Air fryer zucchini fries are super crispy and perfect alongside some ranch dressing for dipping. This recipe will show you how to get that fresh-out-of-the-fryer taste with a fraction of the oil.
These air fryer zucchini fries rival any version you can find in a restaurant. With no need for messy and popping frying oil, you can enjoy them with little to no guilt and minimal clean-up.
What really takes these fries to the next level is the batter – a combination of flour, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. The texture is out of this world and compliments the moist, tender zucchini like no other.
Whether you grow zucchini in your garden or have a big haul from the farmer’s market, this recipe is an awesome way to utilize it. Who said that vegetables have to be boring, anyway?
How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Making air fryer zucchini fries requires a handful of wholesome ingredients and a few, simple steps. Check out the recipe overview below before diving in.
- Whip Up the Batter Coating: Using a fork, whisk together flour and dry seasoning on a large plate. In a small bowl, scramble the eggs with a whisk. In another small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with parmesan cheese.
- Prep the Zucchini: Slice zucchini into sticks. In this order, dip each stick in flour seasoning, egg mixture, and parmesan/bread crumb mixture. Repeat until you run out of zucchini.
- Air Fry and Enjoy: Grease the air fryer tray with cooking oil. Place zucchini sticks in a single layer in the air fryer tray. Coat with cooking spray. Ary fry and enjoy!
Looking for an air fryer? The COSORI Air Fryer Max XL is my current obsession. It has 13 different settings and a tray big enough to feed 3-5 people.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Fries
Below, find a couple of tips to help you make the best zucchini fries.
- Cut zucchini into equal-sized pieces. Slice your zucchini sticks into as equal-sized pieces as possible. This will help promote even cooking in the air fryer.
- Use high-quality parmesan. Parmesan is one of the main ingredients in this recipe, so don’t skimp on quality. For the best flavor, grab a block and grate it fresh.
- Serve right away. Serve your zucchini fries straight out of the air fryer. If you let them sit too long, they will turn rubbery and lose their crispiness.
- Air fry in batches. Working in batches, air fry zucchini fries in a single layer. If you stack them, they will not get as crispy.
- Pat zucchini dry before breading. To ensure the breading sticks, pat your zucchini sticks with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Gluten-free? Substitute traditional flour for almond flour and omit the breadcrumbs.
Serving Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air fryer zucchini fries can be substituted anywhere you would serve traditional french fries. Serve them as a side dish to cheeseburger sliders or a ribeye steak. They can also be included in any kind of appetizer tray (think — air fryer hot wings, chicken tenders, and jalapeno poppers).
Different Dipping Sauces
Below, find a couple of different no-fuss dipping sauce ideas to pair with your zucchini fries. Make one or a couple.
- Light Ranch Dressing: Check out an easy recipe for a healthy ranch.
- Creamy Tomatillo Dressing: Made with buttermilk, tomatillos, cilantro and more..this dressing will quickly become your go-to for dipping!
- Sriracha Mayo: Mix equal parts of mayo with sriracha.
- Chipotle Sauce: Mix canned adobo pepper sauce with mayo, cumin, and lime juice.
- Tzatziki Sauce: Go Greek! Find a quick and creamy tzatziki sauce.
- Creamy Honey Mustard: Mix equal parts honey mustard and mayo.
Storing Leftover Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Refrigerating: Place leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Zucchini fries will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freezing zucchini isn’t a good idea. Once you reheat it, it turns soggy due to the high moisture content in the zucchini. It’s highly recommended that you only make what you can eat within a few days.
Reheating Tip: Use the air fryer to reheat your leftover zucchini fries. It will return them to their crispy, fresh-out-of-the-fryer state.
FAQ
How long do you cook zucchini fries in an air fryer?
Zucchini fries take about 9 minutes per batch at 400°F. Keep in mind you may need to increase or decrease cooking time according to the thickness of your fries.
Is fried zucchini better than french fries?
Fried zucchini is healthier for you than french fries. However, fried food is fried food at the end of the day. Using an air fryer to make your favorite fried snacks significantly reduces the cholesterol and fat intake, while giving you all that crispiness you love so much.
How do I avoid soggy zucchini?
Avoid soggy zucchini by eating it fresh out of the air fryer. Additionally, ensure you pat your zucchini dry of any moisture before you dredge it in the breading.
Do I need to peel zucchini?
