Easy Healthy Pan Fried Squash and Zucchini Recipe

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Have you ever tried a pan fried squash recipe? This is the time of year when zucchini and squash grow prolifically in the garden, so they are in season and a wonderful keto vegetable option. And making fried squash and zucchini is so easy, too!

Let me warn you, friends, you’re going to be hooked! This fried squash recipe is so easy and tastes so good that you’re not going to believe it’s both low carb and gluten-free.

Fried foods get a bad rap. Everything thinks they are unhealthy, but they don’t have to be.

These crispy fried zucchini and squash chips are the perfect example. What a delicious way to get your veggies in!

Make this fried zucchini recipe with olive oil or avocado oil for the healthiest option, compared to soy or canola oils. They’re delicious dipped in keto ranch dressing, too!

These easy fried squash and zucchini circles make a great low carb appetizer as well as a fun side dish option. It’s totally up to you!

And because zucchini and squash are so easy to get in the summer, here are some more amazing low carb zucchini recipes:

• Zucchini pizza muffins
• Zucchini noodle salad with bacon and tomatoes
• Zucchini au gratin (low carb cheesy zucchini casserole)
• Lemon blueberry zucchini bread with almond flour

A Low Carb, Healthy Pan Fried Squash Recipe

Some people worry about the carbs in fried squash due to the breading, but if you know how to fry squash and zucchini without flour, then it’s not a problem.

Fried foods don’t have to be unhealthy. This fried zucchini recipe is a prime example of a healthy fried keto snack, but it also makes a healthy side to bacon wrapped chicken breasts.

The key is to use a natural, low carb breading, and a healthy oil. This recipe uses avocado oil which has lots of benefits and can withstand high heat when making fried yellow squash and zucchini.

I like using almond flour and parmesan cheese with flavorful spices to make pan fried squash. Not only does it taste amazing, but it’s a guilt-free keto snack.

Many U.S. states have a state fair coming up around this time, in the late summer or early fall and the opportunity to indulge in delicious, but unhealthy carb-laden fried foods abound. The fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, fried peppers, and more are so tempting.

Now you can make this easy pan fried squash recipe and enjoy all the flavor of fried state fair foods, without the carbs. They have that crispy breading everyone loves, except it’s low carb and actually good for you!

How To Fry Squash and Zucchini Without Flour

So how do you fry squash? It’s so easy!

If you’re not sure how to make fried squash and zucchini, no worries. You’ll be able to follow this fried zucchini recipe with no problems at all!

Just slice up your summer squash or zucchini, dip it in egg, coat it in the low carb flour mixture, and cook it in a pan until crispy.

So simple, and so delicious. You can be enjoying your pan fried squash in no time at all!

The ingredients are somewhat similar to my Parmesan zucchini fries recipe, but the breading isn’t exactly the same. Those are baked and cut into strips (like fries). On the other hand, this fried squash recipe has you cut the squash into disks and fry it, for a surprisingly unique result.

Who knew veggies could be such a treat?

When you make this healthy fried squash recipe, you can use either zucchini or yellow squash. I used a combination of both, because it’s what I had on hand. Any summer squash works!

There you go – now you know how to fry squash and zucchini! I told you it was easy. And you’ve got to try them dipped in some marinara sauce for an even more delicious flavor!

Tips For The Best Pan Fried Squash

To make sure your fried squash and zucchini turns out perfect, here are a few tips:

Use both hands

When you’re preparing your zucchini and squash, use one hand to dip the circle in egg and the other to dip them in the breading. This prevents the breadcrumbs from becoming clumpy, which will prevent them from sticking.

Use 3 bowls

Sometimes less is more, but not for this fried zucchini recipe. Have one bowl for egg and two bowls for the low carb breading mixtures.

What you’re going to do is use just a little bit of the breading at a time, so shake out just a bit at a time into the second bowl and keep the rest reserved in the third bow.

Again, this prevents you almond flour and parmesan from getting clumpy. Just add more to the second bowl when it’s nearly empty.

Preheat your pan

Make sure the pan is hot, so that it heats consistently and your fried squash and zucchini pieces cook up evenly.

