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The best way to prepare fried zucchini that stays crisp and crunchy on the outside, that's easy to prepare and doesn't require a deep fryer or too much oil!
Author: Mandy Rivers | Updated: 7/7/26There is actually a "trick" to ensuring fried zucchini doesn't get mushy or soggy after it's been cooked. Well, there are a few tips I can share but the most important one is how you cut it!
Cutting the zucchini into spears instead of coins (how I grew up eating it) creates a better environment for the water-laden center of the zucchini (where the seeds are) to cook so that the zucchini doesn't become soggy.
As usual, I'll go into way too much detail trying to describe this. If you don't feel like getting nerdy with me, just skip the next section.
BEST WAY TO CUT ZUCCHINI WHEN FRYING
As I said above, the majority of moisture in zucchini is in the center. To deal with this, we need to think about surface area.
When cut into coins, almost all of the surface area is the interior of the zucchini. When we apply heat, there's no where for the moisture to go but into the breading.
When we cut the zucchini into spears, about 1/3 of the spear is skin, which will prevent moisture loss. This also creates a little space for the moisture to go (between the seeds and skin) other than into the breading.
You can make fried zucchini just about any way you like. If you want to go gluten free or low carb, omit the breadcrumbs and double the cheese. If you don't want to use cheese, omit it and double up on the breadcrumbs. See my notes below for making this recipe suit your fancy!
I lovelovelove to make this when we have Italian food because I think it goes perfectly with both. I usually have this with a baked or crock pot meal (I'll list some below) - while the main dish is doing its thing in the oven or crock pot, I can focus on these beauties!
And I love to dip these in marinara sauce! It tastes a lot like mozzarella sticks but it's better for you! The kids love this almost as much as they love fried mozzarella sticks!
ITALIAN MEALS PERFECT WITH FRIED ZUCCHINI
Fried zucchini goes with any southern meal (and is how I grew up eating it) but I love it with Italian food too!
Easy Crock Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage - A no-brown, no-boil slow cooker recipe with sausage meatballs cooked in spaghetti sauce under a bed of cheese tortellini.
Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella - Homemade Italian meatballs baked in marinara and topped with buttery, gooey mozzarella perfect with pasta, roasted vegetables and crusty bread.
Italian Sausage & Cheese Baked Manicotti - Classic, meaty baked manicotti stuffed with Italian sausage and cheese smothered in jarred sauce and mozzarella.
Easy Classic Lasagna - A tried-and-true recipe for classic lasagna with ground beef, tons of cheese and Italian seasonings but made easier with jarred spaghetti sauce.
No-Boil, No-Brown Italian Sausage & Pasta Bake - A one-dish recipe using uncooked pasta and raw sausage that bakes into a cheesy, saucy Italian casserole!
Recipe for Crispy Fried Zucchini
Crispy Fried Zucchini
A simple recipe for crispy fried zucchini spears dredged in grated parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs then lightly fried in olive oil.
Ingredients
- 3 whole zucchini
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Olive oil and/or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Wash zucchini and dry well. Cut ends off zucchini then cut each in half or thirds (depending on how long it is – you want sections that are about 3” long). Cut each section lengthwise into 8 spears.
- Add zucchini and cornstarch to a zip-top bag, seal then shake to coat. You can also do this in a lidded plastic bowl. Add zucchini to a plate, shaking off any excess cornstarch.
- Add eggs to a shallow bowl and beat well. Set aside.
- Add grated cheese, breadcrumbs and salt to a shallow bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Add one inch of olive oil and/or vegetable oil to a large pot (see notes). Heat oil over medium heat until temperature is at 325 degrees. You want to fry these slowly so the zucchini has time to get tender without the cheese burning.
- Dip zucchini in egg and shake off any excess. Dredge zucchini in breadcrumb mixture taking care to thoroughly coat the zucchini; shake off any excess. Repeat with remaining pieces.
- Fry zucchini until golden brown. Cook in batches so not to overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle with coarse grain salt right when you remove the zucchini from the hot oil. Serve with marinara sauce or as-is.
Notes
- I use a combo of both olive oil and vegetable oil if I’m serving these with Italian food; I use plain vegetable oil otherwise.
- If you’d like to go gluten-free or low carb, omit the breadcrumbs! Simply double the amount of cheese and add one tablespoon of cornstarch to the cheese.
Author: Mandy Rivers
#ilovefriedzucchini
ReplyDelete#metoogirl
DeleteI made these tonight and they were delicious! I usually slice them in coins, but slicing them in spears is less labor intensive and look nicer. The only change I made was that I added salt to the cornstarch because zucchini is such a watery and mild vegetable. Thanks for the great recipe!
ReplyDeleteInstead of bread crumbs can you used crushed pork rines and season them?
ReplyDeleteI have used parmesan cheese instead of the bread crumbs and baked instead of frying. But, I am looking forward to trying your recipe.
ReplyDeleteI also do the same thing with eggplant.. just peel the eggplant and cut in similar size pieces. My kids love it this way.
ReplyDelete