Restaurant style Fried Zucchini is a family favorite! It’s simply addicting, especially dipped in ranch or marinara.
Fried Zucchini is our favorite way to enjoy one of our favorite vegetables! There are so many sides and appetizers you can make with zucchini, like Parmesan Crusted Zucchini and Zucchini Tots.
Delicious Deep Fried Zucchini
Fried Zucchini happens to be my favorite appetizer in the whole world! It’s a recipe we have at least once a month, for Sunday dinner, and it’s always gone in minutes!
You can serve this in different ways, depending on how you cut the zucchini (discs or sticks). However you make it, it’s always delicious. We love to serve it with Marinara Sauce or Homemade Ranch.
We’ve tried several versions over the years, and now have Baked Zucchini Fries and Zucchini Chips. They are also delicious!
How to fry zucchini
Other than a little time, this recipe doesn’t take much. The steps are simple, as well as the ingredients.
PREP. Heat oil to medium heat. Slice zucchini into several circles.
COAT + REPEAT. Add10-15 slices of zucchini into a bowl of milk to coat. From there, add slices to a bowl filled with the flour, coat.
Put slices back into the milk and make sure they get all wet again. Add slices to a bowl filled with Panko crumbs, coat.
FRY. Fry until golden brown, turning to ensure even browning on both sides. Repeat process until all the slices are breaded and fried.
ENJOY! Serve with Ranch or marinara.
Air fry zucchini
A great healthy alternative to traditional pan frying is to use an air fryer.
PREP. Heat your air fryer to 390°F. Prepare your zucchini according to recipe directions.
FRY. Place a single layer of zucchini rounds, or fries in the air fryer basket. Cook for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
You can also use the Air Fryer Zucchini recipe, or check out our Baked Zucchini Fries.
Recipe Tips
Oil. I use vegetable oil, but canola oil or peanut oil are also great options to make this dish. Add 1 ½ -2 inches of oil to the pan, heat it up to 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer:
- Test the oil is ready by inserting the end of a wooden spoon into the oil.
- It should immediately bubble around the handle.
- If it doesn’t bubble the oil is too cold.
- If it bubbles and splatters vigorously, the oil may be too hot.
- When you think you have the right temperature, fry 1-2 test pieces and adjust.
Salting the zucchini. Salting the zucchini causes the vegetable to “sweat”, relieving the zucchini from extra moisture. I don’t use this method, and haven’t had problems with soggy zucchini. However, you can definitely give it a try:
- Lay the sliced zucchini out on a paper towel.
- Sprinkle some sea salt over the slices, and let sit for about 30 minutes.
- Extra moisture will be released and absorbed by the paper towel.
- Pat the tops with another paper towel before proceeding with the recipe.
Variations
If you’re looking to add some variation, try:
- Adding parmesan cheese, chili flakes, garlic powder, or cayenne pepper to the breadcrumbs before frying.
- Use a seasoned breadcrumb or Panko mixture. The Italian versions with oregano and basil are some of our favorites!
Dipping sauce. Another way to change up the flavors is to use different dipping sauces. We love dipping these in Homemade Ranch Dressing. Also try some of your favorite dipping sauces, such as: Marinara Sauce or horseradish sauce.
How to reheat zucchini
Fried Zucchini is ideal when eaten right away. If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The best way to reheat them is in the oven.
- Broil them on low for 2-4 minutes.
- Or place them in a preheated oven at 375° F for 5-7 minutes, until they are heated through.
Don’t those Fried Zucchini chips look amazing?! Really, though – look no further. This recipe is beyond simple, and SO good!!
For more even zucchini recipes:
- Parmesan Crusted Zucchini
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
- Zucchini Boats
- Baked Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups
- Baked Crusted Zucchini Sticks
Fried Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Zucchini
- 2-3 cups milk
- 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs Plain or Italian
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat oil to medium heat.
- Slice zucchini into several circles. Add 10-15 slices of zucchini into a bowl of milk to coat.
- From there, add slices to a bowl filled with the flour, coat.
- Put slices back into the milk and make sure they get all wet again.
- Add slices to a bowl filled with Panko crumbs, coat.
- Fry until golden brown, turning to ensure equal browning on both sides. Repeat process until all the slices are breaded and fried.
That recipe looks so yummy! I love zucchini, I'll have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the recipe! I have never tried it! I will try it this week though:)And Applebee's tip- I had no idea! Thanks!!! Maybe I won't make dinner and we will do family night at Applebee's! :)xoxo, Ashley J @ mommybydaycrafterbynight@blogspot.com
Love fried zucchini!! Too bad my husband despises it!And SO freakin' awesome you won from BCD!!! LUCKY!!!
Thanks for the zucchini recipe! I've never tried it that way and about this time of year, when our garden is going crazy with zucchini, we'll try it any new way there is. :)Love the video, too. That's a good one!
