Baked Zucchini Fries
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BAKED, super crispy, perfectly golden brown zucchini fries! So easy to make and such a healthier alternative to fries and chips. Yes, please!
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Why i love this recipe
- Completely baked. These zucchini fries are completely baked start to finish. There’s no messy hot pot of oil involved here – you just don’t need it!
- Crisp-tender goodness. These are amazingly crisp right out of the oven – so crisp that no one would ever believe these didn’t hit a single drop of oil. The secret? The Parmesan-herb breading, baked on top of a cooling rack to help get these babies crisp and perfectly golden brown.
- Great way to use up zucchini. Have an overflow of zucchini during the summertime and not sure what to do outside of zucchini bread? Time to make zucchini fries, perfect as an appetizer, side dish or even as an after school snack! These zucchini fries are an absolute crowd-pleaser for both kids and grown ups.
- Perfect for picky eaters. Get that serving of veggies in with these irresistible zucchini fries, a healthier alternative to chips and french fries, dipped in your favorite dipping sauces – Ranch, garlic aioli and marinara are our typical crowd favorites here.
ingredients
Panko
Panko is made from crustless bread, yielding a more flaky, airy texture with superior crispness than regular breadcrumbs.
Parmesan cheese
Parmesan adds a savory, nutty flavor, melting and crisping when baked to form that golden crust.
Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
For an extra kick of flavor! Dried basil, oregano or Herbs de Provence can also be used in place of Italian seasoning.
Zucchini
Use smaller or medium-sized zucchini, firm to the touch, as they are less watery and seedy than larger-sized zucchini, which will further help in achieving a crispy, not soggy, zucchini fry.
Flour
All-purpose flour, almond flour or white whole wheat flour will all work very well here.
Eggs
The eggs serve as a binder, helping the Parmesan-breading stick to the zucchini to create that favorited crispy coating.
the three-step process for crispy baked zucchini fries
- Flour. The flour will help dry the zucchini from any excess moisture, creating a dry surface for the eggs and breadcrumb coating to adhere to.
- Eggs. The eggs are essentially the glue here, creating a sticky surface to ensure the final breadcrumb coating stays in place.
- Breading. The Parmesan-herb breadcrumbs are pressed onto the zucchini fries for an ultimate crispy coating.
tips and tricks for success
- Pat dry. Because zucchini has high water content (94% water), patting the zucchini dry beforehand will help remove excess moisture to ensure crispy zucchini fries, avoiding mushy, limp zucchini.
- Use the air fryer. This is a great recipe for the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, cooking for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway. Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket to achieve maximum crispness.
- Serve immediately. Zucchini fries are best served immediately for maximum freshness and crispness. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 375°F until warmed through. Leftover zucchini fries can be mushy when reheated in the microwave.
pro tip
Don’t skip the cooling rack.
The cooling rack is one of the best kept secrets for crispy zucchini fries. This helps elevate the zucchini fries, allowing for better air circulation, resulting in even cooking and a more consistent golden brown, crispy, crunchy coating.
more favorited zucchini recipes
- Zucchini Tots
- Zucchini Fritters
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
- Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
Baked Zucchini Fries: Frequently Asked Questions
Almond flour or white whole wheat flour can also be used here.
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store. While both panko and breadcrumbs can be used as a coating for fried foods, panko is much more flakier and yields a crunchier, crispier texture.
You can serve these with your favorite dipping sauce like Ranch, fry sauce or marinara sauce.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Baked Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- 1 cup Panko*
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Working in batches, dredge zucchini in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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These zucchini fries were delicious didn’t even have to dip them in anything. My husband and I ate them without any sauce or dip. Highly recommend as a good appetizer.
The recipe was good! The taste was amazing, but prep and building weren’t. I followed the recipe to a tee. The breading wasn’t sticking! I dried the zucchini sticks with several layers of paper towels. I lightly rolled the zucchini into flour, then the egg, breading, back to egg, and breading. It still wouldn’t stick. I tried to put the “naked” zucchini sticks in the oven to dry them, then follow the process. I tried to thin the egg with milk, that didn’t work. I mixed breadcrumbs and panko together…that didn’t work. I tried to separate the seasoning and cheese from the panko…that didn’t work. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but it just wasn’t sticking.
