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GET IT NOWThis Air Fryer Zucchini Has My Favorite Cheesy Coating
This air fryer zucchini has been my go-to for three summers straight. Here’s why:
- Crispy, cheesy parmesan coating – A.k.a. the best part! While the vegetables get tender and a little sweet inside, the outside gets golden brown — the perfect combo of melty and crispy.
- Fast and easy – Just 5 simple ingredients and 15 minutes! It’s the quick, healthy side dish of the season, without heating up my kitchen.
- Better for you with a little comfort factor – My air fryer zucchini recipe has no breading and still feels special with the parmesan all over it. It’s not quite as plain as regular roasted zucchini (which I also love in its own way), but much lighter than traditional frying methods or coatings that have breadcrumbs.
If you’ve got a pile of squash and need an easy side tonight, make this cheesy air fried zucchini with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my air fryer zucchini recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Zucchini – I cut it into 1/2 inch thick slices, but you could cut zucchini sticks if you prefer, about the same thickness. I’ve also made this recipe using yellow summer squash instead.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – For a cheesy flavor and crispy outside! You can swap half of it with breadcrumbs (even crispier), or substitute other grated hard cheeses, such as pecorino romano. I’ve also air fried zucchini sprinkled with semi-soft or semi-hard cheeses, like mozzarella or cheddar, but they turn out more melty rather than crispy.
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil works, too.
- Herbs & Spices – Garlic powder, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Sometimes I use Italian seasoning instead of oregano.
How To Cook Zucchini In The Air Fryer
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the squash. While your air fryer preheats, slice the zucchini and place in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Add the parmesan cheese, tossing to coat again.
- Air fry zucchini. Arrange the zucchini slices in the air fryer basket in a single layer. If the coating of parmesan looks sparse, sprinkle extra parmesan on top. Cook until tender and golden brown.
My Recipe Tips
- Cut uniform slices, not too thick or too thin. You want the same thickness, so that they cook at the same rate. Don’t make them too thin, unless you want crispy air fryer zucchini chips instead of tender zucchini! Keep in mind they’ll shrink a bit.
- Dry the zucchini if it’s wet. If you slice the zucchini ahead of time, or yours has excess moisture after slicing, pat dry with paper towels before adding the oil. I usually need to do this especially with larger zucchini, which tends to be more watery.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer. My air fryer is roomy enough to fit all the slices at once, but smaller air fryers may need multiple batches.
- I don’t recommend flipping. The parmesan coating tends to fall off if you flip halfway through cooking, so it’s best to just leave the pieces in one spot the entire time. The top turns out more crispy, and I think that’s just fine!
- Can you make these without an air fryer? Yes! You use your oven (15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F), but I recommend broiling at the end to brown the cheese. You might also like my stovetop fried zucchini or baked zucchini fries instead.
Air Fryer Zucchini (Easy, Cheesy Recipe)
You'll love my crispy, cheesy air fryer zucchini, made with just 5 simple ingredients in 15 minutes. The perfect easy, healthy side dish!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for at least 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, place the zucchini slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.
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Season with garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
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Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the zucchini. Toss to coat again.
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Arrange the zucchini slices in the air fryer basket in a single layer, working in batches if needed. (Do not crowd the basket. Mine fit in the air fryer in one batch, but smaller air fryers may need multiple batches.) If the coating of parmesan looks sparse, sprinkle a thin layer of additional parmesan on top.
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Air fry zucchini for 8 minutes, until tender and golden brown.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help your air fried zucchini cook evenly, get the best crispy coating, and alternate cooking methods.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can freeze if you really want to, but I don’t love it because the results are very mushy after thawing.
- Reheat: I recommend reheating the zucchini in the air fryer again to revive the coating. It only takes 1-2 minutes at 350 degrees F.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Air Fryer Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Air Fryer Zucchini
Serving Ideas
Although air fryer zucchini works well with just about any main, I like to stick to easy options for a quick weeknight dinner. Here are some ideas:
- Chicken – A couple of my faves are lemon garlic chicken and crispy baked chicken legs.
- Beef – You can’t go wrong with a juicy sirloin steak or my easy burger recipe. For a special occasion, I like to air fry filet mignon followed by the zucchini while the steak rests.
- Fish – My air fryer cod or air fryer salmon recipes can make your entire meal in the same appliance! If you want your veggies and main ready at the same time, I recommend broiled salmon or pan fried tilapia.
- Dipping Sauce – When I serve this air fried zucchini as an appetizer, I usually add a sauce on the side, like marinara sauce, tahini sauce, or even ranch dressing (less conventional, but my personal fave).
27 Comments
Mike
1This was fantastic. I cut the yellow squash and zucchini and air dried them for a few hours. Followed the recipe and the results were outstanding. My new favorite recipe for these squash! Thank you for posting the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked this air fryer zucchini, Mike! Enjoy!
Janice Merriman
1I just made this recipe for the first time for dinner tonight and it is very, very good. I added an 8th of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spices which pepped it up a bit. Since I forgot to do it, I would definitely allow the zucchini to sit for awhile to encourage any water to come out and then pat dry with paper towels. I didn’t do that and I think that they would have crisped up more had I done so. I will be making this again!!! Very yummy!!!
Deborah
1OMG! Sprinkling Parmesan cheese on top of the zucchini puts this recipe in the super win column! It leaves the zucchini crunchy and very very favorable. Wonderful recipe!
Jill
0Nice and crispy, perfect texture and flavor.
Wholesome Yum D
0Awesome, Jill! Happy it came out with that perfect texture.
Terry
0So good. And nice way to use up abundant zucchini! Very tasty and would do this one again. Did the oregano and liked that
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Terry! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Greg
0Totally didn’t work and each batch was pretty bad. Don’t know what ingredients would yield colors on final photo. Disappointing
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Greg, Sorry to hear you had issues with your zucchini. You didn’t really explain what “didn’t work” or was “pretty bad”. I’m happy to help if you can describe what happened. My pictures show this exact recipe that I made myself, with the ingredients listed. I also have a video showing how to make it, that might help for next time.
Angela Clark
0So crispy and yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Angela!
Lisa
0I’ve made many variations on zucchini, but this one was as easy with an upgraded taste!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Lisa! Thank you.
Wanda Ellene Henley
0What temp on the air fryer? I didn’t see one listed.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Wanda, It’s 400 degrees F and this info is in step 1 on the recipe card above. Make sure you read the recipe card so you don’t miss a step or ingredient! 🙂
Jim
0Loved the simplicity of the recipe with a limited number of ingredients.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jim! Yep, it’s my favorite kind of recipe.
Di
0The flavor was great the top of the zucchini looked like yours before done and after they were cooked. I followed your directions, but mine stuck to the bottom of the air fryer, How do I get it from sticking
I tried without spraying the air fryer, than I tried it with spraying with olive oil but both ways they stuck to the bottom. Any help would be appreciated
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Di, Sorry to hear that happened. I haven’t had this issue with my air fryer, is yours non-stick on the inside?
Judy Adams
0I wonser what air fryer you use that has bigger basket…thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judy, I use this air fryer and the basket is pretty big.
Patricia Bowman
0Do you recommend flipping halfway through?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Patricia, That is not necessary for this recipe.
Olivia
0I think this air fryer zucchini is a new favorite in my house! It was so easy to make and tasted amazing, thank you!
Kristyn
0Yum!! Zucchini is my favorite appetizer & this air fryer version is the easiest!! Love the cheese on it & flavor. It turns out so crisp & delicious!
Sharina
0My fam can’t get enough of this air fryer zucchini! It was indeed cheesy and flavorful! Must-try!