We have zucchini coming out our ears right now and this is totally going to be on the menu tonight! I made zucchini muffins this morning for breakfast and zucchini creme dessert last night – we love zucchini 🙂
I absolutely love fried zucchini, but lately I have been grilling it or just pan frying without the oil. I will have to try the homemade fried ones now thtough:-)
oh wow! these are my favorite at rubys! I must try and make these ones!!!
Those look so yummy! I’ve had fried pickles before, but never fried zucchini. Something new to try!
Wow, you must not be from the South! One of everyone’s all time favorite. It is so easy, so give it a try!
I ***LOVE*** this recipe! It is quick, easy, & delicious, too!! I make it as often as my family can stand! 🙂
Breaded fried zucchini is our favourite summer dinner. We only eat it once a year, but when we make it, it is all we have for dinner! We have ours with fresh garden tomatoes and lemon wedges.
Very tasty recipe. My son will love it.. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I’ll bet the zucchini get a nice thick coating with the double-dip method you’ve outlined here. I love both fried or grilled zucchini and panko, so this looks really good to me. I make a gluten-free panko by rolling over Rice Chex with a rolling pin.
I love zucchini in all kinds of preparation.. Love love your recipe!!! Thank you Lil’ Luna
Same. Zucchini is my favorite!! So glad you like the recipe. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Very nice! Made these tonight and they were great.
SO glad you liked them! It’s my all-time favorite side for any meal. 🙂
Made this tonight using breadcrumbs because I didn’t have panko. Came out crispy and yummy! So easy too!I served it with ranch dip. My picky son liked it (even without the ranch dip). Thank you!
YAY! So glad you loved it. We use bread crumbs too if we’re out of Panko – always a hit!!
Definately going to try this,yummy !!!
This was simple and delicious! I had large zucchini rounds (4″ round) and the breading stuck well and tasted amazing! I salted as I took out of pan to cool and made a spicy aoili for dipping.
I am so glad you liked it! It’s our favorite go-to recipe! Thank you!
Question==can this be served cod?
Cold? Yes, though warm is better, but of course you could 🙂
Does anyone have a recipe for zucchini squares? It was in a little cookbook long ago from bisquick.I can’t find it,and we love it. Thanks in advance.
OMG, these were so easy to make and better than any restaurant that I’ve had these at. TY for this recipe because this is how I’m going to prepare my husband’s fried green tomatoes..
I am glad you think that! It’s our fav! Thank you 🙂
What do you use for dipping?
We like to use ranch or you could use marinara. Whatever you like 🙂
The fried zucchini recipe was delicious.
Isn’t it the best!? Thank you for trying it!
Wow, thank you for the recipe. It looks so delicious. I will try to make this dish with my air fryer.
It’s our favorite!! Let me know what you think 🙂 Thank you!
Instead of frying in oil, could these be cooked in an Airfrier?
I haven’t tried, but I bet they would! Let me know, if you try 🙂 Thank you!
Could you make these in an air fryer? If so, does anyone know the time and temp?
Yes, but I don’t know the time & temp. Anyone try?
I was searching for a fried zucchini recipe to make for the first time. This eggless recipe caught my eye. I made a small batch of only 4 discs, and literally had an egg waiting on the counter for the next batch. Well it promptly went back into the fridge, these are so light and delicious, I see why you eat them with every meal! I’m wondering if you use a similar recipe for eggplant? Thank you for sharing Lil Luna!!
I love hearing that! Thank you so much for letting me know! I haven’t tried it with eggplant, but I bet it would be great!
This is the best! All the others, Panko, etc even though crispy, cover up the flavor. I hope this will work on green tomatoes. AND I love that there are only 2 steps to coating vs. 3 steps, and it is really crispy.
Oh, wait! I didn’t dip them back in the milk, and they came out perfect and beautiful.
So glad I came across your site. I will use it more often. Thank you
I am so glad!! I hope you find some recipes to try 🙂 Thank you!
THESE ARE SO YUMMY I COULDN’T WAIT TO EAT THEM SO I ATE THEM STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FRYER AND NOW MY INTESTINES ARE BURNING BUT NOT AS BAD AS THAT TIME I ATE ALL THE GHOST PEPPERS OK. FIVE STARS. DELISH AF
LOL!! I’m glad you liked them!! They are gone pretty fast!!
Thanks for sharing! Saved my butt on a quick impulsive idea for a dinner side!
You’re welcome! Glad to save you!
Hi there!
Have you tried to convert this recipe to an air fryer? Just got one and the zucchini in the fridge is just waiting to be dressed in your recipe
Thanks for the help
I haven’t. I need one!
I like how you are making some wise choices as to not frying vegetables .Look forward to seeing your other recipes, they all look delicious My husband would like it if I started cooking again.m With this I just might have to do that.
