Zucchini Fries

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This baked zucchini fries recipe is made to satisfy the toughest cravings for golden, crispy potatoes — in a healthier way! I’ve been making them for years, and even my kids have enjoyed them since they were toddlers. These parmesan zucchini fries require no breadcrumbs and need just 5 basic ingredients you might already have on-hand. They are a fun alternative to plain roasted zucchini, which is also delicious.

What Are Zucchini Fries?

Oven baked zucchini fries are sticks of zucchini that are breaded and baked (or fried!).

I used Parmesan cheese for the breading as a healthier alternative to breadcrumbs. Like jicama fries and rutabaga fries, they’re low carb and very easy to make… and dip!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for baked parmesan zucchini fries, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Zucchini – Use small or medium zucchini. Yellow squash would also work.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese – Many recipes use panko bread crumbs or flour, but parmesan makes the perfect breading in this recipe and adds so much flavor! (It also makes these keto zucchini fries, but anyone can enjoy them.) Finely shredded cheese can also work, but may not stick to the zucchini as easily.
• Egg – Use a whole, large egg. A flax egg may work as an egg substitute, but I have not tried it.
• Spices – Garlic powder and (optional) black pepper. You can also add other spices if you like, such as Italian seasoning.

How To Slice Zucchini Fries

1. Cut your zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again.
2. Repeat cutting lengthwise until you get thin enough pieces.
3. Stack the pieces and cut them crosswise to get the length you want your fries to end up.

You can check the pictures (in the next section) or video (on the recipe card below) to see what the pieces look like before breading them.

How To Make Zucchini Fries

This section shows how to make baked zucchini fries (without breadcrumbs!), including step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Prep. Cut the zucchini as explained above. Prepare two shallow small bowls, one with whisked egg and one with grated parmesan cheese and spices.
2. Dredge. Dip each zucchini fry (see above for how to cut them — or below for a visual) in the bowl with egg, shake off any excess, and press into cheese mixture to coat.

2. Arrange. Place the fries in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. (Or for even crispier results, use an unlined nonstick pan or line with aluminum foil. You’ll need to coat with cooking spray if you go with this option.)
3. Bake. Cook keto zucchini fries in the oven until deep golden brown, flipping the fries and rotating the pan halfway through.

Tips For Crispy Zucchini Fries

The parmesan coating does a pretty good job of making these oven baked zucchini fries crispy. But, here are a few extra tips to ensure that happens:

• Use small zucchini if possible. Larger zucchini will have a higher moisture content.
• Pat dry. If you have particularly “wet” zucchini, pat them dry with paper towels.
• Do not salt. Salting the zucchini before baking makes them mushy and too salty in flavor. The parmesan is already salty, so no extra salt is needed
• Help the “breading” stick. To ensure that it does, use one hand for breading and the other hand for the egg mixture. Try to avoid touching the breading with the wet hand. Doing this will prevent the parmesan mixture from clumping. If it clumps, it won’t stick.
• Let them breathe. Air flow is important for crispy results, so make sure to leave space between the fries on the baking sheet.
• Crisp up after baking. Broil zucchini after baking to make them extra crispy. Alternatively, you can also lightly pan fry them, or even cook the whole recipe in the air fryer instead, which yields more crispy results than the oven does.

Storage Instructions

For crispy zucchini fries, it’s truly best to eat them fresh. However, they can be stored for later as well:

• Store: Keep any leftovers from this zucchini fries recipe in an airtight container in the fridge between layers of paper towels. They may get a little soggy, so you’ll need to crisp them up again when reheating.
• Reheat: Pan fry or broil to reheat and make zucchini parmesan fries crispy again.
• Freeze: After baking, place onto a parchment lined baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Instead of thawing, bake from frozen until hot and crispy. (Thawing can make them mushy.) Lightly pan fry if needed to crisp up more.

Dipping Sauces For Zucchini Fries

Dipping sauce is optional, but adds to the fry eating experience! (And since there aren’t a lot of carbs in zucchini, you totally have room for a sauce even if you’re trying to be low carb.) Try dunking your zucchini fries in sweet marinara sauce, creamy ranch dressing, 5-minute spicy mayo if you like a kick, or lemon garlic aioli!

More Healthy Zucchini Recipes

If you enjoy oven zucchini fries, I have a whole collection of delicious healthy zucchini recipes for you! Try some of my favorites below:

Easy Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Baked Ratatouille

4.65 from 129 votes

Zucchini Fries (Easy & Healthy!)

This cheesy baked zucchini fries recipe uses just 5 ingredients and it's low carb! They are golden, crisp, and ready in only 30 minutes.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Recipe Video

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Ingredients

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• 2 medium Zucchini ▢
• 1 large Egg ▢
• 3/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese ▢
• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper (optional) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line and lightly grease a baking sheet. (Parchment paper works best, but foil might be okay if you grease it very well.)

2. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise 4 times (to make eight long sticks from each squash). Then cut the sticks once crosswise, making 16 sticks from each squash, approximately 4 in (10 cm) long and 1/2 in (1 cm) thick. If the zucchini sticks feel "wet", pat them dry with paper towels.

3. Prepare two shallow bowls – one with beaten egg and one with a mixture of grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and black pepper. Dip each squash stick in the egg, shake off the excess, then press into the parmesan mixture, coating all sides. (Use one hand for the egg and the other for the parmesan, to avoid getting too much egg in the parmesan which will make it clumpy.) Place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer without touching.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping the fries and rotating the pan halfway through, until fairly dark golden.

5. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until darker golden and crispy.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 8 baked zucchini fries, about 4″ long each

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 114

Fat 6.8g

Protein 8.3g

Total Carbs 5.5g

Net Carbs 4.5g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 2.5g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked zucchini fries, keto zucchini fries, parmesan zucchini fries, zucchini fries, zucchini fries recipe

Calories: 114 kcal

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