If you rush and put your breaded veggies into a pan that’s not hot enough, they’ll get mushy and not crisp up. Or worse, the breading could fall off. Patience makes them taste better!

Having a quality, heavy-bottom pan is helpful here. I love this pan for this – it doesn’t stick, has no Teflon, doesn’t scratch, and best of all, heats evenly.

Be generous with your oil

The recipe card lists 2 tablespoons of oil, but the amount you need may vary. The oil helps make the pan fried squash crispy, so you want to have enough.

Give your zucchini and squash room

When you put your breaded zucchini pieces in, don’t crowd the pan. The zucchini and squash need space to fry and crisp up, so you’re going to want to make several small batches up for this fried zucchini recipe.

Drain your pan fried squash pieces on paper towels

They’ll get more crispy if you let the excess oil drain away and they’ll also crisp up as they cool a bit. And when it comes to fried yellow squash and zucchini… the crispier, the better!

How To Make Fried Squash and Zucchini Ahead

This fried squash recipe is best fresh, but if you must, you can try making it ahead.

For up to a few days ahead, the best way is to bread the zucchini and squash ahead of time, but don’t actually pan fry the squash until it’s time to serve it.

If you have leftover pan fried squash, you can keep it in the fridge. Just be aware that it softens when you store it.

To crisp it up for serving again, you can either place it in the broiler or fry it quickly just like you did in the original fried zucchini recipe.

How To Freeze Fried Zucchini and Squash

To freeze fried squash and zucchini, first blanch the slices in boiling water for just a couple of minutes, then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process.

Pat them dry, then add the breading like the recipe says. Freeze your slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer until they are completely solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag.

When you’re ready to finish your pan fried squash recipe, you can put the frozen chips right into the hot oil and have your keto squash ready in just a few minutes.

Are you ready to enjoy your state fair worthy fried treat? I know I am! You might also like this low carb fried pickles recipe or even cauliflower fried rice, just because I love my fried treats in all forms. Enjoy!

4.65 from 14 votes

Easy Healthy Pan Fried Squash and Zucchini Recipe

This easy pan fried squash recipe (or fried zucchini recipe) is crispy & delicious. Learn how to make fried squash and zucchini the healthy way! Naturally low carb and gluten-free.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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• 2 medium Zucchini (cut into 1/4" thick slices) ▢
• 2 medium Yellow squash (cut into 1/4" thick slices) ▢
• 2 large Egg (beaten) ▢
• 2/3 cup Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour ▢
• 2/3 cup Grated parmesan cheese ▢
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning ▢
• 1/2 tsp Paprika ▢
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢
• 2 tbsp Avocado oil ▢

Instructions

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

1. Prepare two bowls - one with eggs, and the other with a mixture of almond flour, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Get a third bowl and place just enough of the flour mixture in it to cover the bottom in a thick layer.
2. Dip each zucchini/squash circle in the eggs, shaking off the excess. Place the circle into the third bowl (the one with just a little flour mixture). Use a spoon to dust more flour mixture (from the second bowl) over the top of the zucchini/squash circle (in the third bowl) to cover completely. Press lightly, then flip and cover the other side. (Use one hand for the egg and the other for the dry mixture, to avoid getting too much egg in the breading which will make it clumpy. You may want to add more dry mixture to the bowl in batches to avoid getting it too wet. It won't stick if it gets too wet.) Set the breaded slice aside. Repeat with all zucchini/squash slices, adding more flour mixture from the third bowl to the second as you go along. Doing this in batches this way prevents the breading from getting too wet/clumpy.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of oil in a pan over medium-high heat (adjust more/less oil as needed to prevent sticking). Fry the breaded zucchini/squash slices in a single layer, with a lid and without touching, about 2 minutes per side. When done, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining slices, adding more oil if the pan gets dry.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/8 recipe, or slices from about 1/2 a squash

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 159

Fat 13g

Protein 9g

Total Carbs 6g

Net Carbs 4g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 2g

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, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keywords: fried, gluten-free, keto, low carb, squash, sugar-free, vegetarian, zucchini

Calories: 159 kcal

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