This easy-fried zucchini recipe transforms ordinary zucchini into a crispy and flavorful dish. Serve as an appetizer or a tasty side dish with a bowl of warm marinara or homemade avocado ranch dressing.
What’s In This Post
Crispy Fried Zucchini
If you have a summer garden, chances are pretty good that you have some zucchini, and if you don’t, zucchini is readily available at your local grocery store all year. This is one of our favorite zucchini recipes. You can make these up to a few hours in advance and reheat them right in the air fryer or oven, and they will still be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We like to serve them with marinara, but you can also serve with Honey Mustard Sauce or Southern Comeback Sauce.
They reheat incredibly well and are always a favorite with family and friends. I love to serve them for family night with Lemon Pepper Wings, Baked Shrimp Toast, and French Onion Dip.
Fried Zucchini Ingredients
- Zucchini: look for medium-sized, unblemished, firm zucchini
- Flour: all-purpose
- Eggs: large ones
- Breadcrumbs: Italian and Panko
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil: vegetable or canola
- Sauce: marinara or homemade ranch
How to make Fried Zucchini
Start by cutting your zucchini into sticks or rounds. Either way, they should be about 1/2 inch thick. Now, set up three bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one mixed with Italian breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Dredge the zucchini sticks or slices in the flour, dip them in the eggs, and in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until you have coated all the zucchini.
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet like a cast iron skillet. Now working in batches, fry the zucchini on each side for a few minutes or until golden brown. Then, remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain excess grease. Serve with warm marinara sauce or ranch dressing.
Recipe Tips
- Leave the skin on and cut the sticks or rounds for zucchini bites about 1/3-1/2 inch thick for optimum frying.
- I like to make my own breadcrumbs using croutons. They provide such terrific flavor with a lot fewer preservatives. I grind them up in my mini food processor.
- To avoid the dreaded breading fingers, use one hand for the wet ingredients and the other for the dry ingredients! Voila, no more constant hand washing.
- Try cooking in the air fryer for a lighter version with less fat and calories.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese as it is flavor-packed and helps make this recipe so delectable.
How to cook fried zucchini in an air fryer
Bread the zucchini per the instructions and spray the pieces lightly with cooking spray. Then, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Arrange in a single layer and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until crispy. Every air fryer cooks differently, so check on them several times.
How to bake these zucchini sticks
Bread the zucchini per the instructions and spray the pieces lightly with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the breaded zucchini in a single layer with some space between them. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can also be reheated in an air fryer in a single layer at 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes or in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes.
More Zucchini Recipe
Fried Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium to large zucchini
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Marinara optional
Instructions
- Set up 3 bowls. One with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one mixed with Italian breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Dip each stick in the flour, then in the eggs, and then in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat 1/2 inch oil in a Dutch oven heavy or heavy skillet. Working in batches, fry the zucchini for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain any excess grease. Serve with warm marinara sauce.
Notes
- Leave the skin on and cut the sticks or rounds for zucchini bites about 1/3-1/2 inch thick for optimum frying.
- I like to make my own breadcrumbs using croutons. They provide such terrific flavor with a lot fewer preservatives. I grind them up in my mini food processor.
- To avoid the dreaded breading fingers, use one hand for the wet ingredients and the other hand for the dry ingredients! Voila, no more constant hand washing.
- For a lighter version with less fat and calories, try cooking in the air fryer.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese as it is flavor-packed and really helps make this recipe so delectable.
Nutrition
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Jere Cassidy
A perfect way to use zucchini, and the crunch you have on these sticks looks perfect. I do love that these can be reheated so I can make a big batch and keep in the fridge.
Toni Dash
This is such a great idea!! Such a delicious appetizer!
Linda
This recipe reminded me so much of how I like to prepare chicken fingers. It was delicious on the zucchini although I am kinda jealous of how nicely browned you got yours all over. I plan on using this recipe as an alternative to french fires for our grilled hamburger suppers. Of course, this might just wind up as an appetizer for the football game Saturday too.
Laura Tobin
Great recipe, I love the Italiam breadcrumbs. I will try you sauce with it as well.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Laura! So glad that you liked it!
Mirlene
Wow!! I xannot believe how crispy these zucchini fries are. I cannot wait to try them!
Patty
Your breadcrumbs really are the crispiest and most delicious! I loved this fried zucchini recipe!
Anita
These are so delicious! I need to keep on making this till zucchini disappear from the market, which is probably very soon.
Anjali
These were super easy to make and were a fun alternative to french fries!! We will definitely be making this again soon!
Melissa
Great recipe – we need we’ll need to make these again really soon!
Jennifer
We have zucchini coming out our ears right now and this is totally going to be on the menu tonight! I’m sure my kids will devour this.
Beth Pierce
I understand the zucchini out your ears thing! LOL!!
Kimberly
These looks fabulous and the perfect balance of seasonings, can’t wait to try this!
Jacque Hastert
What a great and delicious way to use up all the summer zucchini! I can’t get enough of this recipe.
Toni
This is such a great way to enjoy zucchini! My kids really loved it!
Catalina
wow! These zucchini are so crispy. My family would love this!
Erin
These scrumptiously good Fried Zucchini Sticks would disappear in our house!
Jen
This was the perfect way to use up the zucchini I had in my garden. Thanks for the tip about making your own breadcrumbs. They really made them so good!