These easy oven baked Zucchini Fries have a perfectly crispy crust made from seasoned breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Serve with warm marinara dipping sauce for a simple side dish that’s fun, delicious and totally addicting.
Since they are baked and not fried, these zucchini fries are able to achieve maximum crispiness and stay pretty healthy. See below for a few tips, tricks and answers to your most frequently asked questions. And for a slightly different version, you can also try our Zucchini Chips.
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Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
When zucchini season rolls around, one of my favorite snacks to make is this Baked Zucchini Fries recipe. They’ve got a crispy Parmesan bread crumb mixture on the outside but get nice and tender on the inside. And since they are baked instead of fried, they make a healthy alternative to greasy French fries or sweet potato fries.
All it takes is about 30 minutes and just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. I will often serve these with warm marinara sauce for dipping, but Homemade Ranch Dressing, Southwest Ranch Dressing and Garlic Basil Hemp Aioli are all tasty options.
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini - you can use any zucchini or even yellow squash for this recipe. The key is cutting them into spears that are all the same size so they bake evenly.
- Flour - all-purpose flour works great for this recipe.
- Breadcrumbs - you can use traditional bread crumbs or Japanese Panko crumbs for this recipe. They give these fries that yummy crispy outer layer.
- Parmesan Cheese - for best results, use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the stuff from the can.
- Italian Seasoning - this adds great flavor to the recipe.
- Garlic Powder - add a little more or less depending on your preference.
- Eggs - the egg mixture is what helps hold the breading onto the zucchini.
- Water - you can use water or milk for the egg mixture.
How to Make Baked Zucchini Fries
- Prepare bowls for breading. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, add the flour. In a second shallow bowl, combine the eggs and water and whisk well. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Coat zucchini sticks. Working in batches, dredge each zucchini spear into the flour and then into the egg mixture, making sure it is fully coated. Let the excess drip off, then place into the breadcrumb mixture and roll around to make sure all sides are well coated. Place coated zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet leaving space between each piece. Repeat the process until all of the zucchini is coated.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then top with fresh parsley and serve warm with warm marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air fried zucchini come out super crispy and is really quick to make, too. Just preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees and lightly spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place breaded zucchini sticks in a single layer and air fryer for about 9 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Here’s a few tips so that you’ll be making perfectly crispy and delicious Zucchini Fries in no time.
- If your zucchini begins to form moisture after slicing into spears, pat them dry with paper towels before dipping into the flour.
- The smaller and thinner the sticks, the crispier they will be. Feel free to cut each zucchini into any size fries that you want, keeping in mind the cooking time will be shorter the thinner they are.
- These don’t hold up super well, so plan on making only as many as you can eat in one sitting. If you do have leftovers, save them in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be tossed into salads, or chopped up and reheated for adding to tacos or quesadillas.
- Make sure that your zucchini fries aren’t touching on the sheet tray. They need room in order to get crispy on all sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to get a head start, you could mix together your bread crumb or panko mixture ahead of time. Otherwise, this is one of those side dishes that is best eaten soon after it’s made.
There is quite a bit of moisture in zucchinis. When you bake thinly sliced zucchini, it’s not as much of an issue. However, with larger spears it’s a good idea to pat them dry with paper towels before dredging. If you want them to be super crispy, feel free to cut the spears smaller and even toss them in the broiler for a couple minutes after they are baked.
Nope! The skin on zucchini is super thin so there is no need to peel. Plus, the skins have a lot of nutrients and add a little bit of texture once baked.
Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 small Zucchini quartered lengthwise
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 large Eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons Water or milk
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce warmed for dipping
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl or pie plate, add the flour. In a second shallow bowl, combine the eggs and water and whisk well. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Working in batches, dredge each zucchini spear into the flour and then into the egg mixture, making sure it is fully coated. Let the excess drip off, then place into the breadcrumb mixture and roll around to make sure all sides are well coated.
- Place coated zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet leaving space between each piece. Repeat the process until all of the zucchini is coated.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then top with fresh parsley and serve warm with warm marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of The Best Snacks and Appetizers
- Zucchini Chips
- Pesto Pinwheels
- Pork Carnitas Nachos
- Fruit Charcuterie Board
- Toasted Ravioli
- Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
- Mini Veggie Cups
- More Zucchini Recipes
- More Easy Side Dishes
These Parmesan Zucchini Fries are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and perfectly delicious. They make a quick and easy appetizer, snack or side dish that's way healthier than French fries and just as tasty.
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