Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

These crispy air fryer zucchini fries are crispy and actually healthy! You won’t believe how delicious these zucchini fries can be until you’ve made them in the air fryer. The texture is totally spot on. Just like mozzarella sticks, only better! Savory, addictive, and animal-free!

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword air-fried zucchini, zucchini fries, zucchini recipe

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings + fries

Calories 30kcal

Author Gina House | World of Vegan

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt or to your taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup dairy-free panko breadcrumbs or ½ cup each panko and plain
Spray Oil We used avocado, but olive oil would also work.

Instructions

For this recipe, we are air frying batches of 20. You can keep making more batches or save the rest in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If making the entire batch, make sure to double (or triple) the dry coating ingredients so that you’ll have enough.
Rinse and peel the zucchini.
Cut the ends off of the zucchini and slice in half lengthwise into 2 even sections. Slice each section again lengthwise so that you have 4 sections. Cut each of the 4 sections in half lengthwise two more times so that you have a total of 16 thin lengths of zucchini. Cut each of these 16 slices in half widthwise two times so that each of the 16 slices has 4 pieces. 64 pieces total. Each fry should be approximately 2” long and ⅜” thick.
In a shallow bowl, add in the ground flaxseed and water. Mix well with a fork and set aside for 5 minutes until it slightly thickens.
Measure out the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to a shallow bowl or high-edged plate. Mix well with a fork. Put aside for now.
Measure out the breadcrumbs and also place in a shallow bowl. Keep the last fork handy to use with this bowl. Keep each fork with its own mixture for applying the coating.
Line up the bowls so that you have the flour mixture first, then the flaxseed mixture, and then the breadcrumbs. Place a plate in the fourth spot.
Place 2-4 fries into the flour mixture, making sure that every side is coated. Using the fork, take the fries out and lower into the flax “egg”. Using a different fork, moisten all sides of each fry with this flaxseed mixture. Lastly, drop each fry into the breadcrumb mixture. Using that fork, cover all sides with breadcrumbs and then place on the plate.
Once you have all the fries coated, lightly spray with oil. Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
Using one of the forks, set the fries slightly apart into the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes, turning gently (with a fork, not hands) halfway through cooking. (See Cooking Time in Notes section.) Enjoy immediately while still warm.

Notes

Cooking Time - Because some air fryers are different, it might take you a little more or less than 10 minutes for the fries to be done. Check on the fries halfway to see how they’re doing. When golden brown and crispy, it’s time to take them out.
Peeling Is Optional - Peeling is not absolutely necessary, but I found that the batter sticks better when the zucchini is peeled. Keep the peel on if you want some extra nutrition and fiber and don’t mind less coating.
Size Matters - It’s important to keep the fries a uniform shape and size. I found that fries that measure less than ½” cook more evenly and make the fries the perfect consistency when done. Thicker than this and they will need a few minutes more frying time.

Nutrition