Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Air Fryer zucchini chips are crunchy low carb snacks that are much healthier than deep fried but have the same great taste you love! Try them in your Ninja Foodi or other brand today.

Air fryer zucchini chips are so much easier than I thought they’d be to make. Yes we have been busy creating a ton of easy air fryer recipes because I’m a bit obsessed! Crunchy food without the need of artery clogging oil has been a game changer. Join in! (originally published 6/19, affiliate links present)

• I used my Ninja Foodi but any brand will do.
• You can even use this CrispLid to turn your Instant Pot into an air fryer!
• Now before you move on, LIKE our easy air fryer recipes page to get new ideas for meals and snack ideas daily!

Years ago we made salt and pepper zucchini chips with our easy homemade tempura batter. BUT they were fried.

Question became: Can you cook veggies in an air fryer?

Yes!! We’re here to show you how. To start with you’ll want to preheat your machine, then place red bell pepper, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion in a large bowl with olive oil.

Placing vegetables in an even layer into the air fryer basket, and not overlapping pieces is key. Air fryer vegetables cook in as little as 5 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Is an air fryer healthy?

Air fried zucchini is a healthier alternative that comes out just as crunchy as deep fried without any oil.

• If you haven’t tried this method it’s so amazing. I got hooked when we made this air fryer wings recipe with a dry rub and my family gobbled them up quicker than I could make another batch.

Compared to deep fried foods, an air fryer can reduce the amount of fat and calories into your food. Though they may be a better alternative to deep fryers, limiting your intake of fried foods altogether is the best option of course when it comes to your health. You can make items with no breading too though.

Then I wondered, what is the best thing to cook in an air fryer once we got ours.

• These air fryer baked potatoes came out great so we went on from there and made Ninja Foodi kale chips!
• Now we’re so obsessed with it we air fry everything I tell you!!
• Fried zucchini chips you see here were next on our list and came out amazing.

The key to making everything as crispy as possible I found was a can of olive oil spray! 

Can you air fry without oil?

Well, no oil is needed when making foods inside your air fryer, just spray for the outside of your food. Adding cooking oil in a spray form before air frying will add an extra crunchy layer to your food. I like olive but I have found and used avocado oil as well.

This is what’s needed for air fryer zucchini chips

• 2 med./large zucchini
  • I prefer large with 1/2″ zucchini slices
  • Could slice like air fryer zucchini fries too
• Panko bread crumbs
  • There is a gluten free version out too if needed
• Old Bay seasoning
• Garlic salt
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Air fryer basket or trivet baking rack
  • I used our metal trivet
• Parmesan cheese is optional

Directions to make these golden brown as you see here:

1. Whip up your egg in a bowl
2. In a shallow bowl combine bread crumbs and seasoning
   1. or use a plate and mix
3. Dip your zucchini slices into your egg on both sides
4. Then cover with bread crumbs

I preheat my air fryer for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

• Once preheated place coated zucchini in the basket of the air fryer, or on a trivet like you see here.
• Make sure they are placed in a single layer so they get as crispy as possible.
• Spray with olive oil
• Set for a total of 13 minutes (for larger dials)
• After 10 minutes flip to the other side and spray with olive oil again
• Enjoy immediately for the best zucchini chips ever

What if you wanted to make air fryer zucchini chips no breading? Well, it would taste a lot like our air fryer vegetables, simple with just oil and seasonings. We have done that and I would suggest that you follow these directions to do so.

• I wouldn’t call these chips though as most people will think crispy and crunchy if you refer to them as that.
• Yes the edges will get browned and “crisp” in a way but really, using a light coating like Panko doesn’t add that many calories and makes them so much better.
• They become healthy vegetable finger foods my kids actually beg me to make as often as possible.
• I’d try both methods and let us know which your family prefers below.

Fried zucchini dipping sauce options

We love our homemade fry sauce.

• You could also use ranch dressing
• Some love blue cheese dressing
• Marinara sauce warmed in the microwave is pretty great too

Looking for other air fryer recipes? I know, we have become crazy over this new “magical machine” lately too. I haven’t found anything that doesn’t taste better air fried quite frankly.

• It is VERY rare I ever even turn on my oven nowadays. Between this and my Instant Pot I can cook literally anything I want.

We love these stuffed air fryer zucchini boats and air fryer zucchini fries too.

We’ve made Ninja Foodi sausage even if they’re rock hard frozen.

• Air fryer cinnamon rolls and sticky buns are fab.
• Use this air fryer cook time sheet to figure out how long other foods take, and at what temp.
• I’m trying these air fryer green beans next

Find more zucchini dinner recipes here + new Air fryer dinner recipes are shared on The Typical Mom blog each week so sign up for our newsletter to get them first.

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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Air Fryer zucchini chips are crunchy low carb snacks that are much healthier than deep fried but have the same great taste you love!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, chips, fried, ninja foodi, zucchini

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 41kcal

Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

• 2 med/large zucchini Cut into 1/2" dials
• 3/4 c Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp Old Bay
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 egg whisked
• olive oil spray

Instructions

• Cut ends off zucchini and slice into 1/2" dials. Thinner they are the crispier they will get so thickness is up to you. This is what we like. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees while you're preparing these.
• In a bowl whisk your egg. On a plate add your Panko and seasoning, mix so it is combined.
• Dip zucchini pieces one at a time into egg, then coat all sides with bread crumb mixture and when air fryer is preheated add them in one layer to your trivet inside your machine (if you have a trivet).
• Once trivet is loaded up with pieces that aren't overlapping spray all of them with olive oil. Then close air crisp lid and continue cooking at 350 degrees for 13 minutes total, flipping after minute 10. (add more minutes for more crispy outsides)
• If your dials are small you could do 10 minutes total flipping after 8 minutes.
• Remove and enjoy immediately, then add another batch!

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Amount Per Serving (2 oz)

Calories 41 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 27mg9%

Sodium 453mg20%

Potassium 25mg1%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 40IU1%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.