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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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
Jill
0These were so yummy! I would definitely make them again. I only had to cook them for 10-12 minutes in my oven?
Jill Franklin
0The flavor of this was really good. However, I couldn’t get the breading to stick to the outside and they ended up being limp. I’m just trying to figure out the whole breading thing, because I’ve tried this with the fried chicken and now the zucchini and fried onion rings. The fried veggies were a real mess. Not at all crispy. What am I doing wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jill, I recommend a technique where you use different hands for the wet and dry. Breading can get clumpy if it gets wet, and then will no longer stick. Use one hand to dip into the egg wash, that same hand to place on top of the bowl with breading, and then use the other (dry) hand to scoop breading over the zucchini and remove from the breading. Hope this helps!
Maya
0It really was delicious. It didn’t look as pretty as in your pic, but the taste was excellent. I didn’t have parmesan cheese so I used mozzarella instead and I added onion powder with a little of Italian seasoning too. Could definitely snack on these while watching a movie.
Mary Ann Stoll
0Is the temperature of the oven secret???
Never found recipes without the info for the oven temperature? What gives?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary Ann, There’s no secret, the oven temperature and all other recipe specifics are listed on the recipe card. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Enjoy!
Anne Rodkin
0These are so good. I did them in my air fryer at 390 degrees (default setting on my two drawer Ninja) for about 15 minutes. Not as crispy as regular fries, but really tasty with a nice crust.
Shelly
0Thanks for mentioning the air fryer. I have the same one as you and I’m going to try a couple to a few minutes longer for the crispness.
Angie
0I made these for my family and they were a hit, my husband said they taste like healthy mozzarella sticks lol. Definitely will make again when I’m stuck with zucchini!
Samantha
0Love love LOVE these! As did my non-keto family! Keep sharing your recipes!
Karol
0These were so delicious. The taste was yummy and I froze a bunch of them. They did come a bit too soft, so next time I’ll cut the cooking time to 15 minutes. Otherwise, a winner!!
Patty
0Do you think this recipe will work in an Air Fryer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patty, Yes, you can cook them in the air fryer. Follow the time and temperature from my air fryer zucchini, but I’d check on them 2 minutes sooner.
Selena
0Maya! I have your new cookbook. This was one of the first recipes I tried when I began Keto in April 2021. I make these all of the time!!! They are delicious!!!! I also use your bacon-wrapped zucchini when I bake a batch of these!!! Thank you for helping me with Keto!!!
Maureen
0Great addition to the zucchini line up. Crispy outside and soft and creamy inside.
Larry
0Your good
Nejra
0Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to add it to my list! Just a heads up, did you mean to add kcal to the calories?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nejra, kcal is often used interchangeably with calories.
Lynn
0Wondering if these would work in a convection oven or an air fryer machine?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynn, Yes, you can cook them in the air fryer. Follow the time and temperature from my air fryer zucchini, but I’d check on them 2 minutes sooner. The convection setting on your oven would also work, but I would reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and check on them sooner.
Danielle
0I made these the other night, they were delicious!
sue
0need your help please. in the “tool” section you recommended a special non stick ribbed baking sheet…. I have that on order. in several comments, you suggest parchment paper. since I have the baking sheet coming… which do you recommend? thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, One or the other would work. If you ordered the pan to use, then it will work great without needing the parchment paper!
Adriana Gutierrez
0Very good as a low carb noodle alternative under spaghetti sauce. Baked on convection 425°F for first half of bake, then 450° for the last 10 minutes.
Cali
0I’m not seeing any videos (under the “video” part of the page) to tap on and watch. Is it just me? I have no problem seeing or playing videos from other sites. Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cali, Please make sure you are not viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode’ or in an RSS feed, the video will not work when either of those options are enabled.
Bill Guy
0Math correction: Cutting the zucchini lengthwise 4 times yields 16 long sticks. Cutting those once crosswise yields a total of 32 fries.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bill, The recipe card is correct – we are cutting them into 8 long sticks, not 16.
Amelia Blackwell
0Thank you so much, really a winner recipe!
Kora
0Made these to go with your coleslaw recipe and hamburgers on keto bunz turned out good and hubby liked them too 🙂