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Grilled Zucchini with Miso Glaze

Grilled zucchini with miso glaze delivers deeply umami, caramelized halves with a shiny lacquered surface. The crosshatch scoring helps the miso mirin glaze penetrate, then it chars slightly on the grill for a dark amber finish.
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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: 210
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 garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 sliced green onions

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the miso glaze
  1. Whisk all miso glaze ingredients until smooth, with no miso lumps, so the glaze will spread evenly and turn glossy. Visual cue: the mixture should look uniform and opaque amber.
Score and marinate
  1. Score the cut surface of each zucchini half in a crosshatch pattern without cutting through the skin. Visual cue: you should see shallow diamond cuts on the flesh side.
  2. Brush miso glaze generously over the cut surface of each zucchini half and let sit for 20 minutes to marinate. Visual cue: the glaze will cling and thicken slightly as it soaks in.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Visual cue: the grill should be hot enough that the glaze sizzles on contact.
  2. Grill zucchini cut-side down for 4–5 minutes without moving, so the miso caramelizes and chars slightly. Visual cue: the surface should look dark amber and lacquered.
  3. Flip zucchini skin-side down, brush more glaze over the top, and grill for 3–4 minutes. Visual cue: the glaze should be shiny and caramel-dark.
Serve
  1. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve immediately. Visual cue: sesame looks toasted on the glossy amber glaze.

Notes

For best caramelization, keep the zucchini halves cut-side down undisturbed for the full 4–5 minutes so the glaze lacquer can set into a dark amber sheen. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat on a hot grill pan or skillet briefly to re-glaze. Freezing is not recommended because zucchini texture softens after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, use less honey/brown sugar (or choose a reduced-sugar version) while keeping the miso, mirin, and soy ratio the same.