Zucchini is one of my favorite summer vegetables. It’s cheap (especially if you have a friend or neighbor who is growing it), versatile, and totally delicious. So if you’re looking for extra ways to use up your summer zucchini, you’ve got to give these Baked Zucchini Fries a try. They’re crispy on the outside but creamy and delicious on the inside! Eat them plain or dip them into your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce.
Originally posted 7-28-2012, updated 8-12-2022.
Are Zucchini Fries Crispy?
Zucchini is a high water content vegetable, so it tends to get very soft when cooked. To counteract that, we’ve cut the zucchini into smaller pieces to allow for more evaporation and coated the fries in a crispy combination of panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan. The result is a zucchini fry that is crispy and tasty on the outside, but soft and creamy on the inside.
Do I Have to Use Panko?
I highly suggest sticking with panko breadcrumbs here instead of regular breadcrumbs because their light texture and larger pieces help make the zucchini fries extra crispy. Regular breadcrumbs tend to be smaller pieces and a bit more dense, which will produce a harder shell rather than a light, crispy coating.
Make Them Gluten-Free
To make these zucchini fries gluten-free you’ll need to make two swaps. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour, potato flour, or arrowroot flour to dredge the zucchini before the eggwash, then use gluten-free panko crumbs for the final coating. I do not suggest using almond flour or coconut flour in place of the all-purpose flour because they will not absorb moisture as well as the all-purpose flour.
How Are the Leftovers?
The one caveat with these Baked Zucchini Fries is that they’re definitely best right when they come out of the oven. After they’re stored in the refrigerator the breading will absorb moisture and become soft. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t still totally gobble them up after reheating, but you definitely won’t get the same texture experience.
Baked Zucchini Fries
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 lb. zucchini ($1.69)
- 2 large eggs ($0.39)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs ($0.50)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.36)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided ($0.03)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.04)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce (for serving) ($0.50)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Slice the zucchini into matchsticks that are ½-inch wide and 3-inches long. Set the zucchini aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp salt.
- Add the sliced zucchini to a large bowl. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour and remaining ¼ tsp salt over the zucchini. Toss the zucchini until they are evenly coated in flour.
- Place wire cooling racks over a large baking sheet to lift the zucchini pieces and allow airflow underneath. Bread the zucchini slices by briefly dipping them in the whisked egg, letting the excess run off, then coating them in the panko-Parmesan mixture.
- Place the breaded zucchini on the wire racks with a small amount of space between each piece to allow for airflow.
- Bake the breaded zucchini fries for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately with pizza sauce for dipping.
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Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Wire Cooling Racks
- Chef's Knife
Nutrition
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How to Make Zucchini Fries – Step By Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Slice about one pound of zucchini into ½-inch thick matchsticks (about 3-inches long).
Whisk two eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp salt.
Place the sliced zucchini in a large bowl and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Toss the zucchini until they are evenly coated in flour.
Place two wire cooling racks over a large baking sheet. Begin to bread the zucchini fries by first briefly dipping them in whisked egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then coating them in the panko-Parmesan mixture. To make this process faster, I usually dip 2-3 at a time into the eggwash.
Place the breaded zucchini on the wire racks with a little space between each piece.
Bake the zucchini fries for about 20 minutes in the fully preheated 425ºF oven or until they are golden brown and crispy. Allow the fries to cool for a couple of minutes before wiggling them loose from the rack. If any of the fries are stuck, use a fork to scoop under the fry and lift it up off the rack.
Serve the zucchini fries with pizza sauce or marinara for dipping!
These were great! One of my picky eaters couldn’t stop eating them. I did have to improvise an Italian seasoning with died basil, dried oregano, garlic powder and a smidge of onion powder.
Taste is okay but I have never been able to get any breading to stick to the food. It just winds up a big gummy ball. Is there a trick?
I would say the main thing is thin layers and not over handling what you’re breading. Do a very light dusting of flour, tapping off any excess, then allow any extra egg to drip off as well. Place the zucchini stick in the breadcrumbs and maybe use a fork to gently flip it to each side and then when its coated lift it straight to the baking sheet. I also find that not allowing your hands or tools to get wet from the egg is really important to keeping the breading consistent. So use one hand or tool for dry ingredients, one for the egg dip, etc. Good luck!
Great recipe! For gardeners with too much zucchini, your recipe works great for freezing. After the fries cool completely, place on trays, slip trays in freezer, then store in Freezer gallon bags. You can pull them out like frozen commercial fries, bake them at 400 for about 15-20 minutes and they’re really crunchy and a better side dish than French fries.
Airfryer! Works awesome to make them crispy again.
Followed exact recipe. Best thing I’ve ever made with zucchini.
