Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats Recipe

With simple steps and only a few ingredients, this Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats recipe makes summer meals even more delicious!

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We’ve been eating A LOT of zucchini this summer.

Several times this summer, I have put so much zucchini in the produce bag at the grocery store that I thought it was going to burst. As a matter of fact, I just got back from the store where I bought just over 10 pounds worth of zucchini. It might seem a bit extreme, but it’s our favorite summer vegetable and, man, we can pack it away!

Bringing home this much zucchini, has us trying all sorts of new zucchini recipes and ideas. One thing we (finally) made this summer is “zoodles” (zucchini noodles). It’s been the main star of several healthy dinners. I love that the kids enjoy them just as much as David and I. Zucchini has also made appearances at breakfast (omelets!), baked goods (bread!), and as side dishes.

But, latest thing my family is obsessed with:   Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats.

I don’t mind their obsession even one bit because they are SO good and SO easy. They are made of simple ingredients – only 6 of them: zucchini, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients Needed for Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats:

• Zucchini (2)
• Olive Oil (1 Tablespoon)
• Salt
• Mozzarella (3-4 oz – Sliced)
• Grape Tomatoes (8)
• Basil Leaves 

Cooking Equipment Needed for Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats:

• Grill
• Grilling Tongs
• Kitchen Knife
• Spoon
• Basting Brush

There is only a few quick steps, they are ready to eat. First, trim off the ends of your zucchini and cut it in half lengthwise. Then, using a small spoon, scrape out just a bit of the zucchini flesh, to create a well. You don’t have to remove much, just enough to create a place to cradle your mozzarella cheese. When scooping out your zucchini flesh, be careful to stay away from the edges — you’ll want to leave about 1/4th” from the edge intact.

Brush the cut side of the zucchini with olive oil and season with salt.  You’ll also cut some tomatoes into small chunks. I prefer to use grape tomatoes and cut them into fourths. The basil is cut into thin ribbons (also called a chiffonade).

For the mozzarella cheese, be sure to use one with the red REAL® Seal , like you see in the middle of this image below:

You’ve probably seen the REAL® Seal on lots of dairy products from sour cream to ice cream and more. When you see the REAL® Seal on a product, it’s a sign that the product you are buying is a genuine dairy product, made with milk from cows on U.S. dairy farms. Companies have to register and meet specific guidelines to be able to display REAL® Seal on their packaging. You can learn more on the  REAL® Seal website .

When you are looking for the REAL® Seal on packaging, you might find it on various places on the packaging. I found it near the top right, on the front, of my mozzarella cheese.  See it there?

Take your REAL® Seal mozzarella and cut it into slices and cut each of those slices into strips.

Heat your grill on medium-low heat. Place the zucchini on your grill, cut side down. I like to place it at an angle, as you see in the image below, because it will create nice diagonal charred lines on the zucchini. Continue cooking until the zucchini is charred and beginning to soften, about 10 minutes or so.

Turn the zucchini over, laying the zucchini in the same direction as the lines on the rack, as this will help to cradle each zucchini boat. Place your mozzarella slices into the well area of each zucchini boat. I used 1 slice (cut in half) for each zucchini boat.

Top the mozzarella with your tomatoes. Cover the lid on your grill and continuing cooking until the cheese is melted. After the cheese is melted, remove your zucchini boats carefully from the grill.

Before serving, sprinkle with your basil ribbons. And then they are ready to enjoy!

Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats Recipe

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