Air Fryer Zucchini are easy to make, savory, crispy, and delicious! They're also vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto.

Table of contents
- Air Fryer Zucchini are easy to make, savory, crispy, and delicious! They're also vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto.
- Save this air fryer zucchini recipe for later on Pinterest:
- Why you'll love these air fryer zucchini chunks:
- Recipe ingredients:
- Recipe and zucchini seasoning variations:
- How to cook zucchini in the air fryer:
- Air fried zucchini recipe pro-tips:
- How to double the recipe:
- Air fryer roasted zucchini serving suggestions:
- How do you keep air fryer zucchini from getting soggy?
- Storage and reheating directions:
- Tools needed to make fried zucchini in the air fryer:
This recipe was originally published on July 22, 2020. It was fully updated with a new recipe and recipe information on August 22, 2022.
These days, my air fryer has become such a staple in my kitchen that I'm surprised when something doesn't turn out well in it.
Let's be real, the times are few and far between. I have yet to have a positive experience with air fryer hash browns and let's not even talk about the time I tried 4 or 5 different ways to make homemade air fryer mozzarella sticks in it.
But otherwise? Almost everything works in there: spring rolls, frozen french fries, potato skins, chicken bites, salmon, and more.
As much as I love all of the options, one of my favorite recipes (by far) to make is air fryer zucchini! Since the vegetable has such a mild flavor, it is so versatile and can be air fried with almost any combination of seasonings (see below to see my recommended variations). The higher water content and delicate flesh of the veggie allows it to crisp up nicely under high heat.
Save this air fryer zucchini recipe for later on Pinterest:
And, oh, the fresh sweetness of this favorite veggie! Its nutty sweet notes shine in this dish-- making it balance and delicious but also a great accompaniment to almost any meal.
Though many other air fryer zucchini recipes are made with a breading or cheese topping, these air fryer zucchini chips are still made with no breading for a few reasons:
- Thanks to the garlic seasoning blend, the zucchini doesn't need any bread crumbs or cheese to be flavorful.
- I wanted to create a recipe that my gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and keto friends could also enjoy. Being someone who recently had to switch to a lactose-free diet, I know how hard it can be to find delicious food that fits our dietary needs, so I wanted to do my part to make life more tasty for everybody!
Why you'll love these air fryer zucchini chunks:
- Hot and crisp. These are the kind of veggies that feel like a treat. No, seriously! The zucchini chips come out of the air fryer so hot, crisp, and flavorful that they feel indulgent and special... and like I could stand there and just mow all of the zucchini right out of the pot!
- Fresh. Is it just me or is zucchini a symbol of summer produce abundance? Highlight this fresh produce with the perfect blend of light seasonings to enhance the veggies without weighing them down.
- Year-round. Even though this recipe helps use up the extra loads of summer zucchini, its delicious any time of year that you have the deep green squash on hand.
- Versatile. Serve this air fried zucchini side dish alongside anything from a burger or brat to pasta bolognese and garlic bread! See additional serving suggestions below!
Recipe ingredients:
- Zucchini - the fresher the better for this recipe! Choose zucchini that are small-to-medium in size (larger zucchini aren't as sweet and can be more spongy), have a smooth skin, and a dark green color.
- Olive oil - choose extra virgin olive oil if you can. Avocado oil also works in a pinch.
- Salt - brings out all the flavor in the air fried zucchini chips and also helps express some of the moisture from the veggie. Choose sea salt if possible.
- Lemon juice - don't worry if you aren't into lemon; the citrus juice functions to highlight the seasonings and sweetness of the zucchini without being overly lemony-flavored.
- Garlic seasoning mix - a simple homemade seasoning blend made with common pantry staples of dried parsley, garlic powder, onion power, and smoked paprika is flavorful but doesn't over power the fresh and sweet zucchini flavor. See below for other seasoning variations and options.
Want more air frying recipes? Check out my air fryer salmon bites, air fryer chicken bites, air fryer garlic bread, air fryer egg rolls, and more!
