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Side Dishes / Snacks / Vegetarian

Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Fries

These Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are super crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for dipping. Enjoy that cheesy crunch without all the oil!

Crispy zucchini fries with dipping sauce

Making zucchini fries in the air fryer is a serious kitchen hack, and with this recipe, you’ll have everyone eating all their veggies without complaints.

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Fries Recipe

  • Kid-friendly. It can be hard to get kids to eat veggies like squash and zucchini, but even the pickiest eaters will love these zucchini fries. They’re crunchy, cheesy, and really tasty.
  • Super easy. All you need is a few ingredients, an air fryer, and 20 minutes. No deep-frying, no oil splatters, no mess.
  • Great way to use up zucchini. If you have a bumper crop of zucchini from your garden or the farmers market, this is a delicious and creative way to use them. You can also make these with yellow squash.
  • Fun snack or appetizer. Serve air fryer zucchini fries with your favorite dipping sauce, such as marinara, ranch, or aioli. They are perfect for game day, movie night, or any occasion!
Zucchini fries dipped in a delicious sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Zucchini: Cut the zucchini into “fries”.
  • Bread crumbs: We use panko bread crumbs, but you can also use all-purpose flour, almond flour, or coconut flour.
  • Cheese: Grated parmesan cheese.
  • Egg
  • Seasoning: Italian Seasoning, sweet or smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

How to Cut Zucchini Into Fries

Simply cut your zucchini in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half in half again, lengthwise. Now you have 4 long quarters. Take each quarter and continue cutting it lengthwise until you have sticks that are the perfect thickness. Finally, stack them and slice longways until they are the same thickness on both sides.

Fried zucchini in the basket of an air fryer.

How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

  1. Prepare. Start by preheating your air fryer to 400˚F. While it’s heating, place your egg in one bowl and combine the Panko, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in another.
  2. Dip. Next, dip each zucchini stick in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure that all the sides are well coated.
  3. Air fry. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. You’ll need to do this in batches so they crisp properly. One trick is to spray the fries with cooking spray to help them get extra crispy. Cook each batch for 9 to 10 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Pat your zucchini dry. The dryer your zucchini is, the crispier they will bake. Remove as much moisture as you can before coating them. 
  • Flip them halfway through. Even though the air fryer is great at circulating the hot air around your food, giving the basket a quick shake half way through will help them from compressing and make them bake more evenly.
  • Eat them right away. I know this one won’t be hard – they are just so dang good. But, zucchini is about 95% water, so the longer they sit, the more soggy they will get. Trust me, you don’t want soggy zucchini fries…
Air fryer zucchini fries.

Serving Suggestions

We love pairing fried zucchini with yum yum sauce, blue steak, sun-dried tomato chicken, or a Philly cheesesteak burger! For a completely vegetarian meal, serve them with a yummy caprese stuffed avocados or creamy ravioli soup!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Because zucchini is full of water, it is best to serve these treats immediately. If you have some leftovers, I recommend freezing them for up to 3 months. To reheat, do not thaw them, but place them directly in your air fryer and warm until they are hot and crispy. 

More Easy Zucchini Recipes

Crispy zucchini fries with dipping sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

These Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are super crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for dipping.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer zucchini fries, easy zucchini recipes, fried zucchini, how to fry zucchini, zucchini fries
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 114kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchini, cut into sticks that are ½-inch wide and 4-inches long
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs  you can also use all-purpose flour, almond flour, or coconut flour
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
  • salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400˚F.
  • Combine Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper in a medium shallow bowl; whisk to combine.
  • Place egg in a separate bowl.
  • Dip each zucchini stick in egg and then dip into the Parmesan mixture, making sure all sides are well coated. 
  • Place zucchini fries in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. You will have to do this in batches since all the zucchini fries will not fit into the Air Fryer basket at once.
  • Spray zucchini fries with cooking spray.
  • Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
  • Remove from air fryer and serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 1mg

24 Comments

  • Sara Welch
    Feb 13, 2020 at 11:19 pm

    5 stars
    Such a great afternoon snack, and healthy too! My kids loved these!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 14, 2020 at 11:11 am

      Thank you, Sara! I am very happy your kids enjoyed these!! 🙂

      Reply
  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Feb 14, 2020 at 12:36 am

    I can’t wait to try these! I am loving my air fryer more and more!

    Reply
  • Amanda
    Feb 14, 2020 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    I cannot rave about this recipe enough everyone loves it!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Beti
      Feb 14, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Thank you SO much, Amanda!! 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
    Feb 14, 2020 at 3:15 am

    5 stars
    These Parmesan Zucchini Fries are mouth watering!

    Reply
  • Vikki
    Feb 14, 2020 at 5:39 am

    5 stars
    Perfectly crispy and tasty

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Feb 14, 2020 at 11:09 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Chrissie Baker
    Feb 14, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    5 stars
    Air Fryer sounds healthy and love the unique option to making this starter. Looks delicious and crunchy and flavorful too.

    Reply
  • Lynn Tremblay
    Feb 15, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    Can these also be done in the oven, if so, at what temperature, and for how long, thank you

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 15, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      Hi! Yep, you can bake them in a 425˚F preheated oven for about 23 to 25 minutes.

      Reply
  • Mary Lowey
    Jul 24, 2020 at 3:20 am

    Cooking spray, as in Pam, or an olive oil spray ?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Jul 24, 2020 at 2:20 pm

      Hi!
      Yes, you can use either one.

      Reply
  • E. Theresa
    Jul 30, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    Did you line the bottom of the tray with parchment paper?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Jul 30, 2020 at 10:41 pm

      Hi! Yes, I almost always do, but I use the parchment paper with holes in it because that helps with air flow. These are the ones I get (Affiliate link) –> https://amzn.to/33a4RqH Hope that helps. 😊

      Reply
  • Lisa
    Oct 10, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    I haven’t made yet, but have it printed and ready to try…..two questions for you.

    1) I do not have air fryer but have a convection oven would the 425 for 23-25. In still work?
    2) what is that yummy looking dip you have in the picture???

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Oct 11, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      Hi!
      A regular oven at 425˚F for about 30 minutes should be perfect. That dip is Ranch dressing 😄 … my kids dip every.thing. in Ranch. Or ketchup. 😊

      Reply
      • Lisa
        Oct 30, 2020 at 8:46 pm

        Cool thanks! Do you have an interesting aioli recipe? Looking for something for zucchini and artichokes.

        Reply
  • Kim
    Oct 15, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    Those look good!! What dip specifically do you have shown in the picture and how do you make it? Or is it something you buy? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Oct 16, 2020 at 12:07 am

      Hi!
      That’s just store-bought Ranch. 😊 My kids dip everything in Ranch, including these zucchini fries. 😁

      Reply
  • Holly
    Jun 28, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    I cannot get the Panko mixture to stick to the zucchini. I am dipping it in the egg really well before. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

    Reply
  • Kevin R. Mattson
    Oct 15, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, OMG just tried out the new air fryer on some fresh garden zucchini and we also made a dip with Parmesan ranch with a little horseradish. This is the new go to quick and easy way to use more zucchini. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Oct 20, 2021 at 11:56 am

      That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Kathy
    Jan 12, 2022 at 11:24 am

    I see the calories, but what size is a serving? 114 calories per how much?

    Reply

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