Learn to make Crispy Breaded Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer with this easy recipe. Fresh Zucchini, cut into sticks and breaded, then air fried to perfection. Sharing two simple ingredients swap to make golden crispy and tasty fries. Air Fried Zucchini Sticks will become your go-to air fryer healthy snack.
Zucchini Fries are lightly breaded and need no oil. Watch 1 minute video (coming soon) to learn how to bread fries quickly and yet get crispy air fried fries without oil.
Let's get to the recipe.
Oh, if you don't have air fryer, don't worry. Simply bread the fries as descried in Recipe Card and then roast in the oven. (detailed ahead)
Air Fried Zucchini
For years I made oil-free zucchini fries, for snacking, in the oven. Since we bought Air Fryer, Air Fried zucchini has taken the place of over fried zucchini. I love the convenience of quick cooking time. Air Fryer heats way faster. There is no wait for oven to preheat.
In Air Fryer, zucchini fries cook without oil. Plus you can layer the battered fries to cook a big batch at once with same crispy results. This means fries are ready quickly. Quick snack equals happy family.
For this recipe, I use seasoned egg wash and breadcrumbs breading. Once breaded, zucchini fries are ready in air fryer in just 10 minutes per batch.
What Do You Need to Zucchini Fries (sticks) in Air Fryer?
Ingredients to make air fried zucchini sticks are easy to find pantry staples. Here is what you need:
- Zucchini (courgette)
- Bread Crumbs
- Eggs
- Seasonings - Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper
- Parmesan or Potato Chips (see notes for details)
Golden Breaded Zucchini Fries
To make perfect golden breaded Zucchini Fries, I make two simple ingredients swap in traditional oven-fried breading:
- Use Italian bread crumbs instead of panko. In my experience, panko crumbs are light and don't brown well. Italian crumbs are fine and roast to very tasty finished fries.
- Substitute a portion of bread crumbs with parmesan cheese or plain salted potato chips. A little goes long way. About 1/2 cup grated parmesan or crushed chips in bread crumbs will promote crispiness of air fried zucchini fries.
To cook zucchini fries in Air Fryer, I start by slicing the zucchini into sticks. About 2-3 inch long and 1/2 inch thick. You can also peel the zucchini but I leave the skin as-is. Skin is edible and gets crispy delicious when fried.
As shown in pictures above, next I coat sliced zucchini sticks in seasoned egg wash. (see Recipe Card for details of seasoning)
TIP: Cut the breading time to half by using a big bowl to mix egg wash and add all sticks at the same time.
Once zucchini is dipped in egg wash, Next, pick 1-2 stick, roll in crumbs and set aside.
When ready to cook Zucchini Fries, preheat air fryer and place breaded zucchini sticks on air fryer rack in layers, crisscross each layer. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye in last 2 minutes. Add additional 1-2 minutes until fries are crispy as per your preference.
That's it! Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are ready to devour! Serve while still hot.
TIP: Use a baking sheet tray for breading. Roll zucchini sticks in bread crumb and place on the side. This helps finish breading in just 2 dishes i.e. 1 bowl for egg wash, a tray for breading.
Cooking zucchini fries in air fryer is very easy. Here are my notes to always cook perfectly crispy, the best fries in air fryer every time.
- Preheat Air Fryer - This ensures even cooking from the start. Plus fries don't stick to each other while cooking.
- Adjust the timings as per size of air fryer and amount of fries. I air fried 1.5 pound zucchini fries in two batches of 10 minute each at 390 degree Fahrenheit.
- Always keep an eye in last 2 minutes. Time to make crispy golden fries vary from 8-10 minutes. Add additional 1-2 minutes until fries are crispy as per your preference.
Baked Zucchini Fries If you don't have air fryer, don't worry. Simply bread the fries as descried in Recipe Card and then roast in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until golden and crispy. For best results, flip once halfway through the cooking.
If you have an air fryer recipe in mind that I should share on the blog? Leave a message below and let me know.