Recipe and zucchini seasoning variations:
Squash. Have extra yellow or summer squash on hand? You can easily make air fry summer squash or air fryer zucchini and yellow squash! Simply substitute any amount of the zucchini for similar size pieces of yellow or summer squash and follow the recipe directions as listed. Delicious!
Seasonings. Though the all-purpose garlic seasoning blend is a hit in our house, the neutral flavor of zucchini makes it the perfect canvas (if you will) for almost any seasoning blends. A few of our other favorite zucchini spice combinations:
- Italian seasoning: just ¾ teaspoons of bottled Italian seasoning blend will add an extra savory flair to these zucchini and make it a perfect accompaniment to almost any Italian main dish. Replace the lemon juice with balsamic vinegar. Optional: sprinkle the zucchini with grated or shredded parmesan before serving.
- Greek seasoning: sprinkle the zucchini with ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ¼ teaspoon dried thyme + ½ teaspoon garlic powder before air frying the zucchini. Toss the zucchini with red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice before serving. Optional: sprinkle the zucchini with crumbled feta.
- Herbes de Provence: add a French flair to this air fryer zucchini with no breading by tossing the zucchini with ¾ teaspoon herbes de Provence seasoning blend before air frying. Toss the zucchini with white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice before serving.
- Spicy Italian Seasoning: add a bit of heat to classic Italian flavors by seasoning the zucchini with ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes before air frying. Replace the lemon juice with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the zucchini with parmesan cheese before serving, if desired!
How to cook zucchini in the air fryer:
Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the ingredient measurements and the complete directions.
- With the air fryer basket installed, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, toss together the zucchini slices, olive oil, salt, parsley garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika until combined.
- Add half of the zucchini to the preheated air fryer. Air fry the zucchini chips 9-11 minutes, tossing the zucchini every 3 minutes, or until the zucchini is golden brown and crisp.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the zucchini and gently toss until combined. Serve piping hot!
Air fried zucchini recipe pro-tips:
- Cut the vegetables in uniform size so they cook evenly. I recommend ½-inch think half moons of zucchini; or cutting the zucchini length wise and then crosswise into ½-inch thick pieces.
- Preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes before adding the vegetables. This helps the zucchini slices cook evenly and crisp up quickly!
- Don't overcrowd the basket. Thought it may be tempting to add all the zucchini to the air fryer basket at once, you will want to restrain yourself. Overcrowding the air fryer basket results in soggy and wet zucchini. For the best results, cook the zucchini in two batches.
- Keep air fried zucchini warm in an oven preheated to 200 degrees while the second batch of zucchini chips air fry.
- Toss the veggies throughout the cooking time. This also helps the vegetables to cook evenly, as it ensures that all of the veggies get equal exposure to the hot air circulating within the air fryer.
How to double the recipe:
To double this recipe, simply double all of the ingredients and follow the recipe directions as listed, air frying the zucchini in 4 separate batches (to keep them from overcrowding in the air fryer and getting soggy).
Keep the air fried batches warm in the preheated oven as directed on the recipe card.
Air fryer roasted zucchini serving suggestions:
Chicken. Round out any weeknight chicken dinner with this air fryer fried zucchini. Serve it with grilled chicken thighs, crispy panko chicken breasts, or Instant Pot BBQ chicken sandwiches.
Turkey. This zucchini is fantastic with turkey sloppy joes. We also love it with my popular turkey and sweet potato skillet.
Fish. These crispy veggies are the perfect companion to everything from shrimp scampi, spicy brown sugar rubbed salmon, or seared scallops.
Beef. Since this zucchini in the air fryer is so versatile, it goes perfectly with almost any beef recipe: burgers, roast beef, grilled steaks, and more.
Vegetables. Add some green to any vegetarian or vegan meal with these zucchini chips. They are delicious with stuffed baked potatoes, veggie burgers, or even vegan shepherd's pie.
Pasta. These veggies are a match made in heaven with Italian flavors (especially if you use the Italian seasoning blends!). Serve these air fry zucchini slices with spaghetti and meatballs, no boil pasta bake, or turkey bolognese.
