By: Denise Bustard25 Comments
Posted: 4/6/21Updated: 4/12/21
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Air fryer zucchini fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Coated with a crispy parmesan panko breading, they are the perfect way to use up extra zucchini!
The air fryer is such a great way to get crispy breaded chicken breast, or cauliflower, so it's no surprise that it makes amazing zucchini fries as well!
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Coated with a mixture of Panko and parmesan cheese, these air fryer zucchini fries have the absolute best texture: super crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Perfect served up with some healthy ranch dressing!
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You're going to ♡ this recipe because
- they have the best texture: ultra crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside
- the air fryer cooks them quickly in just 5-7 minutes
- they taste delicious and make for a healthier snack option
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how I make air fryer zucchini fries! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- zucchini- zucchini fries are easiest to make with straight zucchini; cut them into ½ inch wide by 3 inch long sticks.
- flour- all purpose flour helps the eggs stick to the zucchini; you could swap for whole wheat but alternative flours have not been tested
- Panko- these are Japanese seasoned breadcrumbs and they have a large, coarse texture that gives these fries such a crispy texture. Find them in the grocery store near the regular breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan- I recommend freshly grated parmesan cheese as it adds the best flavor
- garlic salt- you can swap for ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare breading- In three shallow bowls add:
- all purpose flour
- beaten egg
- mixture of Panko, parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper
2. Bread the zucchini fries- working in batches, coat the zucchini matchsticks first in flour, then in the egg (shaking off excess), finally in the panko mixture. Arrange on a clean plate and repeat until they are all coated.
3. Cook- Preheat air fryer to 390°F/200°C. Arrange zucchini fries in the basket or on the tray so that they are not overlapping or touching. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. No need to flip them! Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches until they are all cooked through.
FAQ
What dip goes well with zucchini fries?
We loved ours dipped in ketchup! I know parmesan & ketchup don't sound great together but they really were. I bet marinara sauce would also be awesome! Otherwise you could make a creamy dip, like the dressing for this Healthier Caesar Dressing.
Can I prepare them ahead?
I haven't tried breading the zucchini fries and storing them pre-cooking, but I can tell you that leftovers were just as good as fresh once reheated in the air fryer (3 or so minutes until crispy and heated through). We stored our leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days before reheating.
Can I bake these in the oven?
Yes! Simply pre-heat to 425°F and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Storage- Cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
To reheat- heat the air fryer to 390°F, and arrange the zucchini fries in the basket. Spritz with spray oil, and heat for 3 minutes, or until crisped back up and warmed through.
Air fryer models
This recipe was tested in this Phillips basket-style air fryer. When using different models, cook times may vary, so use your best judgment and adjust the cook time as needed!
Confused by all the air fryer models out there? Check out Which Air Fryer is Best for you.
More air fryer recipes
- air fryer chicken tenders
- air fryer cauliflower wings
- crispy air fryer potato wedges
- crispy air fryer eggplant
- Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
- 43 Easy Air Fryer Recipes You Need in Your Life!
- Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
- 20 Minute Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
4.46 from 11 votesPrep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Print Rate
Air fryer zucchini fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Coated with a crispy parmesan panko breading, they are the perfect way to use up extra zucchini!
4
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis cut into ½ inch x 3 inch matchsticks
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt see note 1
- pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare breading-In three shallow bowls add:all purpose flourbeaten eggmixture of Panko, parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper
Bread the zucchini fries-working in batches, coat the zucchini matchsticks first in flour, then in the egg (shaking off excess), finally in the panko mixture. Arrange on a clean plate and repeat until they are all coated.
Cook-Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Arrange zucchini fries in the basket or on the tray so that they are not overlapping or touching. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. No need to flip them! Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches until they are all cooked through.
Serve with dip- ketchup, ranch or caesar dressing are delicious options.
Tips:
1- garlic salt may be replaced with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Air fryer models
All air fryers cook differently so keep an eye on the zucchini fries and use your best judgement when it comes to cook times.
Storage
Cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Reheating
Heat the air fryer to 390°F, and arrange the zucchini fries in the basket. Spritz with spray oil, and heat for 3 minutes, or until crisped back up and warmed through.
