Crispy, crunchy zucchini fries that are actually good for you!

These zucchini fries not only are healthy, but they are a crowd favorite. My husband, fan of all things fried the regular way, thoroughly enjoys eating them. Honestly, he may pass up an offer of my oven baked green bean fries, but he never says no to these. Consider it an official seal of approval!

The original post from July 2011

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that I wish was available locally all year long.  Sadly, its stay is much shorter than that, and it is a vegetable that doesn’t freeze well whole.  So, while zucchini is available I like to cook with it frequently.

I have served zucchini in numerous forms:  zucchini cakes (both as a savory appetizer and as a sweet dessert), grilled zucchini, mashed zucchini, and stuffed zucchini.  That is just the beginning of the list.  One item that I had not made previous to last week’s Tapas Monday was Zucchini Fries.  However, it seemed like the perfect dish to add to our menu, as it was a finger food and relatively light for the summer.

Mastering oven baked zucchini fries

I was suspicious as to how successful this recipe would be.  Zucchini, in my experience, tends to become mushy with heat.  Plus, I have had mixed results with making oven-baked fries.  Regardless, I like trying new recipes, and my husband isn’t finicky, so it seemed worth a try.

The excellent news is that the zucchini fries were delicious!  The breading had a delightfully crunchy texture, which paired well with the tender filling.  While the zucchini technically may have been mushy, the crisp coating seemed to balance it so well, that it appeared to have more of a tender quality.  The only change I would make is to create a dipping sauce that is more exciting than ketchup.

With a month or two of zucchini season ahead of us, I am sure we will be making these again.

In summation

These zucchini fries are a bit messy to make with the three different coatings, but they’re totally worth it. Make a batch and see how tasty they are!

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

Michele Pesula Kuegler

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Course Appetizer

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 cup flour
• salt & pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 whole wheat sandwich thin
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.
• Cut each half into matchsticks that are no more than 1/2″ x 1/2″ wide.
• Pour flour into a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper.
• Crack egg into another shallow bowl, and whisk.
• Place sandwich thin (or other bread) in food procesor, and blend to create breadcrumbs; pour into a third shallow bowl.
• Add basil to breadcrumbs.
• Dip each zucchini strip into the flour, coating all sides; then dip into egg; then dip into bread crumbs.
• Place coated zucchini strips on baking tray.
• Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and flip zucchini strips
• Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.
• Eat immediately.

Keyword baked zucchini fries