Just Say No To Watery, Soggy Zucchini Noodles (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook zucchini noodles so they don't get soggy? ›

To avoid soggy and limp noodles, I recommend cooking for only 3-5 minutes (5 if you're cooking more than 1-2 spiralized zucchinis) and tossing frequently. You want a slightly al dente noodle.

Slice and salt zucchini in advance of cooking to draw out some of the vegetable's excess moisture (while also seasoning it more thoroughly). To do this, cut up a pound of zucchini and toss it with ½ teaspoon of table salt. Let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes before patting it dry and cooking it.

The key here is to not overcook them! Zucchini is nearly all water, so when you go to cook zucchini noodles it releases the water content of the vegetable. And if you overcook them, you'll end up with a watery, mushy pile of zoodles.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dry your zucchini in the oven. To do this, set your oven to the lowest possible setting. And instead of placing your fine or wild zoodles on a drying tray, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. That way it will be easy to remove the dried strands later.

But note that a zucchini is over 90% water, so you won't be able to simply get it dry enough to resemble a dough noodle. Dry the noodles out in your oven at 200 degrees, for about 10 minutes or until they are finished “sweating.” You'll want them dry to the touch, but still very flexible and moist on the inside.

Here's my trick to avoiding mushy zucchini:

Salt the quarters and let them rest for about 10 minutes in a colander. The salt removes water and starts to season the zucchini. After that, dry the zucchini well with paper towels and cook it. High and dry-heat cooking, like grilling or sautéing work best for zucchini.

Zucchini is 94 percent water, which is why it gets mushy when cooked for too long. The first step in this recipe involves salting the flesh of the zucchini and allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting.

How Do You Keep Fried Zucchini from Getting Soggy? Salting your zucchini is the most important step in preventing it from getting soggy. Additionally, make sure your pan is properly preheated before frying the breaded zucchini.

Don't let your zoodles sit in salt

Countless recipes suggest that you let your zucchini sit in salt before cooking, like many do with eggplant, in order to get water out of them. But Gellman said this can actually just cause the water to leach out into your sauce, so she advised not doing this.

Add the noodles and cook, stirring and tossing with tongs, until slightly tender, around 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

How do you keep cooked noodles from getting soggy? ›

When boiling them, make sure they are al dente or cooked enough for you to take a bite; once they reach that stage, take them out in a strainer. Putting them through a sieve is essential because they cannot keep absorbing more water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season the water generously with salt. Add the zucchini noodles and cook until the noodles are crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs or a spider to immediately transfer the zoodles to a large bowl filled with ice water.