Video
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/4 batch, Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 785mg, Potassium: 343mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 410IU, Vitamin C: 17.6mg, Calcium: 203mg, Iron: 2.3mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Meet Denise Bustard
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
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Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment
Rachelle Endo says
I added Parmesan to cheese to the Panko mixture and sprayed a little avocado oil on top of them before air frying at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. They were delicious! My husband and I both agreed this was our new favorite way to eat zucchini. Thanks for a great recipe!Reply
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Rachelle, We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed these air fryer zucchini fries - definitely a delicious way to enjoy zucchini! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
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Michelle says
Fantastic. Guests and hubby loved them. Served with ranch dressing. Will try marinara next time or nothing. Good plain alsoReply
Denise says
Hi Michelle! Woohoo, I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Reply
Carol says
I am going to try them tonight. I have to watch potassium. I notice potassium is 343 mg for 1/4 recipe. How many sticks in a full recipe so I can measure potassium. I love your blog.
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Denise says
Hi Carol! Unfortunately that is a difficult question for me to answer as zucchinis can vary quite a bit in their size. Hope you enjoyed the recipe.
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Barbara Ryan says
I added fresh parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs. Yummy!!!
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Denise says
Great idea! Glad you enjoyed!
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Susan says
These turned out great for me! Followed the instructions exactly. I used Panko and they didn’t burn. Thanks for sharingReply
Denise says
Hi Susan, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
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Rex Parker says
Hey, these turned out perfect for me on the first try last night. 8 minutes at 425 degrees in my air fryer, a Nuwave XL
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Denise says
Awesome! Glad to hear that, Rex!
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Sharon says
Ok recipe didn’t say what temp thank you I’ll try this temp.Reply
Denise says
Hi Sharon, it says on step one of the recipe "heat air fryer to 200°C/390°F"! Hope you enjoyed them!
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Jes says
Ty... lol
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Julie says
I'm not as impressed as everyone else. I made two batches, one w pablo and one w regular breadcrumbs. I thought they were dry. Also, my fryer is new, did anyone else experience a chemical taste? For how long?Reply
Denise says
Hi Julie, I suspect it's going to be different depending on your air fryer model. I use the Philips air fryer and have never experienced any chemical taste. Also if this is your first time using the air fryer, you should know that the texture is not ever going to be the same as deep fried, so if that's what your expectations were for these fries, yes they are going to be dryer.
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Josh says
We made these last night and they were truly amazing, although we subbed bread crumbs for panko and used a freshly harvested eggplant from our garden. They turned out nice and crisp.Only question is, how big of a batch did you do at once? We did them in a single layer, so to get through it all took a while in batches. Can you load up the whole tray? I'm wondering if in doing that, they might not crisp up.
Reply
Denise says
Hi Josh! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed them 🙂 I probably cooked 8-10 fries at a time (I have a Philips air fryer). I think it's going to depend on the air fryer model you have...and that is true, if you tried to cook all of them at once, they will for sure not crisp up. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
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Haleh says
These turned out soggy, but if I cooked them any longer, the Panko would have burned.Reply
Denise says
Hi Haleh! I'm so sorry to hear this, and honestly really surprised! We've made these 3-4 times as written and never had either soggy or burned issues. And my video girl made them in her model of air fryer with no issues like that as well. Could you tell me which model of air fryer you used? Thank you!
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Serena says
Hi Denise! This is my first time visiting your blog. I'm super excited to try this recipe!! Couple of questions- 1. Do the zucchini fries need to be sprayed with cooking spray or oil mist before they are air fried? 2. Do you think this recipe will also work with yellow squash? My garden is spitting out zucchini and squash like crazy, so I'm trying to find different recipes for them. Thanks!
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Denise says
Hi Serena! 1. I did not spray them with oil before frying. 2. I bet yellow squash would be great! I am impatiently waiting on my yellow squash plants right now. Hope you enjoy!
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Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
I am so happy this recipe was posted now...as I have a feeling this recipe will be made on repeat this summer when I'm up to my ears in zucchini from my garden! Love the idea of making fries with zucchini for something different..and so glad these work in the oven too!
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Denise says
I am so excited for my garden zucchini to come in as well! Hope you enjoy if you give them a try 🙂
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