Fried Zucchini

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Have you ever tried a fried zucchini recipe? This one will have you hooked! I make baked zucchini fries and zucchini chips in the air fryer all the time in the summer, but there’s nothing quite like the crispy texture you get from pan frying zucchini. This method tastes so good, you won’t believe it’s healthy! Fried foods get a bad rap, but this recipe proves you can make them better.

Why You’ll Love This Fried Zucchini Recipe

• Crispy outside with tender inside
• Savory, cheesy taste
• Simple pantry ingredients
• Done in just 20 minutes
• Naturally low carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian
• Perfect as a healthy vegetable side dish, snack, or appetizer

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for pan fried zucchini, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Zucchini – Opt for smaller zucchini if you can, as they tend to be more tender and have a sweeter flavor. You can also use yellow squash.
• Egg – Use a room temperature egg for easier coating. An egg substitute would probably work, but I haven’t tried it to confirm.
• Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – This flour has healthy fats, protein, and fiber, but you could use regular all purpose flour or bread crumbs (either panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free ones, or regular) if it fits your lifestyle.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese – Adds a savory and nutty flavor and enhances the crispy texture.
• Italian Seasoning – Make your own homemade Italian seasoning in just a few minutes, or you can use store-bought.
• Spices – Including paprika, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.
• Avocado Oil – I like the neutral flavor, but you can use any heat-safe cooking oil for pan frying zucchini. Olive oil also works great.

VARIATION: Try other seasonings.

You can add dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, or rosemary for added aromatic flavors, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.

How To Make Fried Zucchini

This section shows how to fry zucchini, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Set up the dipping stations. 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. Coat the zucchini. Dip each zucchini slice in the egg, then the third small bowl with flour mixture, and then use a spoon to dust more from the second bowl, shaking off the excess (see tips below). Set the breaded slice aside. Repeat and dredge all the slices.

3. Fry zucchini. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan fry zucchini in a single layer, without a lid and without touching until golden brown on both sides.
4. Drain. Transfer the zucchini bites to a paper towel over a baking sheet to absorb excess oil. Repeat frying the remaining zucchini.

Tips For The Best Fried Zucchini

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

• Use both hands. Use one hand to dip the squash in egg and the other to dip it in the breading. This prevents the breading from becoming clumpy and 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 breading mixtures. 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 bowl. Again, this prevents clumping.
• Preheat the pan. Make sure the pan is hot, so that it heats consistently. If you rush and put the zucchini into a pan that’s not hot enough, they’ll get mushy and not crisp up. Or worse, the breading could fall off.
• Be generous with the oil. The recipe card lists 2 tablespoons of oil, but the amount you need may vary. The oil helps make the pan fried zucchini crispy, so you want to have enough.
• Avoid crowding the pan. The squash needs space to fry and crisp up, so you’ll need a few batches up for this fried zucchini recipe.
• Drain 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.

Is Fried Zucchini Good For You?

Fried foods don’t have to be unhealthy. This fried zucchini recipe is a prime example of a healthy fried snack, but it also makes a healthy side dish. The key is to use a natural, low carb breading and a healthy oil.

Storage Instructions

• Store: If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The zucchini softens when you store it, but you can make it crisp again if you reheat it correctly.
• Reheat: To crisp it up for serving again, you can either fry quickly or reheat in an air fryer if you have one. Since the fried zucchini is already golden brown, you’ll want lower heat to warm it up.
• Freeze: For best results, freeze the zucchini after breading but before frying. To do this, blanch the raw zucchini in boiling water for just a couple of minutes, then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process. Pat them dry, then follow the fried zucchini recipe as usual to add the breading. Arrange on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, fry from frozen. Or, learn how to freeze zucchini without breading here!

What To Serve With Fried Zucchini

Now that you have mastered the art of creating crispy and flavorful fried zucchini, it’s time to explore the perfect pairings:

• Sauces – Try it as an appetizer and dip in marinara sauce (pictured above), garlic aioli, Greek yogurt (feel free to throw some herbs in there), or ranch dressing.
• Chicken – Serve pan fried zucchini with bacon wrapped chicken breast or lemon garlic chicken, or for a BBQ feast, pair these summer veggies with some crispy grilled chicken thighs.
• Seafood – I love pairing them with grilled halibut or grilled salmon, but if you want a fancy romantic dinner, you can’t go wrong with grilled lobster tail. If it’s too cold or rainy to grill, baked salmon is perfect!

More Easy Zucchini Recipes

Because zucchini is everywhere in the summer, I’m always looking for more ways to use it! Here are some more amazing zucchini recipes for you to try:

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini Casserole

Sauteed Zucchini

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Fried Zucchini (Crispy & Easy)

This easy fried zucchini recipe is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor. Learn how to make it the healthy way!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 4 medium Zucchini (cut into 1/4-inch thick slices) ▢
• 2 large Eggs (whisked) ▢
• 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 (plus more as needed) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Prepare two bowls: One with whisked 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 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 (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 zucchini slice aside. Repeat with all zucchini, 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 heat (adjust more/less oil as needed to prevent sticking). Fry zucchini slices in a single layer, with a lid and without touching each other, for about 2-3 minutes per side.

4. When done, transfer the fried zucchini to a paper towel lined plate.

5. Repeat with the remaining slices, adding more oil if the pan gets dry.

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

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

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 156

Fat 11.9g

Protein 7.3g

Total Carbs 6.8g

Net Carbs 4.8g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 2.9g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keywords: fried zucchini, fried zucchini recipe, pan fried zucchini

Calories: 156 kcal

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Try More Of My Recipes

• 
  Healthy Zucchini Muffins
• 
  Baked Zucchini Chips
• 
  Zucchini Noodles Recipe (Zoodles)
• 
  Grilled Zucchini

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