• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Art of Doing Stuff
menu icon
go to homepage
  • HOUSE
  • COOKING
  • GARDEN
  • HOW-TO
  • EXTRA
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • HOUSE
    • COOKING
    • GARDEN
    • HOW-TO
    • EXTRA
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Cooking Stuff » Cooking Tips

    How to Dice a Zucchini

    July 19, 2022 by Karen 19 Comments

    Pin21
    Share
    Email
    21 Shares

    I discovered that I dice zucchini differently than how the Internet usually recommends you do it. Shocker. Today I'm going to show you how to dice a zucchini - my way and the Internet way.

    Diced zucchini on wood cutting board.

    The goal is the same. Dice a zucchini so most pieces have a bit of tender green skin, each dice is evenly sized and there's no splatters of finger blood in the mix.

    An easy enough kitchen task once you know how to do it, right up there with how to dice an onion.

    If you live anywhere near me you've probably read the local police reports about gangs of zucchini bandits throwing these courgettes at passersby and onto neighbouring rooftops in an attempt to get rid of them.

    Because it's zucchini season. Otherwise known as Zummer. I hilariously wrote a post on how to grow and stake zucchini that will get you even MORE zucchini over the zummer season.

    To this day I'm not sure why I thought encouraging the world's home gardeners to produce even more of these things was a good idea. But it's done now and that zucchini post has been shared enough times that I think we can safely assume it will be raining zucchini onto rooftops until the end of time.

    So let's get to the business at hand ... how to dice a zucchini. First let's take a look at my way.


    Dicing a zucchini AKA courgette

    Method 1

    1. Lay your zucchini down and cut the ends off.
    2. Cut the zucchini into thirds.
    3. Flip each third so a cut end is down.
    4. Slice straight down into the dice size you want.
    5. Flip the zucchini and cut again along the length.
    6. You'll now have zucchini sticks. Cut across the sticks to create your dice.
    Zucchini with the ends cut off and then cut into thirds.
    Zuccini chunk being sliced.
    Zucchini third sliced into batons.
    Evenly diced zucchini on a wood cutting board.

    I know. It's hard to understand from photos so here's a quick video of me dicing a zucchini.

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

    That's how I do it and how I've always done it. Now what's the most recommended way to dice one?


    Method 2

    1. Lay the zucchini down and cut the ends off.
    2. Slice one long strip off of the zucchini lengthwise so you can lay it flat on the counter without rolling.
    3. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into 4 or 5 long strips. Stack them back together.
    4. Slice the stack lengthwise into 4 or 5 strips.
    5. Gather the strips together and cut across them into a dice.
    Zucchini with the ends cut off.
    Zucchini with one strip cut off of it lengthwise.
    Zucchini cut into ¼" lengthwise strips.
    Zucchini on wood cutting board.
    Zucchini cut into batons ready for dicing.
    Diced zucchini on wood cutting board.

    Either way works. I find working with smaller chunks makes it easier to make even cuts but if you don't mind a bit of wiggle in your cuts the other way works perfectly well too.

    Like I mentioned it IS zucchini season and as I write this post I've harvested 8 of them in the past 3 days. I've given one to my mother, one to the family in my rental house, one to a guy who lives in a van, and the rest I've eaten.

    Except for the 4 that are in my fridge from before I harvested those 8.

    Plans for those include my Chocolate Banana Smoothie, double chocolate zucchini bread and a really fast, surprisingly delicious, creamy pesto pasta (recipe coming in a couple of days).

    It's "surprisingly delicious" because it only has 5 ingredients and can be on the table in 20 minutes. I find if cheese is one of the 5 ingredients in a 5 ingredient dinner, you can pretty much rely on it being good. If it's not? Just add more cheese.

    My goal this year was to make sure I didn't waste one SINGLE zucchini. I always say I'm going to do that and then at some point during the zummer I open up my crisper to find 5 melted, oozing zucchini.

    Which are decidedly not surprisingly delicious.


    Follow me on Instagram

    where I sometimes post things but if Instagram was in my crisper it would probably be melting and oozing.

    More Cooking Tips

    • Clear, filtered maple syrup made at home.
      Maple Syrup Grades Explained.
    • What To Do With Sour Grapes
    • How to Make Homemade Butter (in Just 1-1.5 Years) 😆
    • How to Make Garlic Powder (or Onion)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

    1. Eileen

      July 20, 2022 at 5:18 pm

      I have never been able to grow the wretched things. My farmers market people offered to hire me to make theirs less prolific.
      I love zucchini "carpaccio." Slice zukes super thin lengthwise - easiest if you have a mandoline, but also a risk for blood if careless. Arrange nicely (you do you) ob a serving dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and your fave tasty olive oil. Salt, fresh pepper grinds, some grated lemon zest. For fancier some parmesan shaved or grated over the top.
      My mouth is watering. I'll have to check the roof for zukes.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 21, 2022 at 12:28 am

        I rarely eat it raw but I slice it thin like that and then saute it until it's golden brown and top it in the pan with grated parmesan. ~ karen!

        Reply
    2. may-flower

      July 20, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      No zucchini here this year (s%#@ woodchuck!) BUT in years where I've had a lot getting ready to liquefy in the fridge, I grate it and freeze in ziplocks. Pull out in winter for zucchini bread or zucchini cakes (like crab cakes) or mixing into spaghetti 'n' sauteed veg. I don't blanch first, but you probably could and maybe should.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 21, 2022 at 12:27 am

        I do that and for some reason with zucchini I find I never use it from the freezer. I bag it up nice ready for zucchini bread and then it sits there, lol. ~ karen!

        Reply
    3. Mary W

      July 20, 2022 at 11:18 am

      I only planted one plant - it was gorgeous with a beautiful fruit growing so pretty - until it wasn't. The dang borer got to it and it was toast in just a day. I didn't know that light green frass on the stem was the borer - lesson learned but no zucchini. Third year in a row so now I'm trying fall zucchini - florida - and maybe the borers will be gone by the time I plant a seedling. The squash bugs got all the yellow squash except I did get to taste ONE! Stinkin squash bugs. I also planted lots of winter squash and got 3! One was a cushaw that grew 11 pounds and was delicious. It made one fresh meal and 6 bags of frozen mashed squash for the freezer then the DANG squash bugs got all the rest except for 2 tiny ones that I picked just to spite them. I did get tromboncino which were hardy and resisted until finally they succumbed. The bugs came in hoards. I've pulled them all and the dang squash bugs are all over my tomatoes! What the ???
      They have stung them so bad and the horn worms are just starting. I go out with long scissors and cut them in half along with any squash bug that I can sneak up on. I'm glad you can pick!

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 21, 2022 at 12:26 am

        You're lucky you can plant twice in a season like that! Although, I can here with zucchini but I doubt if I seeded now it would have time to grow and produce. Maybe I'll give it a shot for fun. I can do that while I replant my beans. For the 4th time. Thank you very much family of rabbits. ~ karen!

        Reply
    4. Patti_is_knittinginflashes

      July 20, 2022 at 9:07 am

      Mr. Aitch and I love zucchini but we’ve not been successful in growing our own. Some bug got into the vines and killed them. I haven’t tried to grow anything since then.
      If I lived closer, I’d help take some zucchini off your hands. I’m hoping that someone at church brings in zucchini for anyone who wants them…like they did with cherries last month.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:43 am

        I don't go to church but if they're giving out free cherries I might rethink that. ~ karen!

        Reply
      • ~Laura Lou~

        July 20, 2022 at 10:17 am

        Try starting them later in the year. Springtime isn't the only time to plant zucchini, but springtime it's more likely to get those vine borer jerks. I'm going to start my next round of summer squashes in a couple weeks. It all depends on your last frost date. As long as you have enough time for the plants to reach their maturity date (plus a little extra time to harvest more) before your last frost date you're good to plant.

        Just don't let August fry them ;)

        Where are these free cherries you speak of??? lol

        Reply
    5. Randy P

      July 20, 2022 at 8:46 am

      Thanks not only for the great cutting tips but also for the language education. Your knife handling is excellent by the way. I now know that courgette is a French AND British way of saying zucchini. None of MY friends and family will be impressed by that knowledge, but I do enjoy learning something new.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:43 am

        You can really flip them out when you talk about a peppers as capsicums. ~ karen!

        Reply
    6. Jane Snider

      July 20, 2022 at 8:41 am

      I’ve always sliced in rounds, stacked and diced.
      I’m sure Lip’s friend Banner would like some zucchini.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:41 am

        LOL! Does handsome Banner like zucchini? Lip just rolls it around in his mouth then spits it out. ~ karen!

        Reply
    7. Melody Ryan

      July 20, 2022 at 8:30 am

      I make extra zucchini and summer squash into dill pickles. They work surprisingly well.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:41 am

        I did that one year! I used them in my bread and butter pickle recipe along with cucumbers. But I don't think I've done it since then. And since my cucumbers are now becoming equally prolific I should get on that. Thanks for the reminder. ~ karen!

        Reply
    8. MaryJo

      July 20, 2022 at 7:59 am

      IMO, your method is definitely the better way, Karen! I've never done it making the long slices, that would almost certainly end with blood. I've always done the round slices and that never worked all that well for me, but at least there wasn't blood.
      From now on, I'm using your method!
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:40 am

        Thanks! It really does work well for an even dice. ~ karen!

        Reply
    9. Sara Cox

      July 20, 2022 at 1:17 am

      I slice them into rounds, then stack 3-4 round and cut them into triangles, like a wagon wheel. Four to six segments for smaller, eight for the largest rounds!

      Reply
      • Karen

        July 20, 2022 at 9:39 am

        Ah HA! I should have mentioned, the reason I don't do it that way is because I like a dice as opposed to triangles. But if you're cool with triangles, as I'm sure you are, continue on! :) ~ karen!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    SHOP ON AMAZON

    Use it 👆 to support my work. LEARN MORE

    My name is Karen Bertelsen and I was a television host. In Canada. Which means in terms of notoriety and wealth, I was somewhere on par with the manager of a Sunset Tan in Wisconsin.

    I quit television to start a blog with the goal that I could make my living through blogging and never have to host a television show again. And it’s worked out. I’m making a living blogging. If you’re curious, this is how I do that.

    So I’m doing this in reverse basically. I’m the only blogger who is trying to NOT get a TV show.

    More about me 👋

    Seasonal Articles

    • DIY a Modern Birdbath to Attract Birds
    • The English Cottage Garden Year 8 (Spring)
    • Turtles Can Fly, and Other June Discoveries
    • How to Clean a Crystal Chandelier
    • Garden Tool Handle Repair
    • 👉 14 Common Garden Oddities (and What to Do About Them)

    Popular Articles

    • This Is Where I Try To Buy Your Love
    • Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip
    • A Year Full of Pots: Win Sarah Raven's New Book
    • The Difference Between People Who Eat Mayo & People Who Eat Miracle Whip
    • Your FIRST look at my new kitchen in Canadian Living Magazine.
    • How to Print an Image on Wood.

    Footer

    as seen in

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    21 shares