You are going to love this Air Fryer Zucchini Fries recipe! These zucchini fries are life-changing! They are made with real ingredients, and aren't deep-fried! They are so crispy and crunchy on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside, and not greasy!
If you are looking for easy air fryer recipes, this is it! In this air fryer zucchini fries recipe post, I am going to show you how to make truly crispy fried squash that you can make in an air fryer without a ton of oil!
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Perfect Zucchini Fries without Greasy:
These air-fried zucchini fries were so crispy as if they were deep-fried. The courgette is fried in the air-fryer. No oil is needed, except a little bit of cooking spray to achieve a crispy and golden brown outer crust.
Air-frying is absolutely the best alternative to deep-frying for many reasons! Compared to deep-frying, using an air fryer can reduce the amount of fat, calories, and potentially harmful substance in the food.
Air-frying is also far easier and less messy than deep-frying. It is the best cooking method to make perfect zucchini fries without greasy!
Serve these vegetable fries with marinara sauce, salsa, or any dipping sauce of your choice. Absolutely amazing! You may never deep-fry zucchini in oil again after tasting this air fried zucchini!
Homemade Breaded Zucchini Fries from Scratch:
The courgette chips or fries are breaded in the traditional way, a classic three-step system.
The breading process involves egg, flour, and breadcrumbs to seal in moisture when deep-frying or air-frying. It provides a crunchy exterior and a golden-brown color to food.
Air-Fried Zucchini Ingredients
This zucchini fries recipe requires simple ingredients that you can find in your pantry!
To make these healthy fried zucchini, you will need the following ingredients:
- Zucchini. You need 2 pieces of zucchini, about 10 oz each, and should be enough to make about 50-60 fried zucchini sticks.
- Eggs. You will need 2 eggs to make an egg wash. The egg wash helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the zucchini that's going in the fryer, ensuring the breading actually sticks to the food instead of falling off.
- Milk. You are going to use the beaten eggs and milk together to make an egg wash. Water is a great alternative for milk.
- All-purpose flour. The flour helps the egg wash adhere. If you are on a low carb diet, feel free to use almond flour as a replacement ingredient.
- Panko breadcrumbs. It's a Japanese breadcrumb, traditionally used as a coating for deep-fried foods. It has a light, airy, and delicate texture that helps it crisp as it cooks. As a result, you will get crispier and crunchier food. You can substitute panko with traditional breadcrumb.
- Italian seasoning. This is my favorite spice blend of ground herbs and a pantry staple. Be sure to use the dried leaves version instead of the ground.
- Dried basil. If you're completely out of dried basil, you can swap it with dried oregano or thyme.
- Parmesan cheese. It adds a salty, savory flavor to food!
- Cooking spray. It's possible to make fried zucchini without oil! However, you will need a light spritz of cooking spray to keep the food from sticking to a pan and to achieve a crunchy outer texture.
How to Make Crispy Zucchini Fries in an Air Fryer:
The preparation and cooking process of this air fryer zucchini is pretty simple and easy to follow.
Prepare the Zucchini for Air Frying:
Step 1. Wash and dry the zucchini well because any extra moisture trapped under the coating will cause the food to be soggy.
Step 2. Trim stem ends from zucchini. After that, cut it either into French-fry-like sticks (about 3 inches long and ยฝ-inch in thickness each) or crosswise into slices about ยฝ-inch.
Step 3. Set up three dishes and put them in the right order. Fill the first dish with flour. In the second shallow bowl, beat eggs with milk and salt. Next, in another shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, and black pepper.
Step 4. Coat a zucchini stick in the flour, dip in the egg, and coat in the breadcrumbs. It's very important to coat zucchini in a thin, even layer of each coating and always shake off any excess.
Step 5. Put coated zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer, top with parchment paper, and repeat with remaining pieces. Next, chill for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Here's how I fried zucchini in an air fryer:
Step 1. Lightly grease the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place zucchini sticks in a single layer and lightly spray them with cooking spray.
Do not overcrowd the basket! Work in multiple batches if needed!
Step 2. Preheat the air fryer and set up the temperature to 350°F.
Step 3. Cook zucchini for about 12 minutes. Flipping halfway through to deliver evenly browned and crispy results.
Once the cooking cycle has completed, you can leave the zucchini inside the air fryer for about 1 minute before transferring it to a plate for a crispier result.
Step 4. Transfer the crispy zucchini fries from the air fryer to a plate. Repeat cooking with the remaining zucchini.
How to Freeze Zucchini Fries:
These air-fried zucchini fries are freezable. Here's how to store the cooked zucchini fries in the freezer:
- First, you need to cool them completely.
- Second, place the zucchini fries on a baking sheet in a single layer, freeze for 1-2 hours, and then transfer to a freezer bag or an airtight container.
- Third, store in the freezer. If properly stored, these fries will maintain the best quality for up to 3 months.
How to Cook Frozen Zucchini Fries in an Air Fryer:
- Remove the fries from the freezer. Do not thaw!
- Next, once you’re ready to reheat, simply cook frozen zucchini fries in the preheated air fryer for the recommended time based on your air fryer brand/user manual (they do differ). Flipping halfway through.
I hope you will enjoy this recipe! If you try it, don’t forget to rate and leave a review on the recipe card/comment box below.
Check Out More Tasty Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Okra
- Chicken Nuggets in an Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Hashbrown with Veggies
- Learn How to Cook Frozen Shrimp Tempura in an Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Air Fryer Calamari
- Learn How to Cook Tilapia in an Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Check Out More Tasty Squash Recipes:
- Roasted Yellow Squash with Parmesan Cheese
- Hasselback Butternut Squash with Brown Butter Sage
- Butternut Squash Gratin
- Summer Squash Casserole
๐ Recipe
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini , (about 10 oz each)wash, dry then cut into French-fry-like sticks (about 3 inches long and ½-inch in thickness each)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Egg Wash:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Breadcrumb Mix:
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ black pepper , (to taste)
Instructions
- Set up three dishes and put them in the right order. (1st bowl) fill with flour. (2nd bowl) beat eggs with milk and salt. (3rd bowl) mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, and black pepper.
- Coat a zucchini stick in the flour; shake off excess flour. Dip in the egg; allow the excess to drip off. Dip into breadcrumb mixture; gently pressing to coat and shake off any excess.It's very important to coat zucchini in a thin, even layer of each coating and always shake off any excess.
- Put coated zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer, top with parchment paper, and repeat with remaining pieces. Next, chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place zucchini sticks in a single layer and lightly spray them with cooking spray.Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in multiple batches if necessary.
- Preheat the air fryer and set up the temperature to 350°F. Cook for 6 minutes then flip the fries and continue cooking until lightly golden and crispy, about 6 minutes more.
- Transfer the crispy zucchini fries from the air fryer to a plate. Repeat cooking with remaining zucchini.
Maria says
Perfect appetizers! Love air-fried goodies!
Rika says
I love air-fried goodies too! The perfect guilt-free snacks!
Toni says
This is such a great idea!! My kids loved these fries!
Rika says
I am glad to hear that, Toni!
Laura says
I just made this in my air fryer. They turned out great!
Rika says
Great! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Laura!
Beth says
Yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! Looks so delicious and easy! Can't wait!
Jacqueline Debono says
I'm hoping Father Christmas is bringing me an Air fryer! And, if so going make these delicious looking zucchini fries first!
Rika says
I hope you got an air fryer for Christmas, Jacqueline! Happy New Year!
Amber says
I just made these as a side for dinner tonight they were delicious and crispy! My husband loved them too. We used one med-large zucchini and it made the perfect amount for the 2 of us. Coating each zucchini fry was a little time consuming, but so worth it! Thank you for sharing
Rika says
Hi Amber,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I am glad that you and your husband liked this zucchini recipe. I agree with you that coating zucchini or other fried foods can be time-consuming. I am going to add an alternative way to make it faster. I think it will help speed up the process. Thanks again!