Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are a lighter made version of popular deep fried appetizer. Using the air fryer helps achieve a crispy finish without all the added oil of deep frying or pan frying (although I've been known to pan fry a zucchini fry in my time).
If you have a garden with fresh zucchini or a nearby farmer's market, grab your zucchini and let's make zucchini fries!
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I do have another recipe for Zucchini Fries here on the blog. And those are delicious too, the difference is those are pan fried zucchini fries and these ones use less oil and are prepared in the air fryer.
Do you want to incorporate more zucchini into your life? Perhaps, a neighbor has gifted you their abundance of garden zucchini? Try my savory zucchini bread, or this recipe for Zucchini Puffs.
Why are these zucchini fries different
- Egg whites rather than whole eggs.
- A mixture of panko AND traditional breadcrumbs rather than just the traditional. I find in the air fryer adding panko helps with the crunch factor but I like how a regular crumb covers more area so the combination of using the two is golden.
- Omitting the parmesan cheese in the breadcrumbs - I found it's just as effective to sprinkle a little on at the end for those who want it but they're just as good without it as well.
Which air fryer is best
Honestly, it is personal preference. I have owned two Cosori air fryers and was gifted one of those big all-in-one versions from another big name and I prefer the standalone Cosori.
You can pick up the Cosori Air Fryer on Amazon - that's where I purchased mine.
How to make zucchini fries in the air fryer
Start by cutting the zucchini into "fries".
I find the easiest way to do this is with a mandolin that has a fry cut. You can certainly do it by hand but I love my mandolin.
Next, set up a breading station.
This is a basic dredging station; one bowl for flour, one for egg whites and one for crumbs.
The zucchini sticks get dipped in the flour then the egg whites and then coat in the crumbs.
Place the coated fries in the air fryer basket, taking care not to overcrowd.
Spritz with a little bit of oil or oil spray.
Air fry the zucchini for about 10 minutes, being sure to give them a shake halfway through the cook time.
If they haven't crisped up after ten minutes just pop them back in for two to four more minutes until you get the right crunch!
To finish them off, I like to sprinkle a little fresh grated parmesan cheese on top. Totally optional but also totally recommended. Or they're pretty great dipped in ranch.
Tip: Make your own ranch dressing - recipe by Life Currents
Printable Recipe Card
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini cut into "fry" shape
- ½ C egg whites
- ½ C flour all-purpose
- ½ C panko seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ C seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive oil mist or cooking spray
Instructions
- Set up breading station by placing egg whites in a shallow bowl, flour in another and the breadcrumbs in another. Season the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir the garlic powder into the crumbs.
- Dip each "fry" in flour, then egg white and then coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside. (See notes section for helpful tips).
- Place "fries" in air fryer being sure not to overcrowd as an air fryer requires air circulation to work properly. You will need to work in two batches most likely. Spray the "fries" with cooking spray or olive oil mist.
- Set air fryer to 400 F and timer to 10 minutes. Shake or flip "fries" halfway thru cook time.
- If desired, top with grated parmesan cheese before serving.
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