Looking for a family-approved way to use up that endless mountain of summer squash? These ultra-crispy Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries transform fresh zucchini into a crunchy, cheesy finger food that makes eating zucchini fun and leaves the whole table asking for seconds!
If you enjoy this zucchini fries recipe, you might also like these Sautéed Zucchini, the BEST Zucchini Fritters or this simple Roasted Summer Squash and Zucchini recipe.
The BEST Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries!
Is it just me, or does everyone reach a point by mid-summer where they look at the piles of zucchini on the counter and secretly want to cry? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good summer harvest, but after weeks of baking zucchini bread and tossing it into every spaghetti sauce, you just run out of ways to hide the green stuff from the family. 🤣
That is exactly how these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries were born – out of pure desperation to make squash exciting again before it went bad.
I honestly didn’t think the kids would fall for it, but the combination of garlic powder and crispy, toasted Parmesan totally transforms them into something that actually feels like a treat. They are super crunchy and make the perfect side dish or snack. Plus, it finally gets everyone to eat their veggies without a single argument. If you need a fun, stress-free way to survive the rest of zucchini season, this is it!
Ingredients I use to make my zucchini fries
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
- Zucchini: It’s best to use smaller/thinner zucchini. If your zucchini is very large, you may want to cut away the seedy part, or your fries could turn out mushy.
- Bread crumbs: I like to use plain and season them myself, but feel free to use Italian breadcrumbs and skip the extra seasoning.
- Parmesan: I like to grate my own parmesan, but if you prefer, just use pre-grated.
How do you bread zucchini to make it crispy?
You’ve probably seen several ways to bread zucchini when searching for a recipe online: Simply throw them into a bag with the breading, dip them in egg wash first, or use a batter that combines everything.
I’m sorry to say that my method is the most complicated – but it’s also by far he most rewarding.
If you want truly crispy, coated zucchini fries? Go with this way of breading it, even if it takes an extra 10 minutes:
Before you start, you’ll want to set up all of your ingredients – a bowl with seasoned flour, a bowl with egg wash, a shallow dish with seasoned breadcrumbs.
I see a lot of people call this their “breading station”, but honestly, are we really that fancy? It’s just dishes with various dry and eggy ingredients in them to me 🤣
Then, it goes like this:
- thinly coat the zucchini with seasoned flour
- dip them into egg wash
- coat them with a thick layer of seasoned breadcrumbs and grated parmesan
A few tips for breading:
You can absolutely add the flour mix to a large bag and shake all the cut up zucchini in it. You can also stir several at once in the egg wash.
But when it comes to the breadcrumbs – you’ll want to do each fry individually. It’s best to put the breadcrumb mix in a medium baking dish, it makes it easy to roll the zucchini around in the breadcrumbs.
Oh, and depending on how thickly you’re coating the fries, you might need to use a little extra breadcrumbs for the last few fries.
How do you keep zucchini fries from getting soggy?
In this recipe, I bake the zucchini fries instead of deep-frying them.
It makes them a little healthier, and I really don’t like to deep fry anything (which is also why I oven fry all my crispy chicken!).
There are two very important steps in getting crunchy vs soggy zucchini fries out of the oven:
- preheat the pan! You’ll want to use a dark-colored sheet pan (so ideally not a silver or white one, they reflect the heat differently) and heat it in the oven while it preheats. That way the zucchini will already be sizzling once you add them to the pan, and crisp up more.
- use enough oil – I can’t stress this enough, but oil is what helps the coating crisp up. While these are a healthier version of fries, they still do need enough oil to get that perfect golden crisp.
How do you eat zucchini fries?
While the fries bake, you’re free to make any sides, toppings or garnishes you enjoy.
I’ll be honest, we often have them just with ketchup, homemade ranch dip or BBQ sauce. With a nice fruit salad for dessert? The perfect summer lunch.
But they’re also great as a side for a casual sandwich dinner. Whip up a batch of Instant Pot Sloppy Joes and you’ve got yourself a winner.
You can also try serving them with sunny-side-up eggs. Or with a zesty salsa. Or even with grilled corn on the cob – so many possibilities!
That’s really all you need for a light summer meal – seasonal, veggie-packed and absolutely delicious!
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- cooking spray (OR oil)
For the flour mix:
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
For the parmesan breadcrumbs:
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
For the zucchini:
- 1 pound zucchini (cut into ½-inch sticks)
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Make sure to grease the pan sufficiently, so the zucchini fries don't end up sticking!Note: You can line it with aluminum foil for easier clean up, the fries could turn out a little less crispy though – do NOT use silicone baking mats or parchment, or the fries will be soggy.cooking spray
- Prepare breading:Mix all ingredients for the flour mix in a shallow dish OR in a large zip-loc bag. Place the egg in a separate shallow dish and beat well.Mix all ingredients for the parmesan breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish – I like using a 7×11 baking pan.⅓ cup flour, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, ¾ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
- Coat zucchini:Thinly coat the zucchini fries first with the flour mix, then coat with beaten egg. Finally, thickly coat with the breadcrumb mix.1 pound zucchini
- Bake:Bake on the prepared baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until crispy, turning once. If the zucchini sticks to the pan, don't just rip it away – use an offset spatula to loosen it (if you use enough oil or cooking spray, it will not stick). Serve immediately with your favorite dips.
Julie Bjorndal says
My husband said these were the best zucchini sticks that he has ever had.
Denise says
I was skeptical, but very pleased! Thank you for sharing your technique!
Heidi says
Wow! The highest of praise…my 13 yr old son says, “I ate them all! And I don’t even LIKE zucchini! I ate them before my ribs!” These were wonderful!
Bonnie says
Used avocado oil infused with lemon since I love the taste and it has a high smoking point. Quite yummy. Soft inside, crispy outside.
Oksana Zhupanova says
Thank you for the recipe! I got exactly what I was expected! ) Crispy outside and soft inside zucchini fingers) I’m very excited
Melanie says
Excellent…followed your directions exactly and were perfect! And you give great directions!! Will do again and again!
Angela says
These are seriously the best zucchini fries I have ever had. Follow the direcyions to the letter and you will not be disappointed!
Jan says
I made these for my hubby and I to try them out…. they turned out great but next time I’d use some bread crumbs that were more finely ground.
Very tasty and crispy.
ami@naivecookcooks says
Gosh these look so crispy and I love love snacks!! Best thing ever!
Nora says
Thanks Ami!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I never would have thought to make zucchini like this before. It’s almost hard to believe that the zucchini is baked as they look so crispy! Definitely need to try out the recipe. Pinned!
Nora says
Thank you Thalia! It’s amazing how they turn out just from being baked! They need to be eaten right away though, else they lose some of their crispiness!