This Air Fryer Zucchini is soft in the middle and golden-brown and crispy on the outside. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping!
This air fryer zucchini is absolutely addicting. It’s tender in the middle, crispy on the outside — this may now be the only way I ever eat zucchini!
Ingredients
Less than 10 ingredients necessary for a healthy and addicting veggie forward appetizer or snack!
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs, Grated Parmesan, All-Purpose Flour, Ranch Seasoning Mix, and Salt – makes up a super flavorful breading that becomes extra crispy in the air fryer.
- Eggs – coats the outside of the zucchini and helps the breading stick.
- Zucchini – cut into 1/4-inch coins for even air frying.
- Ranch Dressing and Marinara – for serving!
How to make
This air fryer appetizer really couldn’t be easier to make!
- On a large shallow plate, whisk together breadcrumbs, parmesan, flour, ranch mix, and salt until well combined.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk eggs until fully combined.
- Coat zucchini slices in egg then panko mixture.
- Place the breaded zucchini slices in greased air fryer basket preheated to 350ºF.
- Air fry for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, then serve and enjoy!
Do you need to peel the zucchini?
No, it is not necessary to peel the zucchini before using it in this recipe. The skin is so thin it doesn’t affect the texture at all. Bonus: the skin is a great source of nutrition so leaving it on makes your air fryer zucchini healthier!
Why is my food not crispy in the air fryer?
There are a few reasons your air fryer zucchini didn’t come out quite as crispy as you want it to. Here are some things you can do to make sure it’s crispy all the way around!
- Spray the basket with oil. This ensures that the zucchini doesn’t stick which allows it to get crispy all the way around. If it sticks to the basket, the breading will end up peeling off when you try to take it out.
- Don’t overlap or stack in the air fryer. You want the air to have space to circulate around the zucchini coins. If they’re overlapping, the hidden parts won’t get crispy.
- Flip halfway through. If the zucchini stays in the same position throughout the whole cook time, the air won’t reach the parts that aren’t over holes in the basket. Flipping ensures that the entire outside of the zucchini coins are cooked!
- Keep it warm in the oven. You won’t be able to fit all of your zucchini in the air fryer at once. Once one batch is done, place it on a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven while you air fry the rest. As it cools, it may become soggy.
Can you bake air fryer zucchini?
You can, although it won’t be as crispy.
If you don’t have an air fryer, lay the breaded zucchini out on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF, flipping halfway through.
What to serve with air fryer zucchini
I love to serve my air fryer zucchini next to marinara sauce and ranch dressing for dipping. You can also use pesto aioli, ketchup, fry sauce, Chick-fil-A sauce, etc.
I also love to serve this air fryer zucchini as part of an appetizer spread! Here are some of my favorites!
How to store
Air fried zucchini is best served right away but leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then air fry to warm and re-crisp. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave because they will become soggy.
– Jennifer
Air Fryer Zucchini
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 (1 oz) packet dry ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch thick coins (about 4 zucchini)
- Ranch dressing for serving
- Marinara for serving
Instructions
- On a large shallow plate, whisk together breadcrumbs, parmesan, flour, ranch mix, and salt until well combined.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs until fully combined.
- Coat zucchini slices in the egg, then the panko mixture.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Place as many zucchini slices in the air fryer basket as you can without overlapping them (I could fit 16), then air fry for 10-15 minutes (I did 12), flipping halfway through.
- Keep air fried zucchini in a warm oven while you make the remaining zucchini!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.