Pan-Fried Zucchini with Honey, Feta and Pistachios
This Pan-Fried Zucchini with Honey, Feta and Pistachios is the ultimate side dish. Made from seven simple ingredients, this fresh recipe is easy to make yet looks elevated.
The zucchini has a wonderful golden-brown sear but is still tender in the center. Loaded with honey, fresh squeezed lemon, crumbled feta, crushed pistachios, fresh dill and cracked black pepper, this side dish recipe is hard to resist. I can guarantee this recipe will be a regular in your recipe rotation.
Enjoy this dish alongside some of my other favorites like, easy potato salad or summer fruit salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy yet elevated. This recipe is easy to make yet looks elevated. Your family and guests will be blown away by the presentation.
Fresh ingredients. I am a huge fan of using garden fresh ingredients whenever possible. And this delicious recipe delivers big time on flavor and freshness.
Homemade. Everything tastes better when it’s homemade, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint.
Customizable. You can easily customize this recipe to meet your flavor preferences. Swap the dill for mint or swap the pistachios for warm buttery panko.
Recipe Ingredients
- Zucchini: For this recipe, you will need two medium zucchini. Wash and remove the ends. Slice them in half and then slice them diagonally to create triangle shaped, bite sized pieces.
- Olive Oil: Coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil. About 2-3 tablespoons will work. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat, but you don’t want it to smoke.
- Honey: Drizzle the pan-fried zucchini with honey.
- Lemon: You’ll want to hot the pan fried zucchini with fresh squeezed lemon.
- Feta: You can use crumbled feta for this recipe.
- Pistachios: You’ll want to lightly crush some roasted and salted pistachios. Option to use lightly salted if you prefer less salt.
- Dill: Chop up fresh dill for this recipe. Be sure to remove the stems.
- Black Pepper: Add a few turns of cracked black pepper for this recipe.
Variations
Swap the herbs. Instead of fresh dill try chopped parsley or mint.
Swap the pistachios. Not a fan of pistachios, try buttery toasted panko, sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts instead.
Swap the feta. You can use pan seared halloumi or shaved parmesan cheese instead.
Make it spicy! Option to use hot honey instead of regular honey for a kick of spice.
How to Make
Wash and remove the ends of your zucchinis. Slice them in half then slice them diagonally to create triangle shaped, bite sized pieces.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in an 11-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the cubed zucchini, center side down. Saute in the oil for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the zucchini.
Reduce the heat and flip the zucchini. Allow them to saute for 2-3 more minutes or until they are fork tender. You do not want them to get too soft or they will be mushy.
Add the pan-fried zucchini to a plate. Top with honey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, crumbled feta, crushed pistachios, chopped dill and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Storage
Best enjoyed immediately! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Option to eat chilled or reheat in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is best enjoyed immediately hot from the pan.
Try my Baked Chicken Thighs, Grilled Lobster Tails or Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi.
Other Vegetable Side Dish Recipes to Consider Trying
Pan-Fried Zucchini with Honey, Feta and Pistachios
Equipment
- 1 11-inch nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, for pan frying the zucchini
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup pistachios, crushed
- 1-2 tablespoons dill, freshly chopped, remove stems
- few turns cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and remove the ends of your zucchini. Slice them in half then slice them diagonally to create triangle shaped, bite sized pieces.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in an 11-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the cubed zucchini, center side down. Pan sear in the oil until golden brown.Reduce the heat and flip the zucchini. Allow them to fry for 2-3 more minutes or until they are fork tender. You do not want them to get too soft or they will be mushy. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the zucchini.
- Add the pan-fried zucchini to a plate. Top with honey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, crumbled feta, crushed pistachios, chopped dill and cracked black pepper. Serve hot and enjoy.
13 Comments on “Pan-Fried Zucchini with Honey, Feta and Pistachios”
Just read all the great reviews, but… is this recipe slightly spicy? Or very spicy? On a scale of 1-10. What if I used regular honey? Where do you even buy hot honey?
You can buy it on my Amazon storefront! It has a mild heat in my opinion. Option to use regular honey instead.
I was BLOWN AWAY by this recipe! I swear I made it every other night for like 2 weeks! It’s so simple and so flavorful! I’ve made it for some dinner guests too and it made me feel like a super fancy chef haha
I don’t like feta. What other cheese would be a good substitute? (not blue or goat)
perhaps shaved Parmesan
I saw this recipe on IG and immediately ran over to make it. I LOVE zucchini and had just bought a few beautiful looking ones from the local farmer’s market. Hot honey on everything is amazing, and I had never thought about using it with zucchini. This is super simple to make and an amazing side dish. I didn’t have dill, so I used parsley instead, and the flavors were still great. It went perfectly with a grilled greek chicken burger and some homemade fries! thanks for the great recipe 🙂
I made this as a side to salmon, and OMG. The perfect summer side that is savory, sweet, spicy, and refreshing, all in one. So easy to make, I actually had all ingredients on hand, except dill, which I swapped out for parsley. This is a must make for the summer, or even all year round tbh! I could have eaten the whole plate myself, if my husband let me. Definitely will be making again, and again, and AGAIN.
I made this about 10 minutes after I saw her TikTok because I happened to have all the ingredients. It was amazing and my girls(18) and I devoured the plate in about 5 minutes. I’ve shared the recipe with a few friends and can’t wait to make it again. It was a great snack but would be a perfect side dish for grilled fish, shrimp or chicken. I’ll definitely be making this again. You don’t even need to really measure… 👍👍
Incredible, simple and beautiful dish! Made it today for lunch. Will be a summer staple! Wish I could post a pic here because it is prettyyyy!
This was incredible!!!!! Might try next time roasting the zucchini for less oil and a bit less mess! But the combo is fantastic!! 👏👏👏
This recipe is so delicious!!! Easy and full of flavor, I’ll be making this all summer.
What is hot honey?
it’s a type of honey that been infused with chilies and vinegar to make it spicy.