Shop
My
Custom
My Zucchini Fries Recipe Is Crispy, Cheesy Veggie Goodness
These zucchini fries are my favorite way to satisfy those cravings for parmesan french fries in a lighter, healthier way! I’ve been making them for years, and in fact, they’re one of my oldest zucchini recipes. Even my kids loved them when they were toddlers.
- Tender zucchini with garlic parmesan coating – These fries are lightly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with savory flavor with a light parmesan crust. You’ll actually want to eat your vegetables with these!
- No breadcrumbs or deep frying – I use parmesan cheese for the breading and bake the zucchini fries in the oven, so they’re healthier, naturally low carb, and gluten-free.
- Just 5 simple ingredients – If you’ve got zucchini, you probably have everything else you need in your pantry.
- Quick appetizer or side dish – My zucchini fries recipe takes just around 30 minutes! They’re a perfect summertime dinner side, but I also love them as an appetizer for parties or even a snack.
This is a simple, fun upgrade to my plain roasted zucchini, except my baked zucchini fries recipe has a crispy parmesan coating. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my zucchini fries recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Zucchini – Yellow squash works great, too! Of course, summer squash fries won’t actually taste like potatoes, so if you want a veggie option that tastes closer to those, make my rutabaga fries, yuca fries, or jicama fries instead.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – This makes a healthy breading in place of breadcrumbs, and adds tons of flavor. I prefer grated parm from a shaker can for this recipe, because it doesn’t melt as easily. I don’t recommend using shredded cheese, which melts a lot in my experience.
- Egg – This helps the parmesan stick to the zucchini. A flax egg might work as an egg substitute.
- Spices – I kept it simple with just garlic powder and (optional) black pepper. You can also add other spices if you like, such as Italian seasoning, paprika, or onion powder.
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOW
How To Make Zucchini Fries
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Slice the zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. (You’ll end up with 4 wedges.) Repeat cutting lengthwise until you get thin strips, slightly less than 1/2 inch thick. Then, stack the pieces and cut them crosswise to the length that you want your zucchini fries.
- Coat in breading. To set up your breading stations, whisk the egg in a small shallow bowl, and mix the parmesan with spices in another shallow bowl. Dip each zucchini fry into the bowl with the egg, shake off the excess, and press into the cheese mixture to coat. (See my tips below on this part!)
- Bake until golden. Arrange the zucchini strips in a single layer on a lined baking sheet (again, see my tips below). Bake zucchini fries until deep golden brown. Flip them and rotate the pan halfway through. Eat them fresh while they’re hot!
My Tips For Crispy Results
- Use small zucchini if possible. Larger zucchini holds more water, which can make the fries soggy. I recommend getting small to medium ones if you can.
- If your zucchini is particularly “wet,” pat dry with paper towels after slicing. This helps the breading stick better and they crisp up more.
- Don’t add salt. Salting the zucchini before baking makes them mushy and too salty. The parmesan is already salty enough, anyway.
- For extra crispness, replace half the parmesan with breadcrumbs. I didn’t do this to keep this zucchini fries recipe light and easy, but not going to lie, parmesan alone is not as crisp as breadcrumbs. If you want to make the swap, replace half of it with panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free breadcrumbs (like I do for fried eggplant), or even almond flour (like I do for fried zucchini).
- Use one hand for the breading and the other for the egg mixture. This is my top tip, and I do this for all my breaded recipes! Breading can clump if it gets too wet, so using opposite hands helps to avoid this issue. Sometimes I even do this in batches: Keep most of the breading in a separate bowl, and add only a little at a time to the bowl where you’re dipping. This always keeps the breading clump-free.
- Parchment paper, foil, bare pan, or a rack? Decision time! Parchment paper doesn’t get your zucchini fries quite as crispy as aluminum foil or an unlined pan, but they don’t stick to it as easily. If you choose foil or a bare pan, coat with a generous layer of cooking spray. You can also bake the fries on a rack fitted over a baking sheet (the trick I’ve learned from cooking bacon in the oven), for extra air flow — translation: extra crispness!
- Don’t crowd the baking sheet. Make sure to leave space between the fries to help them get crispy.
- Want extra browning and crispness? You can pop the pan under broiler for a couple of minutes, or lightly pan fry them. Or just cook them in the air fryer for 7-8 minutes (similar to my air fryer zucchini, except in fry shapes instead of slices).
Zucchini Fries (Easy, Healthy Recipe)
By
My baked zucchini fries recipe uses just 5 ingredients and takes 30 minutes! They're healthy and easy, with a golden, crisp parmesan coating.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
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.)
-
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.
-
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.
-
Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping the fries and rotating the pan halfway through, until fairly dark golden. (The time can vary depending on the size of your zucchini strips.)
-
Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until darker golden and crispy.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 8 baked zucchini fries, about 4″ long each
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get crispy zucchini fries that don’t turn out watery, prevent the breading from clumping, the best way to prepare your pan, how to get extra browning, and more.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I place them between layers of paper towels to absorb any moisture. They do get a little soggy, so you’ll need to crisp them up again when reheating.
- Meal prep: I don’t recommend making these ahead, but you can slice the zucchini in advance to save time.
- Reheat: You can pan fry or broil to make the zucchini fries crispy again, but my favorite method is to pop them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.
- Freeze: Arrange the fries on 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.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System and Healthy Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Zucchini Fries
Serving Ideas
Looking for the perfect pairing for your zucchini fries? Here are some of my favorites:
- Dipping Sauce – Totally optional, but it totally enhances the fry experience! I love them with my homemade marinara sauce (pictured above), but my quick ranch dressing, spicy mayo, or garlic aioli are also amazing with these.
