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Overhead view of air fryer zucchini fries on a round plate with a square ramekin of garlic aioli.

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries with Garlic Aioli

40aprons.com/air-fryer-zucchini-fries/
Crispy, tender, and beautifully seasoned, these air fryer zucchini fries are a delicious alternative to traditional French fries.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Rest 30 minutes
Total 55 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 4 servings

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl with lid, or plastic wrap to cover
  • Silicone spatula
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • air fryer
  • 2 Large bowls
  • Paper towels
  • whisk
  • Large plate or large baking sheet, or wire cooling rack
  • neutral-flavored cooking spray must be safe for air fryers
  • Tongs

Ingredients

For the Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce

  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

For the Zucchini

  • 1 large zucchini
  • salt (to sweat zucchini, enough to cover fries generously)

For the Zucchini Fries

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

For the Garlic Aioli

  • In small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and salt until well combined. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
    Overhead view of creamy garlic aioli in a small glass mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.

For the Zucchini

  • Cut zucchini in half across center. Cut each zucchini half into sticks approximately ½-inch thick and ¾-inch long.
    Overhead view of zucchini sticks on a wooden cutting board.
  • Transfer raw zucchini fries to large bowl. Sprinkle generous amounts of salt over zucchini and toss until well coated. Set aside and allow zucchini to "sweat" at room temperature 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, transfer zucchini fries to paper towels. Blot zucchini with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. If desired, quickly rinse off any remaining salt then dry zucchini again.

For the Zucchini Fries

  • Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • In one large bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set bowl aside.
    Overhead view of breadcrumb mixture in a medium glass mixing bowl with a fork.
  • Crack both eggs directly into second large bowl and whisk eggs until pale in color and no longer streaky. Set bowl aside.
  • One by one, dip zucchini fries in beaten eggs, making sure to fully coat all sides of zucchini. Let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl, then transfer egg-washed zucchini to breadcrumb mixture.
    Overhead view of zucchini sticks in egg wash in small ceramic white bowl.
  • Roll and cover zucchini in breadcrumbs, making sure to coat fully but evenly. Transfer breaded zucchini to plate or baking sheet and set aside. Repeat until all zucchini fries have been coated in egg and breadcrumb mixture.
    Overhead view of zucchini sticks in glass mixing bowl with breadcrumb mixture.
  • Spray preheated air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place breaded zucchini in basket in one flat layer, being careful not to stack fries or overcrowd basket. Spray tops of fries with cooking spray.
    Overhead view of zucchini fries in air fryer basket next to a tray of uncooked zucchini fries.
  • Place basket in preheated air fryer. Air fry zucchini fries for 10 minutes, then pause air fryer and remove basket. Use tongs to carefully flip fries over, then return basket to air fryer and air fry another 5 minutes. Carefully transfer zucchini fries to plate or bowl and repeat process until all zucchini fries have been cooked. Serve warm with desired dipping sauces.
    Side view of a platter of air fryer zucchini fries with a ramekin of garlic aioli on a table.

Recipe Notes

  • Sweating the zucchini isn't entirely necessary, but they contain a LOT of moisture. Reducing that moisture will ensure you get a really crispy breading on the fries.
  • Make the breading step easier by using one hand solely for dipping the zucchini in the egg mixture and the other hand for rolling it in the breadcrumbs mixture. That way you're not transferring as much egg to the breadcrumbs and vice versa.
  • Make it Keto: Use almond flour and/or crushed pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • Make it Dairy Free: Use ½ cup nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 433calProtein: 10gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1047mgPotassium: 311mgTotal Carbs: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 14gVitamin A: 377IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 223mgIron: 2mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://40aprons.com/air-fryer-zucchini-fries/