How do you keep air fryer zucchini from getting soggy?
If your air fryer zucchini is too soggy, here are some things to troubleshoot:
Shake the zucchini throughout the cooking time. If you haven't already, shake the zucchini every 3 minutes throughout the cooking time. This will allow the zucchini to shake off extra moisture and for the zucchini to get equal contact with the hot air in the air fryer.
Don't overcrowd the air fryer. That is, cook this zucchini in two separate batches. As I learned in the older variation of this recipe, where we cooked all 6-7 cups of zucchini together, the zucchini can get more soggy when there isn't sufficient air flow around the zucchini as it air fries.
Storage and reheating directions:
Refrigeration: leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Reheating: For best results, reheat them in an air fryer preheated to 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. The zucchini can also be reheated in the microwave at 30 second intervals, or until heated through.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing leftover air fried zucchini, as the zucchini will get mushy and soggy in the freezing and defrosting process.
Tools needed to make fried zucchini in the air fryer:
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Silicone spatula
- Air fryer: I have and love both the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp and the Instant Pot Duocrisp
More air fryer vegetable recipes:
- Air Fryer Vegetables
- Air Fryer Green Beans {+ Video!}
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
- Air Fryer Smashed Parmesan Potatoes
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
More zucchini recipes:
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Gluten-free Zucchini Bread
- Sauteed Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Herbed Parmesan Cheese
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5-stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Air-Fryer Zucchini (Low-Carb + Keto!)
Air Fryer Zucchini are easy to make, savory, crispy, and delicious! They're also vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto.
Preheat the air fryer before you add the zucchini and see the notes section for alternative seasoning blends.
Ingredients
- 6-7 cups zucchini (or about 6 small zucchini or 3 large zucchini), sliced into quarters vertically and then into ½-inch thick half moons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch ground red pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. With the air frying basket installed, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, toss the zucchini, olive oil, salt, and spices together until combined.
- Add half of the zucchini to the preheated air fryer and air fry for 9-11 minutes, shaking or stirring the zucchini every 3 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and golden. Pour the zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the preheated oven.
- Add the remaining zucchini to the air fryer and repeat the air frying process, cooking the zucchini for 9-10 minutes and shaking or stirring the zucchini every 3 minutes, or until the zucchini is cooked through.
- Combine the freshly air fried zucchini and the warmed zucchini from the oven in the mixing bowl. Squeeze with lemon juice and gently stir until combined. Season the vegetables with extra salt if needed, and serve hot!
Notes
Leftover zucchini will last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
Alternate zucchini seasoning blends (in addition to the ½ teaspoon salt):
- Italian seasoning: ¾ teaspoons of bottled Italian seasoning blend. Toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice. Optional: sprinkle the zucchini with grated or shredded parmesan before serving.
- Greek seasoning: ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ¼ teaspoon dried thyme + ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Toss the zucchini with red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice before serving. Optional: sprinkle the zucchini with crumbled feta.
- Herbes de Provence: ¾ teaspoon herbes de Provence seasoning blend. Toss the zucchini with white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice before serving.
- Spicy Italian Seasoning: ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes before air frying. Toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice. Optional: sprinkle the zucchini with grated or shredded parmesan before serving.
The fresher the zucchini, the better this dish will taste! Tender & small zucchini are my favorite for this recipe, but medium or large zucchini with a smooth and deep green colored skin will also work.
Any amount of the zucchini can be substituted by yellow squash or summer squash that are cut into the same size pieces.
You can double this recipe but you'll still want to cook each recipe in two batches, as not to overcrowd your air fryer and get mushy zucchini.
Air fryers can run at different temperatures, strengths, and intensities. Keep an eye on the zucchini as it air fries, adding or subtracting cooking time to get the zucchini to your desired degree of doneness.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 88Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 144mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 4g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Carol says
What Air Frier is this?
Mae's Menu says
Hi Carol, This air fryer is the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp 8 quart option. I believe I have it linked in the "tools needed for this recipe section). I love mine!