You do not need to peel zucchini. Keeping the peel intact for this recipe helps the breading stick better.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Chips – Cheesy, crispy zucchini chips
- Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks – Low-carb substitute for breadsticks
- Vegetable Zucchini Spread (aka Ikra) – Classic Ukrainian veggie spread
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups – Low-carb substitute for lasagna
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs panco or italian bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp spray oil
Instructions
- On a large plate, combine flour, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk eggs together. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Cut zucchini into 3-inch long fries. Dip each fry into flour seasoning, followed by egg and parmesan bread crumbs.
- Coat the air fryer basket with cooking oil and place zucchini fries into the basket in a single layer. Spray the zucchini with light coat of cooking oil. Air fry at 400°F for 9 minutes.
Made these tonight and they were killer. Its hard to get the coating to stick to the zucchini. I used plastic bags for the seasoned flower and one for the panko and Parmesan. Dipped the pieces in the egg batter in between. The less handled the better. Wife and i were full with one zucchini. Great fast snack.
Hi Alex, I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit! I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. If the Zucchini is wet at all, it could be hard to get the rest of the ingredients to stick. Enjoy!
I used Bob's red mill 1 to 1 Gluten free flour and homemade seasoned salt instead of Italian seasoning. I also used GF panko bread crumbs and these were AMAZING! I couldn't get enough of them...they were perfect. They only took 18 min in my air fryer, but other than that, all other proportions in the recipe were spot on! Thank you!!
Hi Rachel, I am thrilled that the recipe was a success! I love how you put your own spin on it! Thank you for sharing that! Air fryers are tricky because they all operate a little differently. I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. Enjoy!
Could you substitute almond flour for AP flour?
Hi Megan, If you are trying to make this recipe gluten free, you can absolutely use almond flour and omit the bread crumbs. Thank you for reaching out! Enjoy!
I mostly used your recipe to check the time and temp, but I had trouble getting the bread crumbs to evenly stick to all the slices of zucchini. Any recommendations for that?
Hey there Hil! Are you using the egg mixture before dipping the zucchini into the bread crumbs? I have never had issues with the crumbs sticking to the zucchini.
I used your recipe but fried them instead of air fried. Used ground pork rinds to replace the crumbs. I must say, it was the first time the breading stuck to the fries for me. Was it the pat dry hint? Was it the cheese mixed with the crumbs? I don't know but they were wonderful!
Hi Susan, So glad this recipe worked for you and was a hit! Sounds like it was super delicious. Thank you for the feedback. Enjoy!
Made these tonight with zucchini from the garden, my picky son and husband loved them! Dipped them in homemade ranch, so yummy! Will be making this again.
I absolutely love that you used home-grown zucchini and I'm happy to hear your family enjoyed this dish! Thanks for commenting, Maureen.
I have several very large zucchini from my garden & therefore can't have skin on all strips. Will they still come out crispy?
Hey Colleen- that's a great question. I think so, because they'll have breading on them regardless if they have a skin or not. Enjoy!
I was actually shocked how crispy these came out!! On half of the batch I double dipped into the flour then egg mix for a thicker coating and they turned out really well! We used a dill dressing to dip ours in, so good.
Hi Jenna- Ooh, the double coating sounds like a great idea for getting them extra crispy, and that dill dressing sounds AMAZING, is it homemade or store bought?
No time or temp. What a garbage recipe.
400 degrees for 9 minutes!
Hi Richard- actually, the time and temperature are both listed at step 5 in the recipe card. Please scroll through the entire recipe to make sure you don't miss any details or you can click the "jump to recipe" button to get to the recipe card with all the details faster.
Planning a haul of zucchini from garden, this year, and needed delicious, easy zucchini recipes to choose from. This is definitely
a keeper! Even my husband liked. (Note: opted for honey mustard dressing as dip...yum!)
Hi there- so glad to hear that you both enjoyed the zucchini fries! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
P.S. We have many more zucchini recipes on the site that you may want to check out!
Just made them today for the first time....sooooo good! The only thing that I didn't like is how long it takes to bread them. I wish that you could bread a bunch and freeze them for future use. Has anyone tried that?
Hi Diana - You can definitely freeze them raw. To do so, lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop the baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours, or until the zucchini are completely frozen. Transfer them to a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months and air fry them from frozen. Hope this helps and thanks for the kind words!
I can't believe how crispy these came out! We dipped them in ranch dressing!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Another healthy and delicious recipe for my air fryer! We loved zucchini prepared this way. The texture was spot on!
I am so glad you enjoyed these fries, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I always love anything with that extra crisp! I also love how super easy these Air Fryer Zucchini Fries were made!!
So glad you enjoyed them, thank you for your feedback!