These are really good. We don’t have a wire rack so we just flip them half way through cooking. They turn out perfectly. Do you have any tips for reheating them? Because storing them in the fridge makes them a bit soft and soggy. Trust me, don’t reheat them in the microwave 😅
Yikes! I bet the microwave didn’t get the job done! Reheating them in the oven, toaster oven, air fryer — or even toasting them up in a non-stick skillet — would probably give you better results. But as Beth mentions in the blog post, they will never be QUITE as satisfying when reheated. — Marion :)
thank you for sharing baked zhukinni fries.
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome
Has anyone tried these in the air fryer yet? I am an AF noob and have no idea what temp to start at or how long to cook them for. If anyone has a suggestion on where to start with temp/time please let me know. Thanks!
I was visiting my folks and as soon as I pulled up your site, my mom said, “Do you like zucchini? So-and-so gave us some from their garden.” Bingo! I made this for dinner as one of the veggie sides, and it was delicious! I love using panko. So crispy! Another winner.
These are delicious! I made the recipe as described and served the fries with a jarred marina sauce. Thanks so much!
Fantastic! I actually put these in a sandwich with mozzarella cheese and chunky tomato sauce. Sooo good.
Was looking for different ways to use zucchini and I’m always somewhat sceptical when it comes to zucchini, but these were good !! I added a bit more Parmesan and Seasoning to the mix. My family enjoyed them and I got the okay to make then again.
I made these last night and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
They were tasteless . Certainly not buttery. We did eat them with out dipping sauce
I only had one rack and so I baked half of them directly on the foil. I liked them better that way – the cheese got crispy and delicious! But both pans were excellent and were a hit with my guests.
Yum! Thanks. Add them. Loved them. Felt zero guilt eating them!
Hi Beth
I work with Microplane and we are interested in using the recipe and your photos in some marketing materials.
Would you care to contact me if you’re interested?
Thank you!
Fantastic recipe and step by step images! We love it so much that we included it in a recipe roundup of our favourites. It links back to this page so that others can come and visit. Great job.
http://cookerynation.com/crunchy-breaded-recipe-roundup/
Could you prep a ton of these and freeze them before baking so they are ready to just toss in the oven?
I’m not sure if the breading will hold up to freezing without getting soggy or falling off the fries.
Perfeito
I haven’t tried your recipe yet for these, but I have tried several of your recipes now, and absolutely love them all. I have tried other recipes for these, and I prefer them, over French fries any day. Have also made them with parsnips, very good.
These are great done in an air fryer. Put them in at 400 for 15-20 minutes and they come out nice and crispy. They can also be reheated in the air fryer and keep their crispyness!
I made these tonight for the first time. Absolutely delicious and easy. The cookie drying rack is genius!
I made these last night for dinner. They were excellent. I baked them for 20 minutes rather than 15. I’ll do it for 25 next time as I like the cheese to get brown. I was surprised how well the cheese and crumbs held on.
I made these a few hours ago, had a nap, and woke up to my husband eating these fries from the pan:
Me: Please don’t eat all of those.
Him: I already did.
Me: You’re lying, I see you eating them from the pan.
Him: Those are just the crumbs.
Me: Oh my goodness you poophead!
Him: They were a hit!
Hahahaha I guess that’s a good thing? :)
I made these with dinner tonight and they’re so good! Nice and crunchy, plenty of flavor and the breading stays on great. My pan wasn’t big enough though or I had too much zucchini because I had a lot left over, enough to do another batch. Not a bad thing!
These were great. A total hit with everyone in my house (including children) I substituted breadcrumbs for panko and served them warm. They were crunchy and so yummy. Will definitely make these again. Thanks for sharing
Love this recipe! I ended up cutting some of mine into about 1/4 inch rounds instead of strips and it made them even more like crunchy fries!
I made a double batch last night because I have a ton of zucchini in my garden right now. The leftovers were of course limp and squishy coming out of the fridge but they crisped up nicely after a few minutes in the toaster oven set to grill.
Do you think you could freeze these before you bake them off? I’d like to make a big batch and just pull out the ones I will then bake and eat. Has anyone tried this?
I don’t think that would work out well with this recipe because zucchini are a high moisture vegetable and high moisture vegetables tend to get mushy upon thawing. The plant cells burst when the water in them freezes, then it seeps out once thawed. So you’d probably end up with watery, mushy fries. :(
Yum, Yum, YUM!!! Like you, these have been on my “to cook” list for a long time and finally was inspired to try them last night. The whole family enjoyed them – my 7 y/o daughter asked for seconds! I cut the “fries” in half for the kids’ sake. I am slow in nature (plus I cut them in half), so the dipping in egg and bread crumb step added more a few minutes to prep time. Easy to follow recipe, THANK YOU for sharing!
