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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
Ofelia
0Love this fries is so good. I’ll make it again…
KTinNYC
0Thanks for the zucchini fries recipe Maya! I made it today for my 10 year-old son’s lunch and he really enjoyed it!
John Tyte
0Tasty, but not a hint of crispness. Followed the recipe but got a soggy result. Where could I have gone wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, John! I have tips in the post above to get them crispier.
Shirley
0Can you make these ahead of time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shirley, These are best if made fresh, but you can cut the zucchini ahead of time.
Brenda
0OMG? I just made these and they were so crispy and delicious.I didn’t change a thing they were perfect as is.Thank you so much, I cannot wait to try the zucchini quiche and fritters.
Jessica
0Do they tend to be kind of mushy inside, or did I cook mine too long?
Maya| Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, It sounds like you may have overcooked them. They should be soft inside, but not mushy.
Gloria Pahl
0OMGosh!! This is an easy and delicious way to eat zucchini. My husband and son both loved it. We had it as a side dish to air fryer chicken, but it would be great as a snack as well. Will definitely be buying more zucchini to make this awesome dish!
Stephanie Tyler
0These Baked Zucchini Fries are awesome. I’m not a cheese person so I left off the Parmesan cheese. I will probably make these two to three times a week!
Carmella Goodman
0These zucchini sticks were a huge hit with my family. No dipping sauce needed. Thank you for this very easy recipe.
Babs
0These were top notch. My husband said more thatn once he would eat these ‘anytime’! Thank you for a great, easy low carb recipe.
Tina
0Note that if you use parchment paper, don’t broil on high. You will turn the paper into ashes 🙂
Melody
0Hi Maya. I want to make zucchini fries for meal prepping in a few weeks, so I want some tips on how to meal prep them? I want them to stay crispy the entire week. Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Melody, If you want them to be crispy while eating them as leftovers, I recommend reheating them in an air fryer or toaster oven.
Bryanna
0Can you please suggest something different to use than parmesan? I am dairy free. Thank you.
Sheril Van Avery
0Follow your heart has a dairy free parm, not too bad, I found it at Kroger and HEB in TX
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bryanna, Depending on your dietary needs, you can use either bread crumbs (panko or regular), almond flour, or crushed pork rinds.
Anira
0Look so good. Am I missing where you state the oven temperature??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anira, The temperature is in the 1st step on the recipe card above. It’s 425 degrees F.
Marsha
0Can you use some bread crumbs too?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marsha, Yes, you can mix in bread crumbs with the parmesan if you like.
Susy Ball
0Can you fix the fries in a fry pan on the stovetop? It’s too hot to use the oven this time of year, especially in Texas! I live in California, hot there this time of year now, but I am visiting my mom right now. Also will these fries work with finely chopped mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susy, I have never made this recipe on the stovetop, so I can’t say for sure if it would work or not. If you try it out, please let me know the results! I don’t recommend using mozzarella, as it will be too melty.
Wendy
0These were so good!
Sandy Ward
0To make it vegan will it be good with a flaxseed meal instead of an egg? I like this recipe but haven’t made it yet. On a strict regimen.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandy, Yes, a flax egg should work. They wouldn’t be vegan though, because the coating is parmesan.
Dixie L Daniel
0Do you have to turn them over if air frying, I’m new at this air frying. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dixie, These zucchini fries are made in the oven, but yes, I would still recommend flipping if you use the air fryer.
Df
0These were so easy and I loved them. I wish I had made more. I used my airfryer and set to same temperature and cooked 8 minutes per side. I had put parchment in the basket so they wouldn’t stick. So I needs to turn them. Yummiest.