Thank you! I hope you’ll find some yummy ones to try with him 🙂
How much oil? It doesn’t say to shallow fry or deep fry??
I like to add maybe 1/4 inch thick, maybe a little more. I never measure..oops…I just pour until I think there is enough 🙂 Hope that helps!! These are the best!
I enjoy getting easy recipes-thamks
You are so welcome!! Thank you so much for stopping by!
I made these tonight using your method but used a box of Shake & Bake Parmesan & Herb. Awesome! My hubs thought they were great, too, and he’s not crazy about zucchini!
Yay!! I am so glad you like them!! We have them with everything 🙂 Thank you!
I have made your fried zucchini many times & they are so nummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Aren’t they the best? I am glad you like them! I am glad to share 🙂 Thank you!
I just made the fried zucchini recipe with my 10 year old daughter. They were so easy to make and so delicious! I highly recommend this. We added some parmsesan cheese after frying and loved it!
Yay!! Aren’t they so good?! We have them with everything! Thank you so much!
I absolutely love zucchini. I saute them and roast them and grill them but I never thought of frying them! Sounds so good! Can’t wait to try it!
Me too!! Love it all ways! Hope you like it fried 🙂
So delicious with marinara sauce!
These are SO GOOD! Making some AGAIN SOON!
Yummy recipe!! Addicting?
Very addicting!! Thank you so much!!
this is the second time I’ve used this recipe. I just follow it as written. however, i measure the flour, milk, and panko crumbs as i go to not waste so much. this time i fried mushrooms as well. i serve the veggies with ranch dressing and homemade blue cheese dressing. delicious!
ps: i really like your website and have book marked it to explore more of it. thanks!
Awe, thank you so much for saying that!! Sounds yum!
Your recipes look so tasty iam useing some for the fourth of july iam having family over for dinner ill let you know how it turned out.have a safe fourth of july.i had 3girls and then two boys they all live around me iam in arizona its been the one hundreds here iam an old lady so i stay in as much as i can. Thankyou have a safe holiday
Thank you so much! I hope you like the ones you try! I hope you have a safe holiday as well!
Have you ever prepped the zucchini the night before and cooked them the next day? If so, did you do anything different from the recipe?
I have not, I am sorry.
Tried this for linch. Did not
Hve bread crumBs sO i Used
Cracker crumbs instead. They
Were ExcelleNt. Thanks for the
Recipe.
Sorry. Typo in my previous post
Meant to say lunch not linch.
Great option! I am so glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
Delicious..
Glad you like them!! I could eat it everyday!
Can You bajed them intead of fry in oil
You sure could! I have a recipe for baked zucchini sticks…https://lilluna.com/baked-crusted-zucchini-sticks/
By far the best coating!!
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
My 15 year old son, who says he despises zucchini, went back for seconds. I used heavy whipping cream, SEASONED the flour and put PARMASAN cheese in the breadcrumbs. We used a Sriracha mayo for dipping. SO DELICIOUS!!
Love that!! That dip sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic! I googled Crispy Fried zucchini and this RECIPE is the best ever! I can w to see what else is on this site!
I can’t wait for you to try other recipes! I am glad you liked these! They are my favorite!
I love fried zucchini. Not all RESTAURANTS make it well . I cant wEight to try it. Yours looks fantastic. Going out to buy zucchini now!!!
Thank you!! They taste fantastic too! We have them with everything! Hope you like them!
Looks great. Will try !
Thank you!! It is our favorite! Hope you like it!
We Made this both in the air fryer aNd REGULAR frying pan. I swear it was better than our FAVORITE restaurant’s fried zucchini!
Woohoo!! Love to hear that! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Very good! Easy recipe! Family and neighbor’s loved them!!
Oh, I love to hear that. Thank you for sharing the recipe & letting me know!
I’ve always used egg wash method. Thought I would try this and it was great! I don’t think I’ll go back to egg. VERY LIGHT AND VERY CRISPY.
Yay!! Love to hear that! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Looks so good will try this today.
thank you
It is our favorite! I hope you like them!!
Just love this recipe,so very tasty,& easy to make
SO glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Zucchini is not a vegitable…it is a fruit because it is seed bearing. Just a little information for whoever did this recipe. Thank you and God bless
I did not see any salt, peper or any seasOning Being added anYwhere in the procEss of this recipe. Is there none used?
There isn’t, but you could definitely add some, if you like 😉
This is so delicious I love this ?
Glad you do! Thank you!
Just made this for my family for dinner. The recipe is easy to follow and i used the air fryer for a healthier option. It was a hit! Found my new favorite way to use up mY ZUCCHINI from my garden.
Love it in an air-fryer! Thank you for sharing that!
made these today and they were delicious. Not to heavy and very filling. I will definitely be making these again.
