You might not believe it, but I was once an air fryer skeptic. I couldn’t see uses beyond getting frozen spring rolls or chicken nuggets super crispy. Thankfully, the tides have turned. The air fryer, thanks to the combination of its concentrated heat and blowing fan, makes cooking foods to golden perfection a breeze—as long as you’re using the right recipe.
Enter air fryer zucchini chips. The sweet summer squash is sliced into rounds and coated with oil and a flavorful breadcrumb mixture that, when air fried, is tender on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside.
Although air fryer zucchini chips do need to be cooked in batches (the recipe can be halved if needed), I promise it’s super simple and unforgettable. Make it as a side for dinner, an accompaniment to lunch, throw it on a salad, or even enjoy it as a snack. Just make sure to eat them while they’re hot!
Tips for Making Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
My favorite part about recipe development is discovering all the tricks to make a recipe as good as it can be. These thoughtful techniques ensure this zucchini comes out tender, crisp, and golden every time.
- Cut the zucchini as close to 3/16-inch thick as possible. I know how fussy that measurement sounds, but in testing I found this thickness to yield the best results. 1/4-inch is okay if you mis-cut, just note that cooking may take a few more minutes.
- Make sure to use plain, traditional breadcrumbs, not panko. Panko won’t cling to the zucchini the same.
- Don’t skip quickly salting the zucchini. Zucchini has so much excess moisture that if you don’t salt it first it can lead to a soggy end result.
- This recipe calls for air frying at 325°F, which is lower than many air fryer recipes. In testing, I found this temperature to be the sweet spot—low enough that the zucchini has time for the excess moisture to cook out, but high enough to get golden brown and tender.
- Don’t bread the zucchini until just before air frying. This keeps the breadcrumbs from becoming oversaturated and clumpy and ensures the zucchini cooks evenly.
Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 small/medium zucchini about 1 1/4 pounds
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese for a vegan version, use nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If you’d like to keep the zucchini warm between batches, preheat the oven to 200°F. Trim off the ends of the zucchini and cut into quarters length-wise. Place each quarter against the cutting board, flat side down, then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick half-moons so that you have chunks that are about 3/4 inch in size each. Place in a large mixing bowl.
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Drizzle the zucchini with the oil. Toss to coat.
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In a separate bowl, stir together the panko, Parmesan, flour, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Sprinkle over the zucchini, then toss to coat the zucchini as evenly as possible.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place half of the zucchini in the air fryer basket in an even layer (no need to coat it with nonstick cooking spray).
- Air fry zucchini for 7 to 9 minutes, shaking a few times throughout, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Transfer to a serving plate or a parchment-lined baking sheet if keeping warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
