Best Fried Zucchini Recipe Side Dishes Noshing With the Nolands (2024)

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Enjoy some delicious crispy goodness with this Best Fried Zucchini Recipe! The zucchini is quickly sliced into fries, coated in a simple panko or bread crumbs, and then fried to a golden brown. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with marinara sauce it is the ultimate summer treat when zucchini is in season.

We all love to indulge once in a while with some golden deep-fried food like these Best Crispy Fried Pickles and these Stuffed Meatballs! This is what Fridays or game nights are for! You may also like Soft Pretzels with Cheese Sauce or Pepperoni Pizza Dip for other game day winners!!

Hi there, it’s Melanie fromBon Appét’Eat. It’s been a lot of fun to be part of the Noshing with the Nolands team. I do have some goodness like this to share on the blog too! Check my Portobello Mushroom fries, you will not regret it. And I absolutely love zucchini and so do my kids with these Zucchini Roll Ups, 4-ingredient zucchini fritters, or Delicious Stuffed zucchini.

Best Fried Zucchini Recipe Side Dishes Noshing With the Nolands (1)

Fried zucchini is easy to prepare with very few ingredients and you can adapt and vary the flavor endlessly. Make this yummy fried vegetable to enjoy as an appetizer or side dish.

Table of Contents

Helpful Items for This Recipe

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Wok for frying

Stainless steel spider for frying

Bamboo Cutting Board

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How To Make Fried Zucchini

The steps to making the best crispy fried zucchini recipe are really simple. If you have kids, they can help until it is time to deep fry the veggies, let’s leave that for the adults.

Zucchinis

Try to choose the same zucchinis for uniformity and cooking time. Wash them well and cut the ends off.

How to Cut Zucchini Fries?

Slice the zucchini in half and then cut in 2 length-wise and then in fry shape. It yields 12 fries with each vegetable. Alternatively, you can make slices like coins using the thickness of a quarter of an inch or even make thin chip treats.

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The Preparation

Place all the zucchini sticks on a plate and add some salt to it. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare 3 shallow plates: one for the flour, one for the beaten eggs, and one for the panko.

Your next move will be to pat dry your zucchinis as the salt released some moisture. Then, roll in the flour, shake the excess. Place your zucchini stick in the beaten eggs, make sure it is evenly covered in the egg. Lastly, coat the zucchini with panko.

How To Fry Zucchini? How Long To Fry Zucchini?

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In a pot, wok, or frying pan, pour some vegetable oil and bring it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit on medium heat. Delicately, to avoid any splash, place the coated zucchini in the oil away from you and deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Sprinkle with sea salt or Parmesan and enjoy when hot!

Cooking Tips for Fried Zucchini

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Do you peel zucchini?

No need to peel the zucchini for this recipe in fact, the skin is thin enough to enjoy.

How do you keep fried zucchini from getting soggy?

There are 2 important tricks to avoid sogginess. The first one is to do the very first step of the recipe listed above: putting salt on the zucchinis and letting them sit for 10 minutes. The other one is to enjoy the fried zucchinis right away, they may release some moisture while cooling down. It will still be delicious but less crispy.

How do you get breading to stick to vegetables?

Again, tackling the moisture is key here, make sure to tap dry the zucchinis with paper towel before rolling them in flour.

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Help, I don’t have a thermometer!

No worries, wait a few minutes to allow the oil to warm up and throw some panko crumbs (choose some ‘wet’ ones in the shallow plate), if you see the oil cooking it right away, it is ready. If the crumbs just float, wait for a little and try again. Or buy yourself the best thermometer around for every use in the kitchen. *affiliate link.

Can I bake my zucchini fries?

Absolutely! Spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil on each stick or use a cooking spray – for some crispiness! I would recommend to set the oven to 425F, nice and hot, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Can I cook my fried zucchini in the air fryer?

Yes, make sure to spread them as a single layer. You will need to make a few batches.

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Variations To The Recipe

Vegetable: Any other veggie from the squash family would work for this recipe.

Shape: You can choose between zucchini slices or sticks.

Breading: You can substitute panko for bread crumbs. You can add flavour to it: Italian seasonings, garlic powder, or parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle: My sprinkle of choice is sea salt, but Parmesan would be great on these tasty fried zucchinis. Also, feel free to add some fresh or dried herbs like thyme or rosemary.

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What Goes Well With Fried Zucchini?

Marinara sauce: You can make your own or use a store bought one. This is a combo made in heaven! You can even choose cold or warm marinara, both very tasty ways to eat it.

Dip and sauce: A great Mexican dip would be a nice pairing and if you wish to stick to vegetarian food, this spinach and artichoke dip would work well too. Ultimately, my choice would be towards this buttermilk ranch dressing, a nice drizzle on the platter would be quite a success!

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Best Fried Zucchini Recipe

Yield: 36 zucchini fries

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Fried Zucchiniis a delicious treat to enjoy all of that summer zucchini from your yard or the farmer's market. Our Best Fried Zucchini Recipe has the zucchini sliced into sticks and then fried up in a light panko batter for extra crispiness!

Ingredients

  • 3 zucchinis
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup panko or bread crumbs
  • 3 cups vegetable oil
  • Sea salt
  • Dipping sauce of your choice, marinara, buttermilk ranch, etc.

Instructions

    1. Wash the zucchinis and cut the ends off.
    2. Slice the zucchini in half and then cut in 2 length-wise and then in fry shape. I made 12 fries with each.
    3. Place all the zucchini sticks on a plate and add the salt to it. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
    4. In the meantime, prepare 3 shallow plates: one for the flour, one for the eggs, beaten, and one for the panko.
    5. Pat dry your zucchinis as the salt released some moisture.
    6. In a pot, pour your oil and turn the stove on medium-high.
    7. One by one, roll the stick in the flour, shake the excess. Place your stick in the beaten eggs. Then, coat the zucchini with panko.
    8. Using a thermometer, check that the temperature has reached 350F.
    9. Gently place the coated zucchini in the oil and deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until it is golden brown.
    10. Sprinkle with sea salt or parmesan, enjoy!
    11. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36Serving Size: 6 pieces
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 195Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Best Fried Zucchini Recipe Side Dishes Noshing With the Nolands (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep zucchini from getting soggy when frying? ›

Yes, you should always salt your zucchini before frying — especially if you're aiming to achieve a crispy texture. Salting your zucchini helps remove the excess moisture stuck in the zucchini that would otherwise make frying a challenge.

Is fried zucchini healthier than fries? ›

Well, zucchini is lower in carbs and higher in fiber and antioxidants than french fries. But when it's fried in a light tempura batter, it's just as delicious and satisfying. Baked versions of zucchini fries can be good too, but for me fried in healthy olive oil is the most delicious way to go!

Is fried zucchini a Pittsburgh thing? ›

Pittsburgh owes a tip of the hat to Mary Tambellini Pelligrini, whose family version of Zucchini Fritti at her Downtown restaurant started our love affair with fried zucchini in the 1950s. There are variations on the dish, with different cuts of zucchini, some breaded, some battered.

Why do you soak zucchini in salt water? ›

The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting. This moisture (and excess salt) is patted off with a paper towel before cooking. Added benefit: the salt works its way into the scores of the flesh and seasons the zucchini all the way to the center.

How do you make zucchini not soggy Reddit? ›

Cutting them in half moons or full moons, giving them plenty of space apart, roasting them on the top or bottom rack, roasting for 8 minutes and then broiling, salting them an hour before roasting to draw out moisture and drying them off.

Does salt draw water out of zucchini? ›

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices. I found quarter-inch slices the perfect thickness. Thinner slices fall apart during cooking; thicker slices require a longer salting time.

What is the best way to get moisture out of zucchini? ›

You only need a little salt — half a teaspoon of kosher salt for one medium zucchini, say — to start pulling the water out. Use more, and the zucchini will simply taste like zucchini-flavored salt. If you try to rinse out the extra salt, you risk adding back in the water you just tried to get rid of.

How can I enhance the flavor of zucchini? ›

You can season the oil before you add the zucchini with garlic, shallots, spices, or red pepper flakes, it's totally up to you. Once the oil, butter, or combination thereof is heated, add all of the zucchini. If the pan seems crowded at first, don't worry. Season with salt and toss to begin drawing out the moisture.

Is fried zucchini still good for you? ›

Boiling and frying zucchini also lead to a loss of plant compounds called antioxidants. While cooked zucchini still has benefits, raw zucchini does, too. You can eat it alone, but it tastes somewhat bland. Try it with hummus or other dips for more flavor.

What is the healthiest part of a zucchini? ›

Zucchini boasts several antioxidants that may provide various health benefits. The highest levels are found in the fruit's skin.

Does Olive Garden have fried zucchini? ›

Photo: calamari & fried zucchini bites - appetizers

Even if you don't like many of the other choices on Olive Garden's menu, the all-you-can-eat soup, salad & breadstick combination should work for you.

What do Italians call zucchini? ›

Googootz” is also the Italian slang for “zucchini,” and refers to a squash-like vegetable that Italians and Italian-Americans grow called cucuzza.

How long is fried zucchini good for in the fridge? ›

Store fried zucchini in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through and crispy.

How do you keep zucchini firm? ›

Blanch the zucchini to keep it firm.

Blanching will deactivate the enzymes that cause the zucchini to turn mushy and discolored. To blanch the vegetable, bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil, then place the zucchini pieces in the water and boil for 1 minute. Immediately drain them in a colander.

How do you keep fried vegetables crispy? ›

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.

Why did my zucchini turn to mush? ›

On the other hand, they may simply be waterlogging if your garden is poorly drained. Another possibility is squash bugs have damaged them and rot has set in as a result. In the meantime, keep removing the infected fruit as soon as you see signs of the problem.

Why is my zucchini turning to mush? ›

Blossom End Rot

It's occurs due to the plants inability to get calcium. This can be caused by a few things: Watering inconsistency (the most likely cause especially if you've had a lot of rain) Soil PH is either too high or too low (do a PH test to check)

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