Carol says
Fryer, sorry.
Joe says
Yields what? Cups, ounces, or what?
Joe says
Yields what? Cups, ounces, or what?Loved your bean salad. Please let us know what yield is equal too in measures. Thanks, Mae.
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Joe! For some reason, I never got notified of your comment. I'm just seeing it now as I was reviewing the post.
This recipe yields 2 cups of air fryer zucchini.
Hope that helps!
Tara says
I made this recipe as directed. After 20 minutes the zucchini had turned to mush. Should I sweat the zucchini first?
I’m really disappointed.
Mae's Menu says
Hi Tara,
I'm so sorry to hear you had this experience. I've made this recipe 20+ times and have never had that happen. You shouldn't need to sweat the zucchini before adding it to the air fryer. Did you use the full amount of salt and shake the zucchini frequently throughout cooking? When I cook the zucchini it naturally sweats off the moisture and crisps up evenly as I shake it as it cooks. Please let me know your experience and I'd be happy to help troubleshoot further. Thank you!
Kelly says
Same here!! I tried making them two different times. the first time I just let them sit in there for 20 minutes and then the second time I tossed them every few minutes and they’re still mushy. Have you figured out how to crisp them up?
Mae's Menu says
Hi Kelly,
Thank you for your comment! Does your air fryer have room for the air to circulate around the zucchini? They will need to not be packed in -- rather have lots of exposure to the hot air -- to crisp up and not get soggy. If you can, test out cooking them in two different batches (tossing them every few minutes), and let me know how that goes.
Thank you!
Chelsea
Claudia says
I think you're supposed to cook each batch for only 9-11 minutes. I just made it and it came out great 🙂
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Claudia!
So glad to hear you loved it!
All the best,
Chelsea
Pam says
My air fryer does not have a basket but instead racks. Should I turn the zucchini half way through the time
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Pam --
Yes, you can turn them halfway through. You may also want to cut your zucchini into thicker slices so they don't easily fall through the racks.
Hope this helps!
Chelsea
Pamela G Cameron says
I have a LARGE zucchini I'd like to try. Do the slices have to be single layer or can they over lap a bit? Would you recommend cutting large slices in half or quarters? As my basked is about 8 1/2" I think it may take a few batches. Also, thinking of making a zucchini parmesan bake from the finished product. Should the slices be firm and not soft? Soft is what we're hoping to avoid. Thank you. Love trying new things in my airfryer.
Mae's Menu says
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for your comment. Your zucchini can overlap as long as you shake the zucchini throughout cooking (as directed). The zucchini will cook down as it air fries, but you do want to make sure there is room for the hot air to circulate around the zucchini so it cooks up evenly and doesn't get soggy.
The end result should be zucchini that's crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Hope this helps!
Best,
Chelsea
michael holcombe says
As directed... Mushy and starts to burn before even twenty minutes... tasty but mushy and burnt.
Barbara T says
I tried this recipe, shook the zucchini every 5 minutes, and cooked them for 25 ,minutes. Not at all crispy. I used seasoned salt, though, and not plain salt. Would that make a difference?
Thanks.
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Barbara! Thanks for your feedback. How large did you cut the zucchini chunks? That can make a difference. Also, do you have an air fryer with a basket or a tray?
Thank you!
Chelsea
Tammy says
I made these with garlic pepper instead of plain. Also increased the air fryer temp to 400 to get crispy: great taste and ranch makes it perfect for appetizers. Thanks for the recipe 😊
Mae's Menu says
Thanks for popping in to leave such a nice review, Tammy! I'm so glad you liked them. 🙂
Dawna says
I have chopped up zucchini and onion and tossed it in olive oil and Greek seasoning. Then hubby has a pan with holes and it goes out on the grill. But I didn't think of the air fryer. ( there wasn't one 40 some years ago lol ) I love zucchini !
Mae's Menu says
Ooh, both sound delicious! It's amazing how many new opportunities we have with air fryers! Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
Best,
Chelsea