Came across this recipe on pinterest! Made it tonight and it was yum-o!
I’m going try this recipe this week but would like to know the recipe for the slow cooker marinara sauce. Thanks!
The link to the marinara sauce recipe is up in the introduction, but incase it’s not working for you, here it is again. I hope you enjoy it! :)
five stars
These were amazing! Everyone scarfed them! Genius!
I would like to try this recipe as an appetizer for Thanksgiving, but with all the cooking I need to do I was wondering if I could make them in advance and just reheat the next day? Can’t wait to try them and thanks for the great recipe.
No, unfortunately this is not one that can be cooked ahead of time and then reheated. Like regular fries, they get very soft very fast, so you definitely want to eat them right after cooking. :)
Made them last week making today so very good and easy love them
Thanks
try dipping these in prepared horseraddish mixed with a little lite mayo
my daughter made these and we dipped them in ranch dsg. so good, I almost couldn’t eat my chicken. I wanted more of these. very good
Tried these tonight and they were fabulous. Will definitely make again and again.
I tried these tonight. I will make these again only next time… I’ll use more salt and cook a wee bit longer. Otherwise, delicious!
thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t really work for us. I thought they were kind of tasteless and definitely needed more salt — and I had used a little more than what was called for. I also increased the cooking time as a commenter above mentioned. But this is the first dud I’ve experienced from this site, so it’s hard to complain too much, haha. Maybe I can tweak it to work for us ;-)
This recipe is YUMMY! Thank you!!
Sorry I can’t rave about this recipe like everyone else did…I thought they were pretty good…but probably not a keeper recipe for us (Sad to say, my kids were not impressed–even my zucchini-lover son.) A few notes (the point of my comment): I felt they needed more oven time than listed to get the zucchini past the crunchy stage. Also, most importantly, if you’re omitting the Parmesan cheese (as I did), they need more salt.
These things are incredible! Really, after trying them last weekend I was awfully tempted to cook nothing but these for the rest of the week. It really took some effort to decide on other meals.
Just made these tonight and they were amazing. It was so hard to share them with my husband as I wanted to eat them all.
I just made these for my “We Don’t Like Vegetables” nephews. Not only did they eat them, they had seconds. My veggie loving self enjoyed them as well. I have no guilt in making these fries for my nephews. Very nice recipe and super easy. The boys had fun shaking the zucchini in the bag. Thanks for sharing this!
I tried this recipe with the panko/parmeasan/italian seasoning mix and another time with italian style breadcrumbs/parmeasan. The panko and italian seasoning mix turned out much better mainly because it had a lot more flavor than the pre-mixed italian style breadcrumbs. Excellent side dish!
YAY, I don’t have to do my late-night runs to Carls Jr. anymore! Thanks, Beth. I crave fried zucchini at least once a month. This is not only healthier, but gives me a reason to use that “LePresse” cutting gadget that I got from an infomercial like 10+ years ago. My favorite dipping sauce for these is Bleu Cheese dressing.
I made these last night to go along with our grilled chicken sandwiches and they were delicious. 15 minutes is too long in my oven, but they were so good. My kids used regular ketchup instead of the marinara sauce.
I made these as the appetizer for an italian dinner last night. My boyfriend ate so many he could barely eat the amazing pasta and pine nut/garlic broccoli I made ha! they were delicious, I used a hot and Spicy vodka sauce for dipping, soo good! thanks!
I made these as the appetizer for an italian dinner last night. My boyfriend ate so many he could barely eat the amazing pasta and pine nut/garlic broccoli I made ha! they were delicious, I used a hot and Spicy vodka sauce for dipping, soo good! thanks!
I just love Zucchini. Thank you for the wonderful pictures. Mouthwatering!
Zucchini and summer. Got to love them both. GREG
These look delicious. I can’t wait to try them.
I’ve been meaning to try zucchini fries – these look awesome! On my list to try :)
These look so delicious! Great idea! Maybe I can even get my husband to eat them ;)
http://www.twoboroughs.blogspot.com
you know, I’ve been meaning to make some baked onion rings–maybe I should make a big tray of zucchini fries along with the onion rings and have a tasty crispy snacky feast!
This is an awesome base and I love that you can improvise super easy with ingredients you have around. I halved the panko bread crumbs (mainly because I didn’t have enough) and added corn meal. I also did not have Italian seasoning so I did a mixture of Garlic Salt, oregano, basil, cayenne for a little kick.
Another idea would be curry added to the mixture and raita to dip :)
Yummy!
YUM. These look awesome. I’m always on the lookout for other ways to use the zucchini from my CSA!