These amazing air fryer zucchini chips are golden and crunchy enough to satisfy any craving. Because they are made in the air fryer you could eat up an entire batch and your waistline would thank you for it. They can also be air fried without added oil.
Zucchini is one of my favorite summer vegetables, and it frequently makes an appearance hereabouts in healthy recipes like this pan roasted zucchini, easy zucchini dal and vegan zucchini pasta.
A big part of its allure (besides its amazing nutritional profile) is that it is so, so easy to add to sweet and savory dishes.
Lately I have been bingeing on these crispy air fryer zucchini chips. There are no breadcrumbs here but the chips are so golden and so delