Oven Baked Zucchini Fries
Baked Zucchini Fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, made with fresh zucchini coated in breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and spices, then baked until golden brown!
These oven baked zucchini fries are the perfect light summer snack or side dish, because they have a crispy savory outer coating, and a soft satisfying center. They pair perfectly with most dipping sauces, and satisfy the salty-crunchy craving while still being lighter! Best of all, they come together in under an hour and make an entire sheet pan of fries!
I recommend pairing these zucchini fries with my Roasted Garlic Aioli, or my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
If you loved this recipe, you’ll also love my Cheesy Taco Zucchini Boats, and my Zucchini Bread Muffins!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Oven-Baked and Crispy – These baked zucchini fries give you that crispy texture on the outside, and soft zucchini on the inside without having to use a ton of oil!
Cheesy Flavor – I like to use a mix of parmesan cheese and gluten free breadcrumbs, to give the fries a savory cheesy flavor that makes them feel a little more indulgent.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Zucchini. Use fresh zucchini that’s firm and smooth with no soft spots or wrinkles.
If you’re growing your own, you want to harvest small to medium zucchini. They can grow really big if you leave them on the vine longer, but the flavor and texture changes because they’ll hold more water and seeds.
Eggs and Milk. I like to whisk the eggs together with the milk to help act as a binder to hold the outer breadcrumb coating in place.
Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. I’m using plain gluten free bread crumbs for the outer coating. You can also use seasoned breadcrumbs.
If you’re not gluten free, just use regular ones.
Parmesan Cheese. I’m adding this for a cheesy savory flavor, but also because parmesan gets a really nice crispy golden brown texture when mixed with breadcrumbs and baked.
Spices. Just a few simple pantry spices, like garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
I like to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, because fresh garlic can burn with the high oven heat in this recipe.
Cooking Spray. The fries will need a light spray of olive oil to help everything crisp up in the oven.
Kitchen Tools
For this baked zucchini fries recipe, you’ll need two shallow bowls (try pie plates), a cutting board and knife, and a sheet pan.
Don’t use a nonstick sheet pan, as they don’t do well in higher oven temperatures. Choose an aluminum sheet pan for temperatures over 400°F.
How to Make Baked Zucchini Fries
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet and place aside.
Trim ends off the zucchini and discard. Cut the zucchini in half, then cut those pieces in half lengthwise, and then into strips (about 1/2-inch thick).
Add the eggs and milk to a shallow bowl and whisk until combined. In a separate shallow bowl, add breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper and stir together to combine.
Take each zucchini strip and dip into the egg mixture, coating the strip entirely. Then roll in breadcrumbs until evenly coated and place onto the baking sheet, leaving some room between each one. Repeat until all strips are coated.
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Coat the zucchini fries lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
(If you want to use parchment paper instead of greasing the baking sheet, just make sure the box says that it can handle higher oven temperatures).
Recipe Variations
- Get creative with the spices! Try using Ranch Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, or make it spicy with cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
- If you’re dairy-free, you can leave out the parmesan cheese, and use a non-dairy alternative like unsweetened almond milk with the eggs.
- Try adding fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh dill, or fresh basil. Or other seasonings like onion powder, smoked paprika, or chipotle seasoning.
- Try using gluten free panko breadcrumbs to make these even crispier!
Recipe Tip! Zucchini fries are perfect for dipping! Try pairing this with Marinara Sauce, Homemade Tzatziki Sauce, or Roasted Garlic Aioli!
Frequently Asked Questions
Because zucchini is naturally soft and can release moisture when sitting, I recommend making these baked zucchini fries just before serving them for the crispiest texture. If you do make them ahead of time, reheat with a light spray of olive oil on top in the air fryer or toaster oven. You can also bake them on a sheet pan and broil for a few minutes (watching closely so they don’t burn).
Recipe Tip! When picking out the zucchini, choosing a smaller to medium sized zucchini will work better for this recipe, because they hold less water than larger sizes. Larger sizes just mean they have been on the vine longer.
More Veggie Recipes
- Parmesan Onion Ring Chips
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Storage
Refrigerate leftover zucchini fries in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in the toaster oven or air fryer, to bring back the crispy texture.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Cooking Tips
- Try to cut the zucchini sticks as evenly as possible, so they finish cooking around the same time.
- If you don’t have a shallow bowl, two pie plates work really well to set up your breading station.
- Don’t skip spraying the zucchini fries with a little bit of olive oil, to make sure the breadcrumbs caramelize in the oven instead of drying out.
- If you want them to be even more golden brown, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes at the end. Just watch them closely, because the broiler can burn things fast!
- When breading the zucchini, gently press the breadcrumbs onto the zucchini strips to make sure they stay in place.
- If your zucchini sticks look wet, pat them dry with a paper towel before breading.
- Leave some space between each zucchini fry on the baking sheet, to make sure they have enough airflow to get crispy instead of steaming. You might have to work in batches depending on the size of your sheet pan.
- If you use a non-stick baking sheet, it might warp at this oven temperature. Use a good aluminum pan instead.
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Oven Baked Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, (about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs, plain
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- cooking spray
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 2 shallow bowls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- Trim the ends off of the zucchini and discard. Cut the zucchini in half, then cut those pieces in half lengthwise, and then into strips (about 1/2-inch thick).
- Add the eggs and milk to shallow bowl and whisk until combined. In a separate shallow bowl, add breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper and stir together to combine.
- Take a piece of zucchini and dip it into the egg mixture, coating it entirely. Then roll in breadcrumbs until evenly coated and place onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all strips are coated, leaving room between each one on the baking sheet.
- Coat the zucchini fries lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- If you want to use parchment paper instead of greasing the baking sheet, just make sure the box says that it can handle higher oven temperatures.
- If you don’t have a shallow bowl, two pie plates work really well to set up your breading station.
- Don’t skip spraying the zucchini fries with a little bit of olive oil, to make sure the breadcrumbs caramelize in the oven instead of drying out.
- If you want them to be even more golden brown, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes at the end. Just watch them closely, because the broiler can burn things fast!
- When picking out the zucchini, choosing a smaller to medium sized zucchini will work better for this recipe, because they hold less water than larger sizes.
Nutrition
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Looks good! I’m going to try them tonight. Can you recommend a dipping sauce? What is the sauce that is pictured?
Thanks!
Hi Todd! In the picture I used Ranch dressing (which tasted pretty good if you like Ranch, but it’s what I had in my refrigerator at the time). I would recommend a warm marinara sauce, too. Or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, these would go great with the garlic aioli dipping sauce from my sweet potato fries recipe.
Let me know how it goes!
Thanks Jacqui! I’m going to give that garlic aioli sauce a shot.
Yum! Let me know how it goes 🙂