These tasty Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Chips are coated in seasoned parmesan breading and baked until crispy in the air fryer. This quick and easy recipe is a great way to use up a surplus of summer zucchini.
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Check out my Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks and my Air Fryer Corn Tortilla Chips for more great air fryer recipes.
Air fryer zucchini snack
These air fryer parmesan zucchini chips are a delicious alternative to high calorie, high fat and high carbohydrate potato chips. When you're craving something crunchy and salty, these lightened up chips are the absolute best.
They are great as a snack, appetizer, and as a side dish. The best part? These crispy air fryer parmesan zucchini chips are a kid-approved, healthy way to get in more veggies.
I've loved vegetables for as long as I can remember, especially squash. In mid-summer, when home gardens and produce stands are booming with squash and zucchini, I'm in my happy place.
My favorite thing about squash, specifically zucchini, is that they can be prepared in dozens of delicious ways. With so many options, it's practically impossible to get tired of eating it.
Air frying breaded zucchini slices are my favorite way to make zucchini. Fresh zucchini, coated in seasoned bread crumbs and salty parmesan cheese and then tossed in the air fryer is all it takes to make these crisp and crunchy rounds of healthy zucchini.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Nutrient dense. Zucchini is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and potassium. This is a great way to add more zucchini to your diet.
- Less oil. "Frying" breaded zucchini chips in the air fryer cuts back significantly on the amount of oil needed to do so in a deep-fryer.
- Delicious as a healthy snack, game-day appetizer, and vegetable side dish.
- Guilt free munchies. Zucchini chips are lower in calories and carbohydrates than potato chips.
For more guilt-free munchies, try my dehydrated pickles!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Zucchini: Thinly sliced. You can also use yellow summer squash to make chips or a vibrant combination of both colors.
- Olive Oil: Lightly coats the zucchini slices giving the breading something to stick to.
- Bread Crumbs: You can use regular bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs. The texture will just be slightly different.
- Parmesan Cheese : Gives the zucchini chips a crunchy, toasted crust and great flavor.
- Ground Pepper: Enhance flavors.
- Garlic Powder: Seasoning.
- Sea Salt: Highlights the best of every flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep zucchini. With a mandolin or sharp knife, carefully cut zucchini into ¼" thick slices. Add to a large bowl and toss gently with olive oil until well coated.
Step 2: Mix breading ingredients. In a separate large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and garlic powder.
Step 3: Bread zucchini slices. Press each zucchini slice into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with a thin-even layer. Shake off any excess bread crumbs. Repeat until all slices are coated.
Step 4: Air fry zucchini chips. Working in batches, arrange zucchini slices in the air fryer basket in an even layer and cook at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Flip each slice and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Make sure you remove as much moisture as possible from each zucchini slice with a paper towel before breading.
- Preheat the air fryer. The food will still get crisp if you don't preheat first, but when the basket is hot enough to start cooking on contact, the zucchini will get super crispy.
- Leave room between the chips. You'll most likely need to work through the zucchini slices in at least 2 batches. For the crunchiest zucchini chips, each slice needs a little wiggle room in the air fryer basket. If they're overcrowded, the slices will steam and turn into a soggy mess.
- Do not peel the skins. Zucchini will not hold its shape once cooked without the skin. Also, the skin is where most of the nutrients are.
- To make gluten-free zucchini chips, swap bread crumbs for your favorite gluten-free bread crumb or gluten-free panko.
Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips
If you do not have an air fryer, you can still make crispy parmesan zucchini chips in the oven. To make baked zucchini chips:
- Arrange breaded zucchini slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet leaving some room in between each.
- Coat the surface of each piece with cooking spray and bake in a 400 degrees preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Flip each slice and spray the other side with cooking spray.
- Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes or until crisp.
Zucchini Parmesan
Parmesan zucchini chips are perfect for making a variation of eggplant parmesan with zucchini. This is super easy to make in the air fryer or oven. To make zucchini parmesan:
- Bake zucchini chips in the air fryer or oven as instructed.
- Then, top with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese and return to the air fryer (or oven) until the cheese begins to melt and the sauce is warmed through. Serve hot and enjoy!
Dips
One of my favorite ways to serve zucchini chips is as a healthy game day appetizer. However, no crunchy chip is complete on game day without the dip. Try dunking zucchini chips in any of these yummy dips!
- Blender Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes
- Creamy Ranch Dressing
- Pea Guacamole
- Spicy Marinara Sauce
- Individual Taco Dip Cups
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let cooked zucchini cool completely to room temperature before storing it in a shallow airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Freezing: Arrange cooked and cooled zucchini on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer until each slice has frozen solid. Transfer frozen zucchini chips to a shallow airtight container. Arrange in layers separated by wax paper. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Reheating: Zucchini chips are best served immediately but you can restore most of the crisp by reheating leftovers at 375 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.
Recipe FAQ‘s
Zucchinis have a lot of water. If you salt your zucchini and allow them to sit after being sliced they will release some of their moisture. Using a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture will also help prevent soggy zucchini.
Salting zucchini will remove excess moisture from the zucchini and will allow any of the breading, crust, or cheese to stick to the zucchini better.
Yes, you can make plain zucchini chips without any breading. To do so, slice the zucchini as thinly as possible, toss in olive oil and cool in 270 degrees preheated air fryer until the seasonings are browned and crispy. Toss with seasonings and parmesan fresh from the air fryer.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Chips
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup traditional bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Slice zucchini into slices, about ¼-inch thick. Add to a large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over the zucchini and mix well until the zucchini is covered in the oil.
- In a separate large bowl, add bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Mix together.
- Drop zucchini slices into bread crumb mixture to coat. Repeat until all zucchini are covered.
- Place small batches of zucchini slices into the air fryer basket.
- Turn air fryer on to 400°F and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the zucchini and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until crisp.
Notes
- Different air fryer brands may cook at different rates, so be sure to keep on eye on food.
- Make sure you remove as much moisture as possible from each zucchini slice with a paper towel before breading.
- Preheat the air fryer. The food will still get crisp if you don’t preheat first, but when the basket is hot enough to start cooking on contact, the zucchini will get super crispy.
- Leave room between the chips. You’ll most likely need to work through the zucchini slices in at least 2 batches. For the crunchiest zucchini chips, each slice needs a little wiggle room in the air fryer basket. If they’re overcrowded, the slices will steam and turn into a soggy mess.
- Do not peel the skins. Zucchini will not hold its shape once cooked without the skin. Also, the skin is where most of the nutrients are.
- To make gluten-free zucchini chips, swap bread crumbs for your favorite gluten-free bread crumb or gluten-free panko.
- Storing: Let cooked zucchini cool completely to room temperature before storing it in a shallow airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
- Freezing: Arrange cooked and cooled zucchini on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer until each slice has frozen solid. Transfer frozen zucchini chips to a shallow airtight container. Arrange in layers separated by wax paper. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Dannii
I am always looking for new ways to use my air fryer and these look amazing.
Anita
My lovely neighbors just gifted us a bunch of zucchini from their garden. 🙂 This will be the perfect recipe to enjoy zucchini.
Kasey Pillo
These look amazing! My mother-in-law has a ton of zucchini growing in her garden, I'll send her this recipe as a new way to use them up.