Air Fryer zucchini fries are breaded and cooked until well-browned and super crunchy. These make a great healthy appetizer or snack and are ready in less than 20 minutes!
This coming weekend is the last of our summer break.
The kids start back to school next week, and while it'll be nice to have some more structure and schedules to our days, I'm a little bummed, too. Just not ready for the long, lazy days of summer come to an end. It seemed to go by awfully fast.
Anyway, let's move right along to the food...
Previously I’ve shared Air Fryer Brussels sprouts and Air Fryer cauliflower, which are both super crispy and delectable. And also Air Fryer broccoli.
I love how browned and crispy and crunchy veggies get in the Air Fryer. And no need to heat up the kitchen with the oven!
Today, we’re really putting the magic of the Air Fryer to good use with one of my favorite appetizers and healthy snacks: Air Fryer zucchini.
We’re doing the traditional breading station but instead of frying the zucchini sticks or baking them in the oven, we’re using the Air Fryer.
It gets that same amazing crunch and browning and crispy deliciousness as a fried version but without any oil!
Which means we can make these on repeat and happily dive in!
(Check out these crispy Air Fryer breaded shrimp for another great crunchy app.)
They’re super kid-friendly, too, and a great game day snack to have as well. Helloooo football season coming up! You may also want to check out these Air Fryer mozzarella sticks for some cheesy fun.
And if you add some marinara or Ranch for dipping… well, just swoon! These are sure to go fast!
(You might also want to check out these Air Fryer fried ravioli that make a great crunchy appetizer as well. They work great as a dinner side dish, too! And Air Fryer BBQ chicken legs are perfect for parties or a hungry family.)
OK, let’s get cooking. (You can also check out my Google web story of this Air Fryer zucchini recipe.)
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make Air Fryer zucchini fries. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
- Zucchini: You’ll need 2 medium zucchini that you’re going to cut into even sized sticks, about 3 inches long by ½ inch wide. You’ll get anywhere from 25-30 or so zucchini sticks, depending on the size of your zucchini.
- Zucchini Coins: Alternatively, you can cut your zucchini into round coin shapes instead of long “fry” shapes. I’ve tested them this way and with zucchini coins that are about ⅓ inch thick, they’ll take the same time in the Air Fryer: 6-8 minutes.
- Breadcrumbs: Using the Panko breadcrumbs is what makes these get ultra crispy, so I don’t recommend substituting regular breadcrumbs.
- Batches: You’ll need to work in batches so you don’t overcrowd your Air Fryer. (The zucchini won’t get crispy and cooked through if you just load them all in there together.) It generally takes me 3 batches for this amount of zucchini.
You can, however, put all of the completely cooked zucchini sticks back in the Air Fryer together to warm them back through. I usually do 1-2 minutes at 400, and then they are all hot and ready to serve at once.
Here's a quick step-by-step look at the prep for these zucchini fries, including the stages of the breading station.
(I know it's a bit of a pain but it's what will get these super crispy. I promise, it's worth it!)
Also, because I know this is your main question.
Zucchini fries or coins will cook in the Air Fryer in 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure not to crowd too many in the Air Fryer tray at once or they won’t crisp up as much. Working in batches is the way to go.
Add leftover zucchini fries in an even layer to the Air Fryer insert and reheat for 2 minutes at 400 degrees to warm through and regain some of the crispy coating.
And in case you are in the market for an Air Fryer, I highly recommend both of mine.
Yes, I have two. Don’t judge.
I got the first one as a gift for Christmas three years ago now and it’s been fabulous, but it’s on the small size. (Would be great for singles or couples.)
So the next year, I bought myself a bigger one for Christmas. I got this one (It’s usually on sale, which is nice) and I’ve loved it. It’s a better fit for families with children, or just if you’re cooking for bigger groups.
You can check out all of my Air Fryer recipes if you’re obsessed like I am with the magic of this appliance.
And stay tuned because I have many more Air Fryer recipes planned for you!
You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
Ready to eat? Me too.
Air Fryer zucchini is great served with some warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
Ranch dressing would also be a good dipping sauce here. Even a creamy pesto-yogurt mix would work.
Pick your favorite it or serve these with a variety of dipping sauces for everyone to choose from.
I hope you give these a try soon for a fun and healthy zucchini appetizer or snack.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Air Fryer Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis, cut into sticks about ½ inch wide x 3 inches long
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For serving:
- Marinara sauce or Ranch dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400, if yours requires preheating.
- Set up your dredging station. Place flour in one bowl, eggs in a separate bowl and in the third bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Working in batches, coat the zucchini sticks in flour, shaking off any excess then coat in the eggs then coat in the Panko mixture so they are well covered on all sides.
- Place the zucchini sticks in an even layer in the Air Fryer tray, leaving a little room between each one. Cook at 400 for 6-8 minutes, until browned and crispy.
- Continue with remaining zucchini sticks until they are all cooked. If needed, you can put all of the zucchini fries in the Air Fryer together and heat for 1-2 minutes to warm all together.
- Serve hot with marinara, Ranch, etc. for dipping.
Linda
Can the zucchini be breaded and then frozen for a later date? I know zucchini has A LOT of water in them. So maybe soaking the zucchini fries or coins in salt for 30 minutes work? Any thoughts on that?!
Kathryn Doherty
I haven't tried it either of those ways, but love the idea! Would love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Ryan
You could salt the zucchini and put weight on the slices for a couple hours. I use a cast iron skillet as weight. The salt will draw out the moisture, then you can pat dry with paper towels and begin breading.
Kathryn Doherty
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
Carol Smith
Aweful! 1/3 of an inch they were not even cooked in 8 minutes, but the Panko was. Flavorless with that little seasoning. Family said need seasoned panko or just more seasoning. Breading didn't want to stay on. What a mess. Just aweful.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so sorry this didn't work for you, I know that's frustrating. I'm confused why your zucchini didn't get cooked in 8 minutes in the air fryer; that's always been plenty of time for me (and I've tried three different air fryers) and should be enough to cook zucchini. I've also never had a problem with the Panko adhering - the dredging station helps with that. And we find them well seasoned from the Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder and pepper - plus a fun dipping sauce! - but of course you could increase those amounts to suit your tastes.