Baked Parmesan Zucchini
by Chungah
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Crisp-tender zucchini sticks with an irresistible Parmesan topping! The perfect side dish to sneak in veggies for both kids and grown-ups.
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Why you’ll love baked parmesan zucchini
- Great way to use up zucchini. Already made zucchini bread with your summer bounty? Time to whip up some parmesan zucchini sticks, the most perfect side dish (or appetizer) to elevate any meal.
- Completely baked, start to finish. There is absolutely zero frying or sautéing here. The zucchini spears are completely baked, sprinkled with a simple Parmesan-herb coating, and broiled the last few minutes for that nice golden brown crust.
- Kid-friendly. These parmesan zucchini sticks are such a great, low-carb alternative to french fries, providing so much more fiber and nutrition. It’s truly the best way to sneak in some veggies for kids and grown-ups!
How to cut zucchini into sticks (or spears)
Slice the zucchini into even spears every single time, ensuring they brown and cook evenly.
- Wash under cold water to remove dirt and debris, using a kitchen towel to dry thoroughly.
- Trim the ends, both the stem and the base, about 1/2-inch on each side.
- Cut the zucchini crosswise (horizontally) into two halves.
- Cut each half into two or three equal pieces, depending on how big the zucchini is.
How to make baked parmesan zucchini
- Cut the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into even sticks or spears (instructions above), cutting as long or as short as desired.
- Make the Parmesan mixture. Toss together the Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Freshly grated cheese is best here for that favorited crispy golden-brown crust as pre-shredded cheese can clump and burn easily.
- Coat the zucchini. Place the zucchini sticks in a single layer on a wire rack inside a baking sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch space between each stick. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkling the seasoning mixture in an even layer on top.
- Bake and broil. Bake the zucchini until tender. Pro tip: broil the last few minutes of cook time for that crispy crunch and golden brown crust.
- Serve. Serve warm with additional Parmesan.
Pro tip
Use a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
- Prevents soggy zucchini. When zucchini is baked directly on a sheet pan, it will often steam in its own moisture. Elevating the zucchini on a cooling rack will allow for even air circulation.
- Uniform browning. The rack will ensure golden browning on all sides of the zucchini sticks.
- Allows for easy clean up. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil (under the rack) to catch any drippings or fallen seasoning for the easiest clean up ever.
Baked Parmesan Zucchini: Frequently Asked Questions
A medium zucchini is typically 6 – 8 inches long, 2 inches in diameter, and weighs around 6 ounces.
No, leave the zucchini peel intact as it provides strong structural support, allowing the zucchini to hold its shape during baking. Removing the peel will make the zucchini soft and mushy.
Zucchini is 95% water, the common culprit behind soggy, limp zucchini. For crisp-tender zucchini, dry the zucchini thoroughly and bake on a wire rack over a baking sheet to ensure even air flow and to prevent steaming.
Parmesan zucchini is so versatile and can pair well with your favorite dipping sauces such as Ranch, fry sauce (burger sauce), garlic aioli, or marinara sauce.
Yes! The air fryer is a great way to get crispy zucchini sticks. Add the zucchini sticks in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Zucchini sticks are best when served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, reheating in the oven at 375°F until warmed through.
Freezing is not recommended here as the texture may become mushy upon thawing.
Baked Parmesan Zucchini
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and patted dry
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture in an even layer.
- Place into oven and bake until tender, about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Dry thoroughly. Zucchini has a very high water content. Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels before baking to guarantee that crispy exterior.
- Cut into uniform pieces. Cut the zucchini into similar-sized sticks to ensure even cooking and browning.
- Freshly grated Parmesan goes a long way. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents, burning easily and leaving a meal crust. Use freshly grated cheese for that crispy, golden, flavorful crust.
- Use a cooling rack on a baking sheet. No more soggy limp zucchini! Baking the zucchini directly on an oven-safe cooling rack inside a baking sheet will prevent steaming and provide even airflow with easy clean up.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Space the zucchini sticks out in a single, even layer, about 1/2-inch, for proper browning. When the pan is crowded, the steam will get trapped between the sticks, causing the zucchini to steam instead.
- Make it in the air fryer. These can easily be cooked in the air fryer at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover zucchini sticks can become mushy when reheated in the microwave. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven (to regain some of its crispness) at 375°F until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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Easiest zucchini recipe ever!
Not mushy… delicious… and kid approved!
Love, love, love!
Everyone ages 1 to 11 and adults wanted seconds (except the stubborn 4 year old. Oh well!)
Wee will be making again this week.
Absolutely delicious! I used no fresh seasoning or freshly grated cheese, tossed the dried parsley in with the seasoning and cheese, and Used spray on olive oil (so worth the extra cost!) Easy, easy recipe.
Delicious
I just gave it a try. The zucchini cooked perfectly but tasted a bit over seasoned and didn’t get as much Panko and cheese to adhere as I would have liked. I really like these simple ones as I get more comfortable with cooking.
I brushed the olive oil on and then rolled the zucchini in it. More stuck on the zucchini and the rest I saved for next time.
Try olive oil spray. Works great!
I didn’t see panko on the ingredient list. Did I miss something?
These were amazing! Even my “non-zucchini” eating family members gobbled them up. I too used a ziplock bag to put the cheese coating in. Then I cut my zucchini into fingers, and drizzled olive oil on them and let them sit for about an hour. When I was ready to bake them, I simply gave them a quick toss in the oil, then into the bag to coat with cheese. I sprinkled all the remaining cheese mixture on top and baked. Then into the broiler until brown and crispy. SO GOOD! Thank you.
Followed recipe and it is DELICIOUS.
Everyone in the family loved this except DH–he said it was too salty and too much cheese. I personally loved the slight crunch and cheese. I did remove the seeds from very large cucumbers and would always do this.
We made this a little easier for the kids to help with. I coat the zucchini in oil in a ziplock then dump in the cheese mix, and shake again. The kids love it better this way. The leftover cheese we just sprinkle on top.
This will be the second time we made these. Great for meatless Sunday… added bread crumbs cuz we always have big zucchini… We make em our own with added spice, always bangin!
Can these be stored to eat the next day? If so how would you store them.
Yum. And so easy. I actually gently tossed the zucchini in the dry-ingredient mix with the parmesan to coat the zucchini better. For my oven, I cooked it for 20 minutes. Once the whole thing cooled, I scraped the toasted parmesan bits from the bottom of the pan and sprinkle them on top of the zucchini to serve. Great recipe. Thanks.
Delicious and easy to make!!!
If you have ever grown zucchini… I used a medium size one and cut in half then into 12 strips. I cutout the center seed portion. I did the 20 minutes at 350 and it could have used another 10. Overall a very delicious recipe. Easily a 5 star.
I loved making this recipe and will make many times for a healthy snack.
This us a delicious way to use up some of your summer zucchini. My whole family plus a picky eater asked me to make this more ofren. I may experiment with this on the grill.
I must have done something wrong even though I very carefully followed directions. The squash was very tough, didn’t bake well. Didn’t I slice them thin enough?
This was really yummy and easy to make!
are the leftover of these good reheated? if so, what’s the best way to reheat?
This was amazing! And even heated up well for lunch the next day.
Flavor is amazing! I used fresh herbs, thyme and basil (forgot to add oregano). I also cut them half and then in 8ths and some in 10ths because the zucchini was big. I thought of making them like “fries” for side dish. But I had to add another 15 minutes in the oven at 425* for them to be light brown and 6 minutes under broiler. Still, even though they were good, they never crisped. Any idea why? They didn’t look as good as in the picture…