Air Fryer Squash and Zucchini

Air fryer squash and zucchini cooked together is a healthy side dish you’ll love that gets every piece tender with a bit of crisp on the outside. Air fryer vegetables are so good with dinner, you can make in a Ninja Foodi too.

You don’t have to use both but it is pretty to have a few different colors going on. If one is on sale vs. the other when I have to buy them I will just go with whatever is cheaper. The cook time and temperature would remain the same and you can season it as you wish or use our mixture below.

Ninja Foodi Zucchini and Squash

You can use whatever brand of machine you might have. I personally have a few different ones so I can ensure they all turn out the same. If you want to make as a Ninja Foodi recipe you could pressure cook or air fry like we share here.

I do like like my Cosori too as you see above though because the basket is quite large and square so you can fit a lot.

Like I said, certain times of the year we have more of these than we know what to do with. We started with air fryer zucchini fries to share with y’all. These are naked though, meaning there is no breading on the outside, which makes them as healthy as possible.

Now you can do the same thing in the oven too though. I mean I do like the texture of the outsides when done like this but if that is occupied you can make roasted zucchini and squash in the oven too.

Can you add meat?

You can indeed. If you want to add meat follow our air fryer chicken and vegetables instructions which transitions it from a side to a whole one pot meal which we make quite often actually.

How to Slice Squash to Air Fry

You are going to want them all to be either dials or dials sliced in half like half moons. In order to get the yellow variety to be about the same you’ll need an extra cut. Slice both ends off and discard. Cut down the middle of it lengthwise. If it is the same thickness from one end to the other then slice widthwise so your pieces are 1″ wide

For squash that is thicker at the bottom follow the same directions halfway down. On the bottom thicker half, slice that in half again lengthwise so you’ll have 4 equal size pieces. Then slice widthwise so your pieces are 1″ wide

Remember that the smaller your pieces are the faster they will get tender. Everyone has a personal preference as to the texture they like best. I don’t like it near mushy so I’d rather have it with just a bit of firmness around the edges myself. You could just cut dials after removing the ends if you wanted, that would take an extra minute or so.

How to Season

Put all your pieces into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings of your choice but a go to is salt, pepper and some garlic powder is a great and easy blend. Toss to coat and then cook as you wish, air frying is quick and the texture turns out great.

You literally just throw it all in there and shake the basket once in the middle of the timing. It doesn’t have to be totally in a single layer as it isn’t really going to get crispy like zucchini chips in air fryer.

There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post to keep handy if you’d like. Timing will vary from 5-8 minutes depending on how soft you want it to become.

How Long to Cook Zucchini and Squash in Air Fryer

It isn’t an exact science but typically 6 minutes shaking halfway thru that time is ideal. timing will vary depending on how thick your pieces are and how soft you want them to be. I like a little “bite” to them for sure so I’m closer to 5 where my husband likes closer to 7.

If you want to make more of a hearty meal with this same veggie, our air fryer zucchini boats is fantastic. You can fill the inside halved with ground beef or chicken with some cheese melted right on top. A complete meal that is low carb and packed with protein.

How to store leftovers

I will say that the texture will change, and I will only use my air fryer to reheat it or else it’s kinda ehhhhh. You want to keep it as dry as possible so transfer into a freezer bag without any liquid and suck the air out. Keep in the fridge and reheat within 24 hours for best results.

Reheating leftover squash is easy with this little machine. Just throw them in at 400 f for about 2 minutes and enjoy what is left over so you don’t waste food. You may want another pinch of salt before serving as a quick snack or throw it in while reheating chicken in air fryer and warm together for lunch.