Try using a bit more flour, then letting the floured zucchini sit in the egg for a few seconds on each side.
This should allow the flour and egg to ‘glue’ together which makes the breading stick. Sometimes I have to double dip twice in a row in the egg before putting in bread crumbs.
Recipe is definitely worth trying a second time.
I like to put some Dijon in eggs – it thickens it up and crumbs adhere better – and it tastes awesome!
You’ll need to let the zukes sit in the egg a bit more. Maybe flip’em around. At first, the flour and egg repel each other. Don’t worry, it’ll stick!
Easy and delicious. I will be making these often. I’ve already made them twice in the last 3 days! 🙂
These are awesome!! Family loves them. Very impressed, thank you for a great easy recipe.
We have a couple of zucchini that got away from us, and are now about 3 feet long. Would this recipe work with overgrown zucchini?
I just made this with some over-sized zukes and I cut them in half, then quartered each half – then cut the point of seeds off each pie-piece and tossed them (large zucchini get large seeds and a lot of water around them) and prepped the remaining pieces per the recipe they were fantastic.
These are just great they get better every time I make them❤️
Yup, these are good! Crunchy, tasty, and not fried. So good with a side of ranch or just on their own. Recipe officially added to my list of favorites.
Yup, these are good! Crunchy, tasty, and not fried. So good with a side of ranch or just on their own. Recipe officially added to my list of favorites.
Have made these tons of times and we love them! My question is, can i bread them ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake them a few hours later? Just dont want to be stuck doing this while company is here 🙁
Perfect, guilt-free alternative to fried zucchini. Thanks for sharing!
The best I make them again and again and again every summer
Fantastic. made chicken tenders and “fried” green tomatoes at the same time. No need to fry anything. It was all crispy and my house didn’t smell like grease.
Fantastic. made chicken tenders and “fried” green tomatoes at the same time. No need to fry anything. It was all crispy and my how didn’t smell like grease.
Maybe I’m mistaken but shouldn’t the egg come before the flour then the PANKO???
THIS recipe didn’t quite work for me.
When you are breading something the coating will stick better if you coat with flour first, then dip in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. If you skip the flour part your breading has a higher chance of falling off.
Exactly Joe! this recipe was a complete fail for me. Not what I was going for at all 🙁
LOVE THIS RECIPE! They come out perfect every time…I make home made Greed Goddess dressing to dip them in! Delicious!
Great recipe – I didn’t have enough Panko crumbs so I blended Panko, gluten free white crumbs (left over from cooking for a vegan) and sesame seeds – added french herbs (herb de provence) as I did not have an italian mix – good slug of salt and pepper –
I used fresh picked small courgette (zucchini) as the flesh is firmer and no seed centre.
Dredged the chips by putting them in a plastic bag and tipping the flour in and shaking.
Added about 30ml to the egg mix to make it a little thinner and easier to work.
left hand to take from bag, dredge through egg and drop into crumb/herb mix – Right hand to cover with crumb, press down to consolidate, shake off surplus and put onto a wire rack (helps get all round crispiness without turning)
In the oven at 200C Fan for 22 mins
Outcome – Fantastic – golden sticks of yumminess – Served with minted lamb kebabs and mayo as a dip
Great way to use your courgettes (Zucchini)
jesus dude why don’t you just start your own website?
You’re cracking me up over here!!
Be polite
We loved it especially my mom is absessed
Thank you for this basic recipe! Due to covid-19 stay at home I did not have panko or grated parmesan. I substituted smashed sun chips whole grain garden salsa chips mixed with a ratio of about 1/3 regular bread crumbs. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS!!! I followed the basic recipe but turned the oven down to 400 degrees. My husband flipped over these! We’ll definately do this again! Try it with your favorite flavor potato chips! I’m going to try doritoes nacho cheese next.
Delicious! Added a ranch mix packet to the panko mixture.
Love this recipe! Just added a heaping tablespoon of ranch mix seasoning instead of Italian seasoning & canned Parmesan instead of freshly grated. Could believe how crispy they were for not being fried! My zucchini hating teenager loved them! She’s converted now, ha! Thanks for the recipe!