Yay!! We make them all the time! Glad you liked them! Thank you!
I made these tonight and my family devoured them in minutes. So good. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
You are so welcome! I am so happy your family liked them, that much!
I dont even like zuchinni, but i cooked some for my family tonight f dinner. Theyloved them! Said they were restaurant quality. Thanksforthe recipe.
Yay!! I am glad they think so 🙂 Please, tell them thank you!
This was great! I was happy to not need eggs as I was making a small amount. This worked perfectly!
Happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that!
Just made these this weekend for my family and they were a huge hit. Such a good texture and so yummy.
I loved these & overall they were delicious. I made the mistake of having the oil too hot, which is a common mistake of mine. I gave a 5 star review since it was my cooking error. I will definitely make them again & I’ll pay more attention next time.
Tasted great family loved it.
I’m so glad your family loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Are 2-3 cups of milk correct? Seems excessive. Also, can I use seasoned cornmeal instead of Panko or breadcrumbs that I normally don’t keep around? I fry green tomatoes that way
You are welcome to switch things up however you would like. The recipe is accurate and we included what we used and loved, but you can certainly substitute and modify things to what you enjoy. The recipe will just turn out slightly different. 🙂
Boy, you weren’t kidding. Now my favorite tecipe for zucchini. Of course, the chef has to “sample” while they cook. I over sampled a d had to make more.
Haha! Sounds like what I do too. Chef’s gotta make sure it’s good for everyone else to eat. 😉 So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
Very yummy. I used yellow squash fresh from a farm. Cooked in Canola oil. Added Italian seasoning after reading other posts.
Sounds delicious!!
Wow!! Excellent recipe so easy and delicious! Thank you so much!! 😃
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you loved it!
The recipe was so easy to follow. The fried zucchini came out delicious! So excited to try many more recipes to share with the family!
Have you tried the recipe with almond flour or coconut flour instead of AP flour? I am trying to stick to the lower carb way of cooking or the Keto diet. Thank you.
I haven’t tried with either of those flours. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do!! We’d love to hear!
Looove fried zucchini! I don’t know why I’ve never done this my tossing them in a zip lock before… like shake n bake haha. We’ve fried, we baked, now time to try the air fryer suggestion… brilliant!
Can these be frozen after they’re fried?
You could, but they are ideally eaten right after they are fried. If reheating, we recommend doing so in the oven. You can broil them on low for 2-4 minutes or place them in a preheated oven at 375° F for 5-7 minutes until they are heated through.
I like it all
Yay! So happy to hear that!
I think this is the best zucchini ever! Making it at home is as good as eating it at a restaurant. Love it!
This is by far our most favorite appetizer!! We make a few times a month, because it goes with so many things & it’s so good!! Perfectly crisp!
I’m so happy to have found you, Lil Luna! Your recipes are ALWAYS approved and appreciated in our home!! Thank you!!!!
Oh you’re welcome! That makes us SO happy to hear. So glad to have you here!
OMG, this takes fried zucchini to a whole new level! Have eaten fried squash pretty much all my life, and this is the best. Another time will try using finely ground cornmeal in with the flour, or maybe even masa, for an extra level of flavor, and will try adding the parmesan sometime, as well, depending on what I’m making with it.
I bet both of those additions would be tasty! So glad you tired the fried zucchini. It’s so yummy!
My family makes these a couple of times a month. They take a bit of time, but so worth it!
We made these in our Air Fryer and they turned out crispy and yummy. Then we dipped then in ranch 🤤
Can you substitute the milk with butter milk
Yes, buttermilk works great as well!!
I haven’t ever tried doing that, but you could give it at try! You’ll have to let us know how it tastes.
I made this for my family and they loved it! Easy to make and delicious.
I already live zucinni and to make this easy i easy recipe was my all time favorite. Make it all the time as a snack no dip just eat it like that!! Thanks bunches💕
Oh I’m so glad you enjoy the zucchini recipe! It is a great snack option!
That looks delicious! I am not however going to use Vegetable, Canola or peanut oil. These are BAD for you. A much healthier option is Non GMO Avocado oil. It has a neutral taste and super high smoke point.
Has anyone ever tried to BAKE these?
Thanks for trying this recipe!
I am glad you tried them! I like them crispy, so I cook them a little longer. You can also add your favorite spices to the mix, if you want.
The breading and the frying contribute to the carb count. We have a few other zucchini recipes that have a lower carb count: https://lilluna.com/parmesan-crusted-zucchini/ or https://lilluna.com/air-fryer-zucchini or https://lilluna.com/baked-zucchini-fries/ .
Jeanette, I personally don’t think baked would have as much flavor. In moderation, fat isn’t our enemy. Matter of fact, our brains are 60% fat. (Wonder if that’s where the word “fat head” came from. LOL)