Air Fryer Zucchini makes for a simple, yet crowd pleasing heathy vegetable side dish. In this zucchini recipe, zucchini bites tossed in an easy garlic parmesan mixture, then air fried till golden brown.
These zucchini bites come out crunchy on the outside (thank you, parmesan!) and soft and flavorful on the insides. This has quick become our favorite quick way to make a quick side of zucchini for a simple dinner!
Easy Air Fried Zucchini
I previously shared and raved about my Oven Roasted Zucchini, and today we are featuring another zucchini recipe: air fryer zucchini, another wonderful way to cook this summer vegetable (or rather – year round vegetable because you can find them at grocery stores all year long these days!)
Zucchini often gets a bad rep for being bland, tasteless and soft, but I promise you, this air fryer zucchini recipe will make you fall in love with the humble zucchini. Even if you typically don’t love zuchinnis!
Cooking zucchinis in the air fryer ensures that they crisp up on the outside and stay moist and tender on the inside. Much like a zucchini ‘nugget’ if I dare say! 😆
It is not deep fried but still has tons of flavor and crisp texture, while retaining that fresh flavors and moisture in every bite.
Air fryer zucchini makes a healthy and light side dish that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare an cook. I love serving this especially when the weather is warmer, as a side to protein dishes such as Italian Grilled Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, or Chimichurri Chicken.
It is so simple and easy, and we do this as a last minute side dish at least once a week whenever we need some delicious bites of veggies on our dinner plate. It makes for a great easy side, and makes eating veggies actually fun and YUMMY!
So if you have abundance of zucchini in your possession, definitely make some air fryer zucchini!
Ingredients
These are the five simple ingredients you will need for air fryer zucchini:
- zucchini – use small to medium size zucchini of any type. Zucchini tends to have a lot of moisture. Make sure to pat dry to remove all excess moisture before coating in seasonings.
- parmesan cheese – use good quality parm for the best flavor. I find grated parmesan (gounded, or shredded into small granular pieces) sticks to and melts on the air fryer zucchini much better, compared to the parmesan shredded into longer thin shreds.
- garlic – use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Mince into smaller pieces so it sticks to zucchini better.
- olive oil – I like using a good quality olive oil for best taste.
- salt – season this right and your air fryer zucchini bites will be so much flavorful!
How To Air Fry Zucchini
As an air fryer devotee, I am a huge fan of air frying zucchini (or really, air frying EVERYTHING). Air fryer has quickly become one of my favorite and most used kitchen equipment.
If you are also into air fryers, some of my other favorite air fryer recipes include (but are not limited to) Air Fryer Salmon Bowl, Air Fryer Crab Rangoons and Air Fryer Chicken Teriyaki.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just don’t have time to wait for the oven to heat up, so the air fryer is my go-to, especially when I am trying to get a quick dinner on the table.
I mean, you really can’t beat 20 minutes…which is how long it will take you to prepare and air fry these zucchinis!
Here’s how it all come about:
Prepare air fryer zucchini bites: Chop zucchini into 1/2 inch cubes, then use a paper towel to pay dry to remove any excess moisture.
Toss them in an olive oil, minced garlic and salt mixture, then sprinkle and toss with grated parmesan cheese.
Air fry zucchini: Transfer zucchini into air fryer that is coated with cooking spray.
Makes sure to spread them out as much as possible, and avoid overlapping. They can touch, but try not to place them on top of each other.
Zucchini will shrink a little after cooking.
Set air fryer to 380ºF. Air fry for 10-11 minutes, tossing it half way through – yes, it’s that simple!
I love how they are slightly charred on the outside, making them slightly crunchy with the best garlic parmesan flavors. IT IS SO GOOD.
Serve air fried zucchini right away: Remove zucchini from air fryer and prepare to indulge in off-the-charts deliciousness :-).
How to Serve this
Some of my favorite ways of serving this air fried zucchini dish are:
- Drizzle with Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing on the side
- Dip in your favorite marinara sauce or pasta sauce of choice
Zucchini Rounds
Whenever I air fry my zucchinis, I prefer to dice them into small pieces as shown in the photographs on this post. Diced zucchinis are small enough to have lots of surface area coated in crusty parmesan (lots of flavor!) and yet you can fit a lot the air fryer.
However, you can definitely cut them into other shapes, zucchini rounds being one of them.
If you cut zucchini in rounds, place them flat on air fryer and avoid overlapping. It does take up a lot of surface area and you may need to cook them in two batches.
They taste fabulous in the form of zucchini rounds – it’s just a bit longer to cook them all because I always have to cook in two batches if I use 2 zucchinis, whereas if I dice them I can fit everything into one batch!
Storage and Reheating
When storing, place this in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, simply air fry them again for about 5 minutes at 380℉ until they are reheated fully.
If reheating in the microwave, zucchini will not longer be crispy. Therefore I recommend reheating in the air fryer.
Tips and Tricks
- Bite-Size: Zucchini should be cut into ~1/2 inch cubes for optimal texture and crispiness.
- Pat Dry Zucchini: Zucchinis do hold a lot of water, to ensure crispness when cooking zucchini in the air fryer, this step is highly encouraged.
- Avoid Overcrowding: When placing zucchini in the air fryer, avoid overcrowding. Zucchini can touch because they will eventually shrink as they cook, but avoid overlapping them on top of each other. The air needs to circulate freely around each piece for even cooking and a crispy finish.
- Toss Mid-Cooking: Toss the zucchini midway through cooking to ensure even browning on all sides.
- Use Cooking Spray: Whether you are greasing the air fryer or the zucchini itself, use cooking spray to enhance crispiness without relying on excess oil.
- Enhance Flavors: Complement the natural flavor of zucchini with aromatic herbs such as thyme, rosemary, Italian seasonings, or parsley for a broader flavor profile.
- Check Doneness: Pay attention towards the end of the cooking time. Different air fryers may require slight adjustments in time and temperature.
- Serve Immediately: Air fryer zucchini is best enjoyed fresh off the fryer for optimal crispiness. If waiting to be served, keep in a warm oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not necessary to peel zucchini before air frying. The skin is thin and helps the pieces hold their shape better during cooking.
Instead of only garlic, try adding your favorite herbs for a slightly different flavor. Great options are dried or fresh parsley, thyme, or a touch of Italian seasoning.
To prevent sogginess, pat the zucchini dry before seasoning and air frying. Make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket so they crisp up! If you are using an air fryer with a basket smaller than 6qt, you may need to cook this recipe in two batches.
It’s best not to overcrowd the air fryer. Cook zucchini in batches if necessary to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
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More Delicious Veggie Sides
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Pasta Salad
- Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Garlic Edamame
- Skillet Corn with Bacon
Air Fryer Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- cooking oil
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine olive oil, salt, and garlic.
- Dice zucchini into small 1/2-inch chunks. Pat dry with paper towel to remove all the excess moisture. Bring zucchini into a mixing bowl
- Toss zucchini with garlic, salt and olive oil. Once zucchini is evenly coated with the seasonings, add parmesan cheese. Toss to coat zucchini in parmesan.
- Spray or brush air fryer with cooking oil. Spread out diced zucchini. They can touch but avoid overlapping them on top of each other. Top with any remaining parmesan/garlic mixture from the mixing bowl (don't let it go to waste!).
- Cook in air fryer at 380℉ for 10-11 minutes. Stop half way through cooking to toss the zucchini.
- Serve and enjoy!
