Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Quick and Easy)

Searching for that perfect crunch without the calorie-laden regret that often follows? Let us introduce you to air fryer zucchini fries with an irresistible cheesy twist. These fries are the epitome of a culinary win-win situation. They deliver the kind of deep-fried texture that you might crave, yet without the use of excessive oil. It’s time to treat yourself to a snack that satisfies both your taste buds and your well-being.

A plate of delicious zucchini fries made in the air fryers.

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Why You’ll Love Our Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

  • Healthier Alternative: If you’re trying to cut back on deep-fried foods but miss the crunch of a good fry, air fryer zucchini fries have got you covered. They deliver that satisfying crispiness without the guilt.
  • Quick and Easy: No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen for a simple snack. With an air fryer, you’ll have a batch of zucchini fries ready in a fraction of the time it would take to bake or deep fry them.
  • Customizable: Love garlic parmesan? Prefer spicy Cajun? The seasonings are entirely up to you, making it easy to tailor this snack to your personal preference.
  • Low-Carb Option: If you’re watching your carb intake, parmesan zucchini fries are a perfect choice. They satisfy that fry craving without the carb load of traditional potato fries.
  • Budget-Friendly: Zucchinis are generally inexpensive and readily available. You’re basically turning a low-cost vegetable into a gourmet snack.
  • Perfect for Sharing: Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or need something to bring to a potluck, zucchini fries are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make in large quantities.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below to make your crispy zucchini fries.

Ingredients needed, garlic powder, salt, Panko bread crumbs, pepper, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, zucchini, flour, olive oil, and egg.

How To Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries With Step-By-Step Instructions

Making our air fryer zucchini fries is easy if you follow our simple instructions.

Recipe measurements both in US customary and metric, are available below in our fully printable recipe card.

Preheat your air fryer to 400F/200C, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

First, cut your zucchini into fries; these little sticks should be approx. 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long, and set them aside.

A green knife on a cutting board.
Cut into evenly sized zucchini sticks.
Two bowls with eggs and bread crumbs in them.
Beat an egg and dip the sticks in.
Two bowls with eggs and bread crumbs in them.
Roll the sticks in bread crumbs, flour, cheese, seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper until they are evenly coated.

In a mixing bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, flour, freshly grated Parmesan cheese (make sure it’s vegetarian), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground pepper, and mix to combine.

Add your beaten egg to a shallow dish, submerge your zucchini stick in it and, then place it into the breadcrumbs and cheese mixture, coating it evenly.

Place the zucchini on a tray until all the zucchini fries are ready to air fry.

Fried zucchini sticks in an air fryer.
Place zucchini fries in the air fryer basket and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

Place the fries into your air fryer basket, lightly coat them with cooking spray, and air fry for approximately 10 minutes; when they are ready, they should be nice and crispy.

Remove them from the air fryer basket and serve immediately with your favorite dips.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

  • Choose the Right Zucchini: Opt for medium-sized, firm zucchini. They hold up better during the cooking process and ensure an even fry.
  • Slice Evenly: Consistency is key when slicing your zucchini into fries. Uniform slices mean they’ll cook evenly and finish at the same time.
  • Pat Dry: After slicing, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps achieve that desired crispiness.
  • Light Coating: Go easy on the batter or breading. A light, even coating ensures a crispy texture without making them too heavy.
  • Single Layer Only: To get those crispy edges, lay the zucchini fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding will result in sogginess.
  • Shake or Toss: Halfway through the cooking time, shake the basket or use tongs to turn the fries. This promotes even cooking and crispiness.
  • Test One First: Before cooking the entire batch, air fry one or two fries to make sure you’ve got the timing and temperature right.
  • Serve Immediately: Air fryer zucchini fries are best enjoyed fresh. Serve them right away to savor their crunch and flavor.

How Does an Air Fryer Cook?

An air fryer utilizes a high-speed fan to circulate hot air uniformly around the food placed in a perforated basket.

This method crisps the exterior while retaining moisture inside, offering a healthier yet equally satisfying alternative to traditional deep frying.

The technology is efficient, reducing cooking time and minimizing the use of oil.

So, it’s essentially a modern, streamlined approach to achieving that crispy texture people often crave without the drawbacks of conventional frying methods.

What’s the Best Type of Air Fryer?

It’s a personal choice; different manufacturers are bringing out new models all the time.

We’ve tried the Ninja foodie and while it cooked well, we didn’t find it totally user-friendly.

Our favorites right now are the Instant Pot Vortex air fryers.

You can check them out below.

Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer 5.7L 

Our favorite air fryer is the Instant pot Vortex and we like this for its intuitive display, the filter stops lasting food smells, and you can see your food cooking through the glass panel and light function.