- Burgers – My baked zucchini fries are perfect with beef burgers and bacon wrapped hot dogs. You can also change it up with a turkey burger, salmon burger, chicken burger, or smash burger.
- Fish – Repurpose the parmesan breading to make my parmesan crusted tilapia or parmesan crusted salmon. Double the parmesan! They also make the perfect crispy side for lobster rolls.
- Chicken – Pair your fries with my crispy coconut chicken tenders or grilled chicken. It’s a kid-friendly combo that adults love, too!
255 Comments
Renee Goerger
0I’m all for saving carbs and substituting zucchini fries for potato fries. These look perfectly breaded. I can’t wait to make your recipe!
Shiho
0I love zucchini and have had zucchini chips before and loved it. This recipe is even better because it is low carb!
Kate Hackworthy
0These zucchini fries sound delicious! I love how crispy they look on the outside but soft inside. Can’t wait to make them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like them, Kate!
Tisha
0These parm zucchin fries sounds so yummy and look crispy! I’m not sure I would share a batch!!
Michelle
0Hi, I made these tonight. The parm batter was crispy kind of, but the zucchini was totally mush to bite. I even left it in the oven at 200 for maybe an hr. Hoping it would dry out a bit.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, Everyone’s oven is a bit different and it sounds like they were baked too long if they were mushy inside.
Tim Simmons
0I made a batch of these for game day not telling anyone that they were low carb and everyone thought that they were FANtastic. Will now be a regular addition when we host any kind of get together.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tim! I’m so glad everyone liked them!
Jennifer
0The cheese didn’t stick to the egg wash at all.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Sorry to hear you had this issue. Did you do everything the same as the recipe card, and check the video? It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. My guess would be that your zucchini might have been “wet”, which makes the egg wash not stick well and therefore the cheese too. You can try patting dry first next time.
Jennifer
0These were absolutely delicious!!! We did fry ours in coconut oil to add some healthy fat. Which made these amazing. This recipe will be a regular addition to our Keto diet. These are a must try!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the zucchini fries, Jennifer! Please come back soon!
Amelia
0I don’t care for Parmesan cheese. I’m not sure if you could use another kind of cheese. What do you think would be a good substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amelia, It would need to be another very hard cheese, like Pecorino Romano.
Sue
0My husband says hands down best way to eat zucchini. The second time I made them I made one change: salted the zucchini for 30 minutes then patted them dry. Much less watery.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much for sharing, Sue! I’ll need to try that!
Penny Saucerman
0Delicious! Quick, easy prep. The control on my oven just went out and I couldn’t use the broil function, so I just turned off the oven after 20 minutes and baked them a couple more minutes. Even without broiling to finish them off, they were crispy and delicious. My husband loved them. I served them with organic marinara and that was delicious. I think ranch would be great, too. I also looked up your spicy appetizer sauce and will make it in the future when I have more time. Husband is diabetic, so I am always searching for reduced-carb recipes. It’s especially hard to find recipes for crispy, crunchy foods. I wonder if larger zucchini would work for those who said theirs was soggy since they tend to be drier. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad they still worked for you, Penny. We love them with the spicy appetizer sauce – hope you’ll try it.
Breanna
0THANK YOU!! It was delicious, every one was fighting over them. Especially my parents.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yay, that’s great to hear, Breanna!
Cherie
0Hi! Love these! I mixed a little half and half with my eggs to them less thick. I also added onion powder to cheese and used chipotle black pepper in place of black pepper. I breaded the zucchini by placing Parmesan mixture in a zip top back. Baked very crispy on parchment and no sticking. Will definitely try again! Thanks!
Jill Franklin
0I’ve had problems with the breading on the zucchini as well as my onion rings. However, I like the idea of using a ziploc bag. That prevents too much handling between bowls. I’ll try that next time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you love them, Cherie! Those spices sound delicious to add. Great idea to bread the zucchini by shaking in a bag.
Nancy Sutton
0I love your recipes!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Nancy!
Amy T.
0Worked out well. My Parmesan was fresh grated kind from the store and the larger grating doesn’t stick as well as finer grated, for people’s reference. I took the advice on the no clumpy eggs in cheese but it ended up happening b/c I did what you said not to, haha! Just grabbed pinches and smooshed against the zucchini and it worked fine. I had some smaller and some larger pieces. The smaller are less watery as people say than the larger ones. The broiler helped but baking a bit longer is fine to crisp them up too. I did the bake and broil thing…two minutes for the broiler for me. Came out great though and hoping to entice my sick diabetic partner to eat some (she loves cheese and has stomach issues but tolerates zucchini). They smell so good when baking too. Great recipe, thanks! ps. used zucchini from my garden. Good recipe to keep in my garden Pinterest board for what to do with things after they come out of the garden. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I a so happy you liked them, Amy! Please come back again soon!
Elmira
0Couldn’t get parm mix to stick to zucchini so I ended up sprinkling it on top on cookie sheet. Added some Italian seasoning, red pepper, garlic powder, too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elmira, I have some tips about this in the post above the recipe card. Make sure you are using different hands, so that you try to minimize touching the dry mixture with wet hands covered in egg.
Linda
0How many in a serving or are you calling 1 medium zucchini a serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, It’s 8 fries in a serving.
Rhonda
0Sounds awesome..trying tonight!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you love it, Rhonda!
Nati
0Sounds good! Can I serve the next day too without having to heat them up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nati, These are best fresh. They get soggy after you store them.
Teresa
0Mine were soft and not sure why. I wanted them crispier.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teresa, Try placing them under the broiler at the end. I updated the instructions to include this step.