Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
Ultra crispy zucchini chips! Makes for the best snack or side dish to any main. Make it in the oven, stovetop, or air fryer! So easy, so good!
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup Panko*
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced to 1/4-inch thick rounds
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Equipment
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Lay zucchini slices flat in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt, to taste; let stand 15 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; set aside.
- Dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add zucchini rounds to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a wire rack.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Salt the zucchini. Because zucchini has a high water content (94% water), salting the zucchini beforehand will help draw out the excess water, making it firmer and avoiding mushy, limp zucchini.
- Panko yields a superior crunch. Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb made from crustless bread and processed into large flakes, yielding far more ultra-crispy goodness (compared to traditional breadcrumbs).
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet is ideal here for even heat distribution for the hot oil.
- Cook in batches. If too much zucchini is added at once, the oil temperature will drop and the zucchini will absorb too much oil, resulting in soggy zucchini.
- Transfer to a cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. This will allow the zucchini crisps to cool slightly, draining the excess oil while the coating stays crispy.
- Use the air fryer. This is a great recipe for the air fryer! Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, cooking for 9-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway.
- Bake as needed. Zucchini crisps can be baked on a cooling rack (that has been coated with nonstick spray) and placed on a baking sheet, cooking at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, or until crisp and cooked through.
- Serve immediately. These are best served immediately for maximum freshness and crispness. Zucchini parmesan crisps do not make for the best leftovers.
- Mix it up. Use golden zucchini or mushrooms, or swap out the Panko for whole wheat breadcrumbs, or Italian style bread crumbs. Serve with Ranch, marinara sauce, garlic aioli, fry sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce(s).