Someone dipping air fried zucchini fries into sour cream.

Secrets to a Quick Clean Up

Like always, something may be quick and easy to cook, but boy, it can create a lot of mess!

Air fryers aren’t difficult to clean, but if I can cut corners and find a way that I don’t have to clean as much – I’ll do it every time!

There are two things you can use: a silicone air fryer basket and disposable parchment liners or baskets.

Both will catch all of the mess, meaning you don’t have to tackle cleaning your air fryer.

The beauty of the silicone basket is that you can just pop it in the dishwasher instead of throwing it away you can reuse it again and again.

What To Serve With Air-Fried Zucchini Fries

Trust us, you’ll love to dip zucchini fries in your favorite dipping sauces, such as marinara sauce, blue cheese dressing, sour cream and chives, ranch dressing, chipotle aioli, garlic dip, sriracha and mayo, and Lawson’s chip dip recipe.

They are also heavenly alongside a air fryer bean burger or an awesome veggie burger.

And if you prefer to deep fry, then try these Zucchini Fritte; they’re delicious, and this zucchini slice is worth a try!

And if you love them, which we know you will, then you’ll want to try out other veggies turned into fries, like these air fryer carrot fries.

Zucchini fries freshly made.

Is Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian?

It used to be a simple answer, and that answer was no, but luckily times have moved on.

You can buy vegetarian Parmesan cheese or Italian hard cheese, and what’s even better is that it’s widely available in grocery stores.

Just be sure to check the ingredients label.

Play With the Flavors

It’s great fun playing with the flavors on your zucchini fries!

Add a little Italian seasoning for a beautiful herby flavor.

Spice it up with a little curry spice mix or Cajun seasoning.

Just add a little of what you love to the flour and breadcrumb mixture.

How to Store Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Our air fryer zucchini fries (or air fryer zucchini chips as they’re known in the UK) store well, when kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, they’ll keep for up to 2 days.

To reheat any leftover zucchini fries, cook at 400F/200C for 2 – 4 minutes.

Enjoy your air fryer zucchini fries!

Crispy zucchini fries on a tray.

More Air Fryer Recipes for You To Try at Home

If you love our air fryer zucchini fries, then why not give these air fryer recipes a try? Air fryer asparagus, air fryer Brussels sprouts, air fryer zucchini, air fryer buffalo cauliflower, and air fryer carrots.

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Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Quick and Easy)

Kids and picky eaters alike can't get enough of these tasty cheesy zucchini fries! These are sensational! ready in 15 minutes, you have got to try our tasty, cheesy, crunchy air fryer zucchini fries. Make double as they get eaten quickly!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings4
Calories127
Course: Appetizer, Dinner Party, snack
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchinis
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup vegetarian Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt & pepper
  • 1 egg beaten
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • First, cut your zucchini into fries, these little sticks should be approx. 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long and set them aside. In a mixing bowl add panko breadcrumbs, flour, freshly grated Parmesan cheese (make sure it’s vegetarian), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground pepper, and mix to combine. Add your beaten egg to a shallow dish, submerge your zucchini stick in it and then place it into the breadcrumbs and cheese mixture, coating it evenly.
    2 zucchinis, ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup vegetarian Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 pinch salt & pepper, 1 egg
  • Place the zucchini on a tray until all the zucchini fries are ready to air fry. Then place the fries into your air fryer basket, lightly coat with cooking spray, and air fry for approximately 10 minutes, when they are ready, they should be nice and crispy. Remove them from the air fryer basket and serve immediately, with your favorite dips. Enjoy your air fryer zucchini fries!
    Cooking spray

Notes

  • Choose the Right Zucchini: Opt for medium-sized, firm zucchinis. They hold up better during the cooking process and ensure an even fry.
  • Slice Evenly: Consistency is key when slicing your zucchini into fries. Uniform slices mean they’ll cook evenly and finish at the same time.
  • Pat Dry: After slicing, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps achieve that desired crispiness.
  • Light Coating: Go easy on the batter or breading. A light, even coating ensures a crispy texture without making them too heavy.
  • Single Layer Only: To get those crispy edges, lay the zucchini fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding will result in sogginess.
  • Shake or Toss: Halfway through the cooking time, shake the basket or use tongs to turn the fries. This promotes even cooking and crispiness.
  • Test One First: Before cooking the entire batch, air fry one or two fries to make sure you’ve got the timing and temperature right.
  • Serve Immediately: Air fryer zucchini fries are best enjoyed fresh. Serve them right away to savor their crunch and flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My partner is growing zucchinis so I have a glut of them!
    These were so good, I used up 6 in the last two days!!!
    The cheese it what makes them!!! SO DELISH!