Crispy baked zucchini fries have a golden Parmesan-panko coating and a tender center. Serve them hot with marinara or my tangy lemonnaise.
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Our friend Ken dropped off some zucchini from his garden the other day~ remember Ken from my Grilled Shishito Peppers post? He couldn’t stomach one more bite of zucchini, but since I don’t have a garden this year, I was thrilled. Fried zucchini is one of my favorite things on earth, and these crispy baked zucchini fries have become a family favorite. In fact, baked zucchini fries are a delicious way to enjoy garden vegetables.
They’re baked not fried
➡ These baked zucchini fries have all the wonderful crunch of fried zucchini, without the vat of oil. Baked zucchini fries are healthier but still satisfy your cravings for something crispy.
➡ It’s a wow appetizer that nobody expects and everybody loves.
➡ The dipping sauces are half the fun, and there are so many possibilities!
How to get that crunch without frying
First slice the zucchini into (approximately 1/2″ x 3 or 4″ sticks. Do not peel! Making baked zucchini fries is simple, and preparation is quick.
After you slice the zucchini into sticks, it’s a simple 3 bowl dipping process that creates the crispy coating on these baked zucchini fries.
- The first bowl is for the flour
- The second bowl is for beaten eggs
- You might substitute buttermilk
- The last bowl is for seasoned panko bread crumbs.
- Panko are the extra crispy Japanese kind, you’ll find them right next to the regular crumbs in your supermarket. Panko help give these zucchini fries the ‘deep fried’ crunch we all crave.
Baking technique for zucchini fries
Place your dipped zucchini sticks in a single layer onto a baking rack set over a baking sheet. Spray the rack with cooking spray so nothing sticks.
This way the air can circulate all around the zucchini as they bake, and they will crisp up on all sides.
Air fryer instructions for baked zucchini fries
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the breaded zucchini fries in a single layer, leaving space between them, and lightly spray with oil. Air fry for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Cook in batches as needed and serve right away.
The all important dips
My favorite Italian restaurant serves the deep fried version with marinara sauce, so I thought, in keeping with the lightened up theme, I’d go for a fresh tomato sauce, with a zippy ‘lemonnaise‘ alternate. These fries are so good I don’t think it much matters what you dip them into, but I’m partial to the lemonnaise.
Other dip ideas
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
- Strawberry Barbecue Sauce
- Remoulade Sauce in 30 seconds!
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Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
Equipment
- metal baking rack
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk , or 2 well beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, I used whole wheat
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- marinara sauce , for dipping
garnish
lemonnaise
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, (1/2 lemon)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Set a cooling rack over a baking tray and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Slice the zucchini into sticks, approximately 1/2" by 3 or 4". Do not peel the zucchini.
- Set out three shallow bowls. Put the flour in one. Put the buttermilk or beaten eggs into another, and put the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and herbs into the third.
- Coat the zucchini in flour first, then immerse into the liquid mixture, making sure to completely wet it. Then coat it with the breadcrumbs, pressing them on to completely coat each stick. Place the sticks on the rack.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Eat right away garnished with parsley, and serve with tomato or creamy lemon dip.
- To make the lemonnaise whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
Notes
- These are best eaten hot from the oven. If you have leftovers and are desperate, you can wrap loosely in foil and heat in a 300F oven, or if you are super desperate, microwave in a single layer, very briefly, start with 20 seconds, but they won’t be very crisp.
- I used whole wheat panko because that’s what I had in the cupboard, and I liked the little deeper color it gives these fries. Regular will work just fine.
Nutrition
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I love zucchini fries!!! Yours look so good! I love all the herbs and flavors on them!
Yummy! Can’t wait to make these as soon as my garden starts producing! It won’t be long now. Love how crunchy they look.
That “lemonaise” sounds incredible, perfect for dipping anything “fried”. I love baking my fried foods too, not just because it’s a little healthier but it’s not as messy!
The lemonnaise is EVERYTHING Lauren 😉
I’ve never made zucchini fries and now I must! Your photos are gorgeous! Thanks for the inspiration!
I just happen to have a few zucchini in my refrigerator so think I may just make these for lunch! They look delicious!
These look delicious and I love the fact that they are baked not fried. I am bookmarking to try once I have some zucchini.
So we have planted 10 zucchini plants in the garden this year. I think this fries have gone on the list for what to make first.
Definitely!
I just love how you’ve lightened these up, they look just as crispy and golden as the original version!
I’ve never had zucchini fries but when our plants mature – this is what I’m going to make first! They sound wonderful and look delicious. Your photos are mouthwatering and beautiful!!!!
You’ve been missing out, Tricia!
It has been years since I last made some zucchini fries…yours looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing, Sue.