Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer

I can’t get enough of these Zucchini fries; they are so good and make the perfect healthy side or appetizer for any meal, and most of all, I make them in my Air Fryer, so they turn out so crispy and delicious without being greasy and oily! Much quicker than baking. Especially if you’re looking to make a smaller batch, an air fryer is the ideal choice.

I never had zucchini fries until a couple of years ago. To be honest, zucchini fries never sounded appealing to me. And then we went to a nearby you-pick vegetable farm and I got wayyy to excited and picked many zucchinis (and other vegetables too) than I needed. I needed different ways to make zucchinis, and everyone seems to like zucchini fries, so I made some too. My goodness, they blew my mind. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and I could finish a whole plate by myself. Even my carnivore husband loved them so much.

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No soggy Zucchini fries

I mean, who likes soggy zucchini fries, right? We go through all the trouble of coating each of them in breadcrumbs to achieve that perfect, satisfying crispness. I do not want my time and labour to go to waste. But here’s the problem. Zucchini, as a vegetable, retains so much water that they do tends to get soggy. But don’t worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I use to make them nice and crispy.

• Make sure to remove any excess water when you salt them. You can skip salting the Zucchini, but I find they taste better when you season them first before covering with the flour mixture.
• Make sure not to skip the flour coating step. This helps the coating to stick better to the zucchini fries.
• Adding a little bit of corn starch helps to make them extra crispy
• When you fry the Zucchini fries in the Air Fryer, make sure to layer them in a single layer. Overcrowding can make them steam instead of frying.
• Also, make sure to spray each fry with an oil spray. Otherwise, they’ll turn dry and colorless. The oil helps the breadcrumbs to crisp up, too.
• If you’re planning to serve them later, make sure to transfer them to a cooling rack (or if you have a removable rack in your air fryer, you can directly place that on a cooling rack). When you are closer to serving them, re-crisp up in the air fryer for a few minutes.

Add Flavor

The flavor of zucchini is very mild, so it can take up a lot of flavor. I’ve seen many people make zucchini fries with just salt. While it’s still delicious, I think zucchini fries taste much better when you flavor them with more seasonings. But make sure not to add too much because, as I said, zucchini has a delicate, mild flavor.

I only use salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and paprika. It’s very basic but works really well. Another good addition is freshly grated lemon zest. Adds a nice, zesty, refreshing flavor. You can also add herbs of your choice. I also add some parmesan cheese to the breading mixl. This helps to add flavor as well. Additionally, you can sprinkle some Parmesan along with salt when they are done air frying for more cheesy flavor.

Serving Ideas for Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

These zucchini fries go amazingly well with so many condiments/ sauces. I love to serve it with marinara. Yum yum sauce or bang bang sauce is also a great way to serve them. Or just some ketchup and Mayo is just enough to make it a great dish or an appetizer.

Print Recipe

Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer

Author: Roshani Wickramasinghe Cooking Method: Air Frying Cuisine: Famous Across multiple cuisines, Fushion, United States Courses: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch Recipe Keys: Nut Free Vegetarian Meals

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 25 mins

Cooking Temp: 400  °F Servings: 2

Description

These perfectly crispy and delicious zucchini fries are a great healthy side dish or an appetizer you can make in your air fryer.

Ingredients

Servings

• 2 medium zucchini

• ¹⁄₄ tsp Salt

For dredging station

• 1 cup All purpose flour

• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt

• ¹⁄₂ tsp pepper

• ¹⁄₂ tsp Granulated garlic/garlic powder (optional)

• ¹⁄₂ tsp Granulated onion/onion powder (optional)

• ¹⁄₂ tsp paprika (optional)

• 2 large eggs

• ³⁄₄ cup traditional breadcrumbs

• 3 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tbsp Corn starch

Other

• Oil spray

• ¹⁄₄ tsp Salt to sprinkle on fried zucchini (use as little or as much as you like)

Instructions

1. Cut the ends of the zucchini and cut them into 3-inch-long wedges that are about 1/2 inch thick. Mix 1/4 tsp salt. Leave them aside to sweat for about 15 minutes. 

   
   this salting step is optional but I find this make the zucchini taste better

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and paprika. 

   

3. In a separate bowl, crack eggs and whisk until whites and yolks are well mixed.

   

4. In another deep bowl, mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and corn starch. 

   

5. Now, using a paper towel, pat dry the zucchini wedges.

   

6. Add a handful of zucchini wedges to flour bowl, mix to coat all of them in flour. Gently shake the wedges to dust off excess flour. (I usually use my hand for the flour bowl and the breadcrumbs bowl. Tongs for the egg mixture)

   

7. Then dip them in eggs and make sure each wedge is nicely covered with eggs. (I use tongs for this)

   

8. Then add the zucchini wedges to the breadcrumbs mixture and coat them well. Gently shake off excess breadcrumbs.

   

9. Place them in one layer in your air fryer basket or tray. Generously spray with oil. Air Fry for 10 - 12 minutes at 400°F until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.

   

10. As soon as they are done in the air fryer, sprinkle with salt. Serve while still crispy and warm with your favorite sauce. 

    

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