Fried Zucchini

You’ll love this fried zucchini recipe because it is easy to make, light without eggs, with simple ingredients, and with minimal mess in the kitchen.

Plus, you can choose your favorite cooking method; the options are deep-fried in oil, “fried” in the oven, or in the air-fryer.

Deep-fried zucchini in oil is the best for crispiness and flavor. Here we’ll share our tips for easy and safe deep-frying.

The air-fryer yields impressive results; the fried zucchini is crisp and tasty.

Oven baking is not bad, although you’ll get more of a breaded zucchini than a truly fried zucchini.

They won’t be as crisp, and the slow cooking makes them quite soft – still a good option, but not as tasty as the other two.

Find the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Zucchini

You can use any zucchini or summer squash. We use dark green zucchini because it’s the most popular variety where we live, but grey or yellow zucchini are equally suitable for frying.

Use the freshest zucchini you can find so they won’t get soggy and stay tender-crisp. They should be very firm to the touch when you pick them up at the supermarket. Avoid soft or spongy zucchini.

Milk

Any milk works. We use non-dairy milk like soy milk or rice milk, but any other type of milk is suitable. Since we use milk, this recipe does not need eggs.

Flour

All-purpose flour to coat the zucchini before breading them. Substitute gluten-free flour for gluten-free fried zucchini.

Bread crumbs

You can use most types of breadcrumbs, including panko breadcrumbs.

Garlic powder

To add a touch of aroma. Substitute onion powder, paprika, or chipotle powder.

Dried oregano

Also, for aroma, oregano fits the zucchini perfectly. Substitute Italian herb mix, dried basil, dried thyme, or your favorite dried herb for oregano.

Salt & Pepper

Season the breading with sea salt or kosher salt and black pepper. After frying, you’ll also need salt or salt flakes to add on top of the zucchini.

Parmesan

Grated parmesan cheese is optional. If you like the breading with a richer flavor, feel free to mix it with the breadcrumbs.

Our tests showed that the parmesan makes the breading stick to the zucchini as it melts when the zucchini cooks.

Oil

You’ll need frying oil to fry the zucchini or olive oil to oven-bake or air-fry them.

We usually use peanut oil or sunflower oil developed for frying at high temperatures. You can find them in most supermarkets.

Dips for serving

• Marinara sauce
• Tzatziki sauce
• Homemade egg-free mayo
• Chipotle sauce

Find the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Bread the zucchini

Rinse and dry the zucchini, trim top, and bottom, and cut them into 1/5-inch or 0.4 mm slices. Set aside.

Tip: you can cut the zucchini into sticks and make zucchini fries instead.

Prepare three containers. One with milk. One with flour. The last one with breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and grated parmesan stirred in.

It’s best that the flour and breadcrumbs containers can close with a lid. You can use ziplock bags or bowls if you don’t have containers.

Tip: we use Tupperware / airtight containers.

Working in batches, dip the zucchini in the milk first, then add them to the container with the flour.

Close the lid and shake till coated.

Put the zucchini back in the milk, toss with a spoon, then add them to the breadcrumbs. Close the container and shake until coated.

Tips: you can dredge the zucchini in flour and breadcrumbs one by one if you prefer, but our method (shaking them in a container) will save you a ton of time.

Set the breaded zucchini aside on a baking tray or large platter and continue breading until you run out of zucchini discs.

Heat the frying oil on medium heat to 340°F or 170°C in a pot or saucepan with tall edges.

Gently dip the zucchini discs in the oil without overcrowding the pot and fry for about 1.5 to 2 minutes per side or until the zucchini is golden brown.

Transfer the fried zucchini to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Arrange the fried zucchini on a serving platter and season with a generous sprinkle of sea salt or salt flakes.

Optionally, serve with fresh thyme leaves, lemon wedges, and marinara sauce.

Fried zucchini in the air fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F or 200°C for 3 minutes. Arrange the breaded zucchini discs on a single layer in your air fryer basket.

Drizzle with some olive oil and air fry at 400°F or 200°C for about 10 minutes, turning them once halfway through cooking.

Fried zucchini in the oven

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Arrange the breaded zucchini discs on a baking sheet on a single layer.

Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with a pinch of salt, lemon wedges, fresh thyme, and marinara sauce.

Fried zucchini are delicious as they are or with a dip:

• Marinara sauce (tomato, oregano, garlic, etc.)
• Tzatziki sauce (cucumber, yogurt, mint, garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, etc.)
• Vegan mayonnaise (soy milk, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, vegetable oil, etc.)
• Yogurt tahini sauce (tahini, yogurt, cumin, garlic, water, lemon, etc.)
• Chipotle sauce (sour cream, mayo, garlic, lime juice, chipotle peppers, etc.)

Make ahead: you can bread the zucchini ahead of time and store them in the freezer before frying them. They will turn out even crispier this way.

Refrigerator: keep leftover in the fridge for 24 hours. The zucchini won’t be as crisp the day after. Reheat them in a preheated oven or air fryer at 400°F or 200°C.

Freezer: not suitable for freezing.

If you love cooking with zucchini, try these easy and wholesome zucchini ideas:

• Sautéed zucchini (zucchini, olive oil, red onion, oregano, parsley, lemon, etc.)
• Air fryer zucchini (zucchini, olive oil, paprika, chili, garlic powder, etc.)
• Roasted zucchini (breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, thyme, etc.)
• Stuffed zucchini (breadcrumbs, zucchini, sun-dried tomato, ricotta, etc.)
• Zucchini fritters (red onion, zucchini, garlic, oregano, flour, milk, etc.)

Get more fried recipe inspiration with these veggie meals:

• Fried eggplant (eggplant, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, flour, milk, etc.)
• Easy fried tofu (tofu, paprika, cornstarch, garlic powder, chili powder, etc.)
• Fried sweet potato (sweet potato, olive oil, salt, etc.)
• Falafel (chickpeas, cumin, parsley, garlic, coriander, baking powder, etc.)

For many more starter ideas, check out our starters category page.