Easy crispy air fryer zucchini is a perfect side dish or snack. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, made with simple ingredients, and full of flavor. A seasoning mix with oat flour, almond flour, and a little olive oil will turn simple zucchini slices into a crispy side dish with a tender texture on the inside.
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Summer is the perfect time to enjoy zucchini in various recipes. These zucchini muffins are delicious, but this air fryer zucchini is a must-try for a savory zucchini recipe.
Air fryer zucchini is not only a perfect side dish, but it can also be a salad topping, an appetizer or snack. And don’t worry if you are not using summer zucchini for this recipe your-round zucchini will also make delicious air fryer zucchini.
This zucchini recipe pairs well as a side dish with almost any main dish. It’s crispy but also a bit juicy on the inside and tender. Most importantly, it’s bursting with flavors and low in oil.
You will love this straightforward zucchini recipe that’s hard to mess up. It only requires a small amount of olive oil to give the zucchini slices that ‘’fried’’ taste and look, thanks to the air fryer. An air fryer is also a great way to avoid the oven (and heating your kitchen) during the summer.
AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI INGREDIENTS
Besides the spices, herbs, and olive oil, you will only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe. The main ingredient is, of course, the zucchini. All other ingredients make this recipe crispy and packed with flavors.
While this recipe can also be made in the oven, an air fryer is what will make the zucchini crispy. I use this Philips Air fryer.
Zucchini slices
The main ingredient is fresh zucchini. Whether summer zucchini or year-round zucchini, the zucchini should be firm and crisp. Look for a zucchini medium-sized with a good round and straight shape.
Olive oil
This recipe requires only a little olive oil to help the zucchini get crispy. The air fryer will make the zucchini slices crisp and perfectly tender.
Almond flour and oat flour
To make this recipe gluten-free, a combination of almond flour and oat flour is perfect for zucchini. It adds a richness and somewhat nutty flavor to the zucchini.
Nutritional yeast
A vegan option to add a bit of a cheesy flavor is nutritional yeast (or nooch).
Garlic powder
One of the reasons this recipe is so flavorful is because of the garlic powder.
Oregano
Adds a delicious earthy and subtle flavor to the zucchini slices.
Smoked paprika
A bit of smoked paprika adds a beautiful pungent smokiness to this recipe.
Salt and black pepper
Zucchini only improves with a bit of salt and pepper to enhance all flavors.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI (step-by-step with photos)
Step 1.
For this recipe, the zucchini needs to be thinly sliced. About 0.25 inches (0.5 cm) is the perfect thickness. If the zucchini is sliced too thin, it will burn in the air fryer. Place the zucchini slices in a medium bowl.
Step 2.
Pat the zucchini slices dry and drizzle the zucchini slices with the olive oil and toss gently to coat the slices.
Step 3.
Add the other ingredients (almond flour, oat flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika) to the bowl and toss again to combine. All zucchini should be well coated with a layer of spices and herbs.
Step 4.
Place the coated zucchini slices in the air fryer basket. You can make one or two layers, but try to leave a bit of space. If the air fryer basket is too crowded, it will not fry evenly. If you need to, work in batches.
Step 5.
Use the air frying feature for about 10 minutes at 350°F/180°C. The time the air fryer will need depends on the air fryer brand (and feature) and how thin or thick the zucchini slices are. After 5 minutes, open the air fryer basket and shake the basket to flip the slices. You can remove the slices that are already done. It only takes about 10 minutes, so stay around and watch the zucchini slices.
For the full recipe with exact details, please see the recipe card below.
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI CHIPS
These air fryer zucchini slices can easily be turned into zucchini chips. So, if you love air fryer zucchini but want to create a snack instead of a side dish, you can make zucchini chips. The zucchinis slices should then be sliced as thin as possible, and the air fryer time should only be around 4-5 minutes. In terms of flavor, the coating can be as simple as salt and olive oil.
AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI TIPS
- Air fryer cleanup. For easy cleanup, use a sheet of parchment paper in the air fryer but make sure it only covers the bottom of the basket and not the edges or top since this can set the baking paper on fire. I have learned this the hard way.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer/work in batches. The air fryer needs space in the basket to circulate hot air around. If you want your zucchini to become evenly baked and not soggy, it must be in contact with the hot air on all sides. A single layer or a double layer works best. See the photos for what the double layer should look like.
- The baking time will make your zucchini slices crispy or a bit moist. For crispy zucchini, bake about 15 minutes.
- Freshly baked is best. These zucchini slices or chips are best when freshly prepared. It’s the perfect texture with a slightly crispy outside (depending on your baking time), a juicy inside, and a bit warm from the air fryer.
- Try out different spices and herbs. You can adjust this recipe’s flavors or skip them and keep it simple with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I keep this for later?
While fresh is best, you can eat the zucchini later. The cold version can be a lovely addition to a barbecue plate in the summer. You can also heat them for about 1 minute in the air fryer. The texture will be slightly different once they cool down, but they will still be delicious. Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Which air fryer should I use?
Any air fryer will do the job as they all do the same thing; circulate hot air around the food. I use this Philips model.
How to serve air fryer zucchini?
This zucchini recipe is a great side dish and pairs very well with almost all savory main dishes. They are delicious with a sauce for dipping. But also, plain ketchup or vegan mayonnaise goes well with these air fryer zucchini slices. This zucchini recipe combines well with a tomato salad, potatoes, and tofu on hot summer days.
I don’t have an air fryer; can I use an oven?
You can use your oven instead of an air fryer. The difference will be that the zucchini will be more baked than ‘’fried’’. Depending on how you like the texture, you might have to bake the zucchini a bit longer in the oven.
Looking for more side dishes?
- Garlicky Green Beans
- Charred Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt
- Chunky Tomato Red Pepper Salsa
- Roasted Cauliflower ”Steak
- Marinated Zucchini
Let me know if you love this air fryer zucchini recipe as much as I do! Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tag me on Instagram @thegreencreator with your recreations.
Air Fryer Zucchini
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy crispy air fryer zucchini is a perfect side dish or snack. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, made with simple ingredients, and full of flavor. A seasoning mix with oat flour, almond flour, and a little olive oil will turn simple zucchini slices into a crispy side dish with a tender texture on the inside.
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ¼ cup (30 grams) almond flour
- ¼ cup (30 grams) oat flour
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Slice the zucchini. Slices about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) are great for this recipe. Pat the slices dry if they are wet.
Place the zucchini slices in a bowl and add the olive oil. Toss to combine.
Add the almond flour, oat flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, salt, ground black pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss to combine, so all slices are well coated.
Place the coated zucchini slices in the basket of the air fryer. Leave a bit of room in between the slices. The basket should not be crowded. See the post with photos on how to stack the zucchini slices if you want to create more than one layer.
Set the air fryer to 350°F/180°C for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your zucchini to be—flip halfway/shake the basket. You can remove the slices that are already done.
Work in batches if you want to make more air fryer zucchini.
Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
If you make your own almond flour or oat flour (blend almonds or rolled oats in a blender or food processor), ensure it is finely ground so it can stick to the zucchini.
Don’t crowd the air fryer basket, and work in batches if necessary. See the above for photos of how to make a double layer without crowding the air fryer basket.
The thickness of the zucchini slices will determine how long your air fryer will need to bake. The thinner the slices, the shorter the baking should be. It’s best to keep an eye on the zucchini and open the basket after about 5 minutes; if needed, flip the zucchini. You can remove the slices which are already done.
You don’t need to coat the basket with more oil.
The air fryer will remove some moisture from the zucchini resulting in smaller (less) zucchini than you started with. Keep that in mind if you want to make a bigger batch.
This recipe is best served fresh but can be stored in the fridge for a few days and reheated for a minute in the air fryer.
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