Baked Zucchini Fries

These baked zucchini fries are a deliciously breaded and crispy alternative to deep fried variations that pack in tons of flavor and nutrients without the heaviness and fattiness of frying oil. And trust us, they are just as satisfyingly crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside as their fried counterparts!

By the time late summer rolls around, we always have a fridge full of zucchini and are constantly looking for delicious ways to use them. Last week we cooked up Parmesan zucchini tots, and this week, we tried these baked zucchini fries. Other favorites: sausage pizza zucchini boats, chocolate zucchini muffins, and zucchini lasagna roll ups.

This recipe for baked zucchini fries is just a variation of our Parmesan zucchini tots. Swap out grated zucchini with zucchini spears and modify the seasonings and you’ve gone from tots to fries.

Ingredients for Baked Zucchini Fries

• Zucchini – sliced, shoestring, or wedged, your choice! We make our fries a little fatter, but shoestring is also a great option for crispier fries. These babies will cook to crispy perfection on the outside, while staying tender on the inside. Plus they are a lighter option than their potato counterparts, packing in extra nutrients like fiber, vitamin A and C, folate, antioxidants, and even water content (hello hydration).
• Panko breadcrumbs – whole wheat panko breadcrumbs are a healthier alternative to regular panko breadcrumbs, but are just as flavorful and flaky.
• Parmesan cheese – adds a little saltiness and nuttiness to these fries.
• Flour – initial coating for the fries before the egg wash that will help with crisping up the zucchini breading.
• Egg – acts as the “glue” between the zucchini and the breading, allowing the seasoned breadcrumbs to stick, making the perfect crunchy zucchini fry.
• Seasonings – salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings are our favorite seasonings, but you can swap in any herbs or seasonings you’d like.

How to Make Baked Zucchini Fries

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut the ends off of the zucchinis. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and in half horizontally, creating quarters. Take one of the quarters and cut in half lengthwise, then cut those halves in half lengthwise again. Repeat for all of the zucchini quarters. You’ll have about 16 wedges per zucchini, or you can cut those wedges in halve lengthwise for thinner, shoestring fry size.

Combine the panko, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together the egg, egg white, and ¼ cup water (egg wash) in a second shallow dish. Add the flour to a third shallow dish.

Working in small batches (about 5 zucchini fries), dredge the zucchini in the flour, transfer them to the egg wash, then move them to the panko mixture and press firmly to bread all sides. Move the zucchini to a baking sheet, leaving space between each fry (no crowding!). Repeat until all of the zucchini is breaded.

Lightly mist the zucchini with cooking spray. Bake the fries 16 to 20 minutes, turning over halfway through. The fries will be lightly crispy and the breading will be lightly golden in places. Enjoy with a dipping sauce of your choice, like ranch, creamy Italian, honey mustard, or ketchup.

How to Store Baked Zucchini Fries

• Refrigerate – Baked zucchini fries are best immediately after baking. However, if you have leftovers, you can keep them for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The breading will get soggy with time.
• Freezer – We have not tried freezing these fries, but here is what we would try. After breading the zucchini, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them for about 1 hour (flash freezing). Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. Store up to 2 months. When you want to make the fries, transfer them to a baking sheet. Let them partially thaw (about 10 minutes at room temperature). Then bake according to original recipe directions.
• Reheat – preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly coat a baking sheet. Transfer the fries to the baking sheet, leaving room between the fries. Warm in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. They will not be nearly as crispy as their first bake, but using the oven will result in much crispier reheated fries than using the microwave.

Zucchini Fries: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why are my zucchini fries soggy – make sure you pat the zucchini dry before dredging and breading. Also, use a baking rack. They allow more air to circulate the fries, resulting in crispy fries. Lastly, leave space between the fries for more air circulation.
2. Do you need to peel zucchini before baking – nope! In fact most of the nutrition is in the skin so leave it on.
3. What to serve with zucchini fries – creamy horseradish sauce, honey mustard dipping sauce, tzatziki, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, you name it!

Check out our other zucchini recipes:

• Parmesan zucchini tots
• Chocolate zucchini muffins
• Sausage pizza zucchini boats
• Miso shrimp and zucchini noodles
• Healthy zucchini bread

Let us know what you think about this recipe for baked zucchini fries by dropping a comment and/or rating below on the recipe card! Also, please consider sharing on Pinterest or social media if you enjoyed this recipe (we greatly appreciate it)!