of flavor to the sauteéd zucchini.
- Easy to Make: While this recipe may look fancy, it’s actually really easy to make and comes together quickly. That’s our kind of recipe!
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini – We love to use fresh, large zucchini. They are firm, have a mild flavor and make the perfect base for our recipe.
- Eggs – We use eggs to help our crispy coating stick to the zucchini. It also adds a bit of richness to the dish.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is a must for this recipe. It infuses the zucchini with a delicious, aromatic flavor that you just can't get from garlic powder.
- Mayonnaise – This is the secret ingredient in our recipe. It adds a tangy, creamy flavor to the zucchini and helps the coating become super crispy.
Substitutions and Variations
This easy, sautéed zucchini recipe is a favorite side dish for any meal. It's simple, delicious, and versatile, and here are some ideas to change it up:
- Cheese: If you want to add a cheesy flavor to your sauté zucchini, you can mix in some Parmesan cheese to the flour for a cheesy zucchini fritter.
- Spices: Feel free to play around with the spices in this recipe. You can add some cayenne pepper for a kick, or even some paprika for a smoky flavor.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs would be a great addition to this dish. Try adding some chopped parsley, dill, or basil to the zucchini mixture before frying.
How to Make Sautéed Zucchini
Step 1
Slice zucchinis and set aside.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and pressed garlic.
Step 3
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper. Place sliced zucchini into the egg mixture.
Step 4
In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat.
Step 5
Dip each zucchini slice into flour on both sides. Sauté the slices for 2 minutes until golden brown. Flip the slices and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 6
Flip the slices and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 7
Spread the garlic and mayonnaise mixture on the top side of a zucchini slice.
Step 8
Place another slice on top and repeat the process. Store larger and smaller sauté zucchini slices in separate containers for ease of use.
Step 9
Your sautéed zucchini is ready to serve!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
Protein
- This sautéed zucchini recipe is a great side dish for a variety of proteins. It pairs well with chicken, steak, and even seafood.
- If you're a vegetarian, you can also enjoy this zucchini with some tofu or tempeh. It's a versatile side that can complement any protein.
Vegetables
- This sautéed zucchini recipe pairs well with other veggies. Try it with some roasted cherry tomatoes or a side of grilled asparagus.
- If you want to add even more greens to your meal, a fresh salad is a great option. This recipe goes great with a simple tossed salad or a classic Caesar.
Frequently Asked Questions
The flour serves as a coating for the zucchini slices. It helps them develop a crispy, golden-brown exterior when sauté in oil. It also adds a nice texture to the dish.
The zucchini slices are done when they turn a golden-brown color. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes on each side. You can also test for doneness by inserting a fork into the zucchini. If it goes in smoothly, the slices are ready.
Yes, you can use low-fat mayonnaise if you prefer. However, keep in mind that it may alter the flavor and texture of the garlic mayo spread slightly. We recommend using full-fat mayonnaise or homemade mayo for the best results.
How to Store Leftovers
- Storing: After enjoying your sauté zucchini, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Unfortunately, this dish doesn’t freeze well due to the high water content in zucchini. Freezing can change its texture and make it mushy once thawed.
More Zucchini Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Zucchini Carrot Bread - This Zucchini Carrot Bread is the perfect combination of healthy and flavor-packed.
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins - These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are delicious, tender, and perfect for using up all that summer zucchini
- Easiest Zucchini Bread - This Zucchini Bread is deliciously moist and flavorful. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make!
- Mini Pizzas with Baked Zucchini Crust - These tasty little Mini Pizzas feature a delicious baked zucchini crust, with a delicious homemade pizza sauce with a perfect topping mix!
Recipe Card
Sautéed Zucchini (Perfect Texture!)
Ingredients
- 2 large garden zucchini
- 3 sggs
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Olive oil (for sautéing)
Instructions
- Slice zucchini. Set aside.
- In a small bowl add mayonnaise and pressed garlic.
- Stir it together and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add eggs, salt and pepper.
- Wisk it together for 1 minute.
- Place sliced zucchini into egg mixture.
- Add two table spoon of oil onto a large skillet.
- Take one slice at a time from the egg mixture, and dip one side into the flour, and then the other side.
- Place the dipped sliced zucchini on the skillet.
- Sauté for 2 minutes on low, or until golden brown.
- Turn them over and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, or until its golden brown.
- Remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel, to remove most of the oil from.
- Place sautéed zucchini onto a plate.
- Dip table spoon into garlic and mayonnaise mixture and what amount of the mixture gets stuck to the spoon you spread it on top side of zucchini only.
- Then place another slice of sautéed zucchini on top of the other one, spread mayo mixture. Repeat this steps until you are done with all sliced zucchinis.
- PS. I usually separate large sauteed zucchini sickles from small one into a two different plates. It’s easier to store and spread mayo mixture onto them.
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This recipe was originally posted on August 26, 2014(original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
Marina |Let the Baking Begin! says
This is the only way we eat zucchini 🙂 I always dip the zucchini in flour first, then the egg, that way the egg has something to stick to 🙂 thanks for sharing!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Your welcome Marina! I actually dip them in egg first that flour. 🙂
Tanya says
Thank you for the recipe, it looks easy and simple. I will try these soon and let you know. I so appreciate you taking the time to write, take pictures and share your recipes with us. Also, I like how you write ingredients-amount and dash next to the ingredient. I tend to be in a hurry and dash helps point out the amount, thank you so much for doing that I greatly appreciated it! Keep your wonderful recipes coming! 🙂
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you so much Tanya! It is so sweet of you to say that! 🙂