Grilled Courgettes with Chimichurri (Oven or Barbecue)
Last updated on October 13th, 2026
These grilled courgettes with chimichurri are one of the three courgette recipes I filmed, and they are really simple but packed full of flavour. The courgette is cut into little boats, lightly salted, seared cut side down until golden and then finished in the oven, or on the barbecue if you are cooking outside. Tossed in a punchy chimichurri while they are still hot, they come out caramelised and juicy.
Chimichurri is one of my favourite sauces. My second ever video on the channel was for it, and this is just the quick version. If you want the full version, my fresh chimichurri sauce recipe goes into the knife work in more detail.
Why You’ll Love These Grilled Courgettes with Chimichurri
They are caramelised, they have a great texture, and they are the perfect vehicle for all types of marinades. They make a great side dish for so many meals, and because chimichurri is usually served with grilled meats, they sit happily next to anything off the grill. The recipe is great all year round, but it works particularly well on a barbecue.
What You’ll Need
Two courgettes, two cloves of garlic, two spring onions, about a cup of chopped flat leaf parsley, half a teaspoon of dried oregano and a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes. For the rest of the chimichurri you need a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, the juice of about a quarter of a lemon and 125 ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus salt, black pepper and a little olive oil for frying.
How to Make Grilled Courgettes with Chimichurri
Cut, Score and Salt
Cut the courgettes into even lengths, about the size of your little finger, then slice each piece in half lengthways so you have little boat shapes. Lightly score the cut side a few millimetres deep. This helps the salt to get in more quickly. Salt each piece lightly and leave the tray to sit for around 15 minutes.
Make the Chimichurri
While the courgettes sit, put about a cup of chopped parsley into a bowl with two finely sliced spring onions, two minced cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon of dried oregano, a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, the juice of about a quarter of a lemon and 125 ml of extra virgin olive oil. Mix it all together. Ideally it sits for at least a few hours so the flavours can develop, but this is the quick version, so that is optional if you are short on time.
Dry, Sear and Roast
After 15 minutes there will be a ton of moisture on the surface, which means the salt has done its job. Dab off as much as you can with paper towel. The drier you get them now, the better they will fry. Heat an oven-safe frying pan over a medium to low heat with a little olive oil, then add the courgettes cut side down. Fry for a couple of minutes until they have a golden edge. Keeping the cut sides facing down, put the pan into a preheated oven at 180°C for around 10 minutes. They are ready when they have softened on top and smell great.
Toss While Hot
While they are still oven hot, tip the courgettes into a bowl and mix them with some of the chimichurri. Mixing while they are hot is really important to me, because it wakes up the flavours of the marinade.
How Do You Stop Grilled Courgettes Going Soggy?
Salt the courgettes and leave them for about 15 minutes, then dab the moisture off with paper towel before they go in the pan. The salt draws water to the surface, and the drier the courgette is when it hits the pan, the better it fries. Scoring the cut side helps the salt work in more quickly. The same dry-surface, hot-pan logic works for other green veg, like my sautéed asparagus with feta and lemon.
Can You Grill Courgettes on the Barbecue?
Yes. Prepare them in exactly the same way, with the scoring, salting and drying, then place them in an area of the barbecue with low heat and let them cook gently through. Toss them with the chimichurri while they are hot, just as you would with the oven version.
Grilled Courgettes with Chimichurri (Oven or Barbecue)
Equipment
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Plate / Tray
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Oven-safe frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 x courgettes
- 2 x cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 lemon juice only
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- 2 x green onions/scallions/spring onions finely sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 125 ml or 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Slice courgettes into even lengths, about the size of your little finger.
- Slice each piece in half lengthwise to create little boat shapes.
- Lightly score the cut sides a few millimetres deep with a knife to help the salt penetrate.
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the scored sides.
- Let the courgettes sit for 15 minutes on a tray to draw out moisture.
- In a bowl, mix together: 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 finely sliced spring onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, juice of ¼ lemon, 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Stir well. Ideally, let it sit for at least a few hours to develop the flavours (optional if short on time).
- After 15 minutes, dab off excess moisture from the courgettes using paper towel.
- The drier they are, the better they will fry.
- Preheat a frying pan over medium to low heat.
- Add a little olive oil. Place the courgettes in the pan, cut side down.
- Fry for a couple of minutes, until the bottoms have a golden edge.
- With the cut sides still facing down, transfer the pan to a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F).
- Roast for around 10 minutes, until the courgettes are soft and aromatic.
- While the courgettes are still hot from the oven, place them in a bowl.
- Spoon over some chimichurri and gently mix.
- The heat helps bring out the bold flavours of the marinade.
Video
Nutrition
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What to Serve With Grilled Courgettes
These make the perfect side dish for so many meals. Chimichurri is usually served with grilled meats, so the courgettes sit well alongside anything off the grill or the barbecue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why toss the courgettes with chimichurri while they are hot?
Mixing while they are still hot wakes up the flavours of the marinade. Tip the courgettes straight from the oven into a bowl and mix them gently with some of the chimichurri.
How long should the chimichurri sit?
Ideally at least a few hours, so the flavours can develop. This is the quick version of the sauce, so it is optional if you are short on time.
More Courgette Recipes
If you have more courgettes to get through, my three simple courgette recipes (the other two are my courgette carpaccio and my courgette fritters) are a good place to start.
