Crispy Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Feb 13, 2020, Updated Jul 08, 2023
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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!
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!
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.
How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- 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.
- Dip. Next, dip each zucchini stick in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure that all the sides are well coated.
- 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…
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
- Zucchini Lasagna With Ground Beef
- Zucchini Chocolate Bread
- Zucchini Fritters
- Glazed Flank Steak With Zucchini Noodles
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
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.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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!!
Hi!
That’s just store-bought Ranch. 😊 My kids dip everything in Ranch, including these zucchini fries. 😁
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.
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.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I see the calories, but what size is a serving? 114 calories per how much?