Well friends, we’ve entered the time of year where zucchinis are coming out of the garden by the armload and we need to get creative in new ways of eating it.  I personally love zucchini, and as I’m sure you can imagine, I have a ton of recipes here on the blog that I’ve developed with zucchini over the years.  But even still, I’m always looking for new ways to make zucchini fun and interesting, which leads us to the recipe below.

I’ve seen versions of the zucchini fry posted across social media before, so I’m definitely not claiming to have invented these.  I am, however, claiming that these are delicious, and a fun way to get your zucchini super crunchy and satisfying to snack on.  My recipe below is baked opposed to fried, which leaves the zucchini fries still perfectly crunchy, but not fully soaked in oil.  Plus, you can prep these and do whatever you want to do for 40 minutes while they bake – my favorite type of cooking.

This are best served with a side of ranch and are a perfect summer snack when watching a movie or show, but they could also be a fun side for dinner or a good option if you’re looking for a snacky lunch.  They’re fun to eat and almost remind me of mozzarella sticks – the breading gets nice and crispy, and the zucchini inside becomes soft and tender.  Plus, this is a great use for those zucchinis that got away from you in the garden and have turned into giant clubs – simply cut around the seeds and you’re on your way to a tasty treat!

Recipe down below, photo up top!  This recipe makes enough for about 1 sheet tray-worth of zucchini fries.  Between the two of us, these are gone in one sitting – so scale up if you’re cooking for a crowd or are looking to use up some of your big zucchinis.  I’ve never stored these for meal prep (they’ve never lasted that long!), so I would recommend eating these straight out of the oven.  If you do have leftovers, save in a container and re-heat in the oven to bring back some of the crunchy texture.

It’s certainly the summer of zucchini fries in my house, so I hope you give these a try!

Recipe: Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini
  • Sub for 4-6 small zucchini, or 2-3 medium zucchini
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. If working with a large zucchini, remove the stem and the bottom end with a knife, then cut the remaining zucchini into large rounds, each about 3-4 inches wide.  Take each round and cut the firm flesh away from the seeds (I do this by cutting the flesh off in 4 planks, leaving the seeds as a square).  Discard the seeds.  Cut the firm flesh of the zucchini into ½ inch thick sticks.  Continue cutting the zucchini into sticks until it’s all ready to go.
   1. If working with smaller zucchini, simply remove the stem end and the bottom, cut into 3-4 inch rounds, cut the rounds in half (lengthwise), then cut the half rounds into the ½ thick sticks (again, lengthwise).  No need to remove the seeds from smaller zucchini.
3. Add the flour to a bowl, and add the seasonings (salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper) to the flour.  Stir to combine.
4. Crack the two eggs into a separate bowl.  Using a fork or a whisk, beat the eggs until they are homogeneous (meaning the egg whites and yolks are fully mixed together).
5. Add the breadcrumbs to a separate large plate or shallow bowl. 
6. Prepare the sheet tray by adding 1-2 tbsp (start with one, and add more if needed) of olive oil to the pan.  Using a brush or your hand, spread the oil in an even layer around the bottom of the sheet tray, making sure there is thorough but even coverage.  The entire bottom of the sheet tray should be coated in a thin layer of oil.
7. Now that the breading station has been set up and the sheet tray is ready to go, it’s time to bread the zucchini! Take the first stick of zucchini and fully cover in the flour, and tap on the side of the bowl to remove the excess.  Move the flour-coated zucchini to the egg, and fully submerge the zucchini until it is fully coated in egg.  Allow excess egg to drip off of the zucchini before transferring to the breadcrumbs.  Fully coat the zucchini in the breadcrumbs, which should stick nicely to the egg layer.  Tap to remove any excess breadcrumbs.  Transfer the breaded zucchini to the prepared sheet pan.
8. Continue breading the remaining zucchini, and arrange the breaded zucchini in a single layer on the sheet pan as you go.
9. Once the sheet pan is full and all of the zucchini is breaded, place the sheet pan in the oven and bake at 375F for 40 minutes.  Remove the zucchini fries from the oven and allow to cool on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a plate using a spatula or tongs.
10. Serve immediately on their own, or with ranch dressing, ketchup, or any of your favorite dipping sauces.  Enjoy!