Fried Zucchini Chips
These easy fried zucchini chips are crispy, delicious, and a great way to use up summer produce!
This recipe comes straight from my mama. I remember her making pan fried zucchini during the summer when the zucchini plants in our garden exploded with produce, and now I’m following in her footsteps.
Whenever I have excess zucchini (which is a lot this time of year!), this is the first recipe I reach for. It’s easy to make, requiring only a few staple ingredients in addition to the zucchini, and a few minutes to fry on the stove. These crispy fried zucchini chips are a delicious side dish or appetizer, but also can stand alone as an afternoon snack or even a light lunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pan fried zucchini recipe is super simple and more of a guide than a recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Zucchini
- Egg
- Breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Other seasonings/herbs, if desired
- Oil, for frying
To enjoy, you can serve it as is, or dip the rounds in a sauce like ranch dressing or aoili.
How to Make Crispy Fried Zucchini Chips
When I first made pan fried zucchini on my own, I would get frustrated when the breading would slip off the zucchini or stick to the bottom of the pan. Follow these steps and you’ll get the best results every time!
- Draw out excess moisture. Zucchini has a lot of moisture in it, making it hard for breading to stick to a slick surface. Sprinkle zucchini rounds with salt to draw out the moisture and press zucchini between paper towels to soak it up. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Dredge in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. To add breading that will actually stick to the zucchini, dip rounds first in flour, then whisked eggs, and finally in seasoned breadcrumbs. Here’s a helpful video showing how to keep your hands clean while you work.
- Fry in plenty of oil. Coat bottom of frying pan (I like to use a nonstick pan) with about ¼-inch of vegetable or canola oil. Using enough oil ensures the zucchini gets crispy without sticking to the pan.
More Zucchini Recipes
Still trying to figure out what to do with all that zucchini? Here are a few more delicious ideas:
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Zucchini Caramel Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
Watch the video
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Pan Fried Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini , sliced into rounds
- Coarse salt
- Olive oil
- About ½ cup all-purpose flour , as needed
- 1 large egg , whisked
- ½ - 1 cup breadcrumbs (see Note)
- Ranch dressing or aioli , for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with paper towels and place zucchini rounds on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cover with more paper towels. Place something somewhat heavy on top like another sheet pan or cutting board. Let sit for about 15 minutes. During this time the salt is drawing out excess moisture, which will help the breading stick better.
- In a wide skillet, pour enough olive oil to be about 1/4-inch deep. Set over medium high heat.
- Set up an assembly line with the zucchini rounds, flour, whisked egg, and breadcrumbs.
- Dip each zucchini round first in the flour, then the whisked egg and finally the breadcrumbs, making sure they're completely coated.
- Add the breaded zucchini to the skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer zucchini to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with more coarse salt. Serve immediately with ranch dressing or aioli or as desired.
Notes
- The amount of breadcrumbs needed will vary based on the size of your zucchini.
- I like to use seasoned breadcrumbs for added flavor and ease, but you can also use traditional breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
Could you bake them rather then fry?
Sure! But you probably would need to make a few adjustments, and I haven’t tried it myself. If you search on google, I’m sure you can find plenty of baked zucchini chips options. 🙂
Nice dish… Good article .. Thanks for the information.
good one..
This is truly a great and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing it! Next weekend i will cook for my family!
This is truly a great and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing it! I will cook it for my family next time.
Yummy Pan fried chips. It really amazing recipe. Could we bake this instead of frying?
I made it yesterday, It really yummy chips.
Zucchini chips are some of my favorite snacks. Your chips look positively gorgeous.
Nice recipe informative blog post and thanks for sharing!
I tried a very similar recipe. This is a wonderful dish that will be a decoration for any holiday table.
Absolutely delicious!
I am so excited to make these today!!!!!!
The recipe narrative includes dipping in flour first. The recipe does. So……??
How strange I left that part out of the recipe! My apologies. It’s been fixed now. 🙂
Delicious every time I make them. Thank you.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe Martha, thanks for the feedback!
Seasoned bread crumbs made these too salty
These were soooo good! I made so many from all our garden zucchini, but we ate them fast. Now, I’m impatiently waiting for more zucchini to make them again. I used panko breadcrumbs because that is what I had.