Thomas Keller Zucchini went viral on Tiktok for a good reason: It is quite simple to make yet yields oven-roasted zucchini with a crispy, caramelized exterior, and a soft interior. We served it with a yogurt sauce and a Mediterranean topping, making this homemade dish restaurant-quality!
If you haven't made this zucchini dish, you have been missing out!
With simple ingredients, you can produce at home a masterpiece! Perhaps this is why Chef Thomas Keller's zucchini was named "life-changing".
Make it and give us your own opinion!
Why You'll Love Thomas Keller Zucchini Recipe
- Easy to make: This recipe doesn't require Chef's skills. All you have to do is to cut and score zucchini with a knife, sprinkle it with salt to extract excess moisture, pat the zucchini dry, and then brown it on the stovetop and roast it in the oven.
- Healthy: It is a nutritious, and also a low-carb vegetarian dish!
- Versatile: You can serve it with any sauce of choice and serve it as a meatless main dish or a side for a variety of meats.
- Mess-free: The original recipe will have you washing one single pan. Awesome, right?
What is the Thomas Keller Zucchini?
You may be asking: "What is the Thomas Keller method of roasting zucchini?"
Thomas Keller is an American world-renowned Chef who shared via a Masterclass his method of roasting zucchini, an underrated vegetable -- which went viral on TikTok.
His method includes:
- Scoring zucchini halves in a cross-hatch pattern,
- Salting zucchini and letting rest for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture,
- Browning the zucchini with oil over medium-high heat on the stovetop,
- Roasting them in a high-heat oven until they become soft and tender.
Tiktokers called his zucchini recipe "life-changing"!
The complete recipe includes a sauce vierge, a French fresh chopped tomato sauce served on top of the roasted zucchini. However, the real 'it' is his roasting method.
I preferred to serve mine with a yogurt sauce and a Mediterranean topping instead! You can use any sauce or topping that pairs well with roasted vegetables.
You can also apply this same method to roast summer squash or eggplant, adjusting the cooking times needed.
This is a quite simple recipe -- the type in which the quality of the zucchini and the proper roasting method influences flavor and texture.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Roasted Zucchini
For this Roasted Zucchini Recipe, you only need:
Oven-Roasted Zucchini:
- 2 medium zucchini (green color), Do not remove the peel!
- Kosher salt, to remove excess moisture
- ¼ cup canola oil, or other high smoke point oil with a neutral flavor such as avocado oil
- Table salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Here is one sauce and one topping you can serve with Thomas Keller Zucchini -- these are not part of his original recipe:
For the Yogurt Sauce (OPTIONAL):
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon creamy goat cheese, or feta cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 large basil leaves
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice, or lime juice
For the Mediterranean Topping (OPTIONAL):
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used red and yellow, but you can choose one color only)
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoon chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large basil leaves, finely chopped (plus a few small ones for garnishing)
- 2 tablespoon toasted pinenuts
How to Roast Zucchini in the Oven (Thomas Keller Method)
- Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C).
2. Wash, pat dry well, and then cut in half lengthwise your zucchinis. Score the inside part diagonally with a sharp knife, making a checkboard pattern.
3. Place the zucchini halves, face up, on a large plate. Sprinkle kosher salt on top, spreading well with your hand, and let them rest for about 20 minutes. This will help to remove excess moisture; otherwise, they will steam instead of browning/roasting! Then, dab down the zucchini very well using a paper towel.
4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until sizzling hot. Add the oil and brown the zucchini halves, face down, for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not flip them!
5. Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini flesh is golden brown and soft. Remove the skillet from the oven, flip the zucchini (face up), and season with table salt and ground black pepper on top.
6. You can serve them by themselves, or with our yogurt sauce and/or Mediterranean topping for boosting their flavor.
7. To make the yogurt sauce (optional): Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender until creamy and smooth. Spread it on a serving plate and then place the roasted zucchini halves on top, face up.
8. To make the Mediterranean topping (optional): Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
9. Top the caramelized zucchini halves with it and garnish them with a few small basil leaves. Add a good sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese on top if you want. Enjoy!
Tips for Making Viral Zucchini Recipe
- Do not skip the steps of scoring, salting, and letting sit the zucchini for 20-30 minutes before cooking. It will help to remove excess moisture which is important for roasting it properly.
- You don't have to peel off the zucchini skin before cooking. It will soften as it cooks in the oven.
- Use any oil with a high smoke point and mild flavor such as avocado, peanut, safflower, canola, or corn oil.
- Make sure to cook it on the stovetop, face down, on medium-high heat. This will guarantee a browned crust.
- Roast it in a high-temperature preheated oven, face down, to crisp up its exterior and soften its interior.
- Serve with your favorite sauce (spicy, tangy, sweet and sour, or creamy sauces often pair well with mild roasted vegetables, boosting their flavors).
FAQ'S
What Kind of Zucchini is Best for Roasting?
Any zucchini or summer squash, with a diameter of 1½-2-inches each, is good for this Thomas Keller roasted zucchini recipe. To say the truth, the most important factor is the size. A regular or little smaller zucchini is fine, but zucchini that are too large are going to be bitter and have too much water. This means it won't roast well and most of all, it won't taste good!
Are Summer Squash and Zucchini the same thing?
No, although zucchini is part of the squash family. The differences are:
- Color: Zucchini is either deep green or golden yellow while summer squash is bright yellow.
- Shape: Zucchini is straight, while yellow squash has a fat, round bottom, which slanders as it gets toward the top, similar to a long-shaped pear.
What other vegetables can I use to make Thomas Keller Zucchini?
Summer squash and also eggplant make great substitutions for this Chef Thomas Keller's oven-roasted zucchini squash recipe. Of course, eggplant, because of its larger size, will require longer cooking time.
How do you keep roasted zucchini from getting soggy?
There are basically two ways: 1. Scoring, salting, and letting the halved zucchini sit for at least 20-30 minutes before roasting at a high temperature in order to remove excess moisture; 2. Roasting zucchini on a roasting pan elevated by a baking rack. This allows air to circulate helping excess moisture to evaporate so the zucchini gets caramelized instead of soggy.
Do you take the skin off the zucchini before roasting?
It is not necessary to remove the skin of the zucchini before cooking it! It will get softened enough to eat and is healthier because it contains fiber and nutrients.
How to Store
- FRIDGE: After fully cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. Make sure to store the Thomas Keller zucchini separately from any sauce or toppings.
- FREEZER: To Freeze, wrap the cool roasted zucchini with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. It won't be as crispy
- REHEAT: To reheat, place thawed zucchini on a baking sheet lined with a baking rack preferably, and bake in a preheated oven at 400 F (200 C) until warmed through. The baking rack will allow the hot air to circulate on all sides, removing most of the excess moisture. But be aware that roasted zucchini won't be as crispy as it was when first roasted.
Other zucchini recipes to enjoy
- Air fryer zucchini recipe
- Zucchini lasagna roll ups recipe
- Zucchini salad recipe
- Easy turkey and zucchini skillet
PIN & ENJOY!
Thomas Keller Zucchini
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
- 1 che's knife
- 1 tongs
Ingredients
For the Oven-Roasted Zucchini:
- 2 medium zucchini green color
- Kosher salt to remove excess moisture
- ¼ cup canola oil or other high smoke point oil with a neutral flavor such as avocado oil
- Table salt and ground black pepper to taste
Yogurt Sauce (OPTIONAL):
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon creamy goat cheese or feta cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 large basil leaves
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice
Mediterranean Topping (OPTIONAL):
- 1- pint cherry tomatoes quartered (I used red and yellow, but you can choose one color only)
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 2 tablespoon chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large basil leaves finely chopped (plus a few small ones for garnishing)
- 2 tablespoon toasted pinenuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C).
- Wash, pat dry well, and then cut in half lengthwise your zucchinis. Score the inside part diagonally with a sharp knife, making a checkboard pattern.
- Place the zucchini halves, face up, on a large plate. Sprinkle kosher salt on top, spreading well with your hand, and let them rest for about 20 minutes. This will help to remove excess moisture; otherwise, they will steam instead of browning/roasting! Then, dab down the zucchini very well using a paper towel.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until sizzling hot. Add the oil and brown the zucchini halves, face down, for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not flip them!
- Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and soft. Remove the skillet from the oven, flip the zucchini (face up), and sprinkle table salt and ground black pepper on top to season.
- You can serve them by themselves, or with our yogurt sauce and/or Mediterranean topping for boosting their flavor.
- To make the yogurt sauce (optional): Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender until creamy and smooth. Spread it on a serving plate and then place the roasted zucchini halves on top, face up.
- To make the Mediterranean topping (optional): Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Top the caramelized zucchini halves with it and garnish them with a few small basil leaves. Add a good sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese on top if you want. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- FRIDGE: After fully cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. Make sure to store the Thomas Keller zucchini separately from any sauce or toppings.
- FREEZER: To Freeze, wrap the cool roasted zucchini with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. It won't be as crispy
- REHEAT: To reheat, place thawed zucchini on a baking sheet lined with a baking rack preferably, and bake in a preheated oven at 400 F (200 C) until warmed through. The baking rack will allow the hot air to circulate on all sides, removing most of the excess moisture. But be aware that roasted zucchini won't be as crispy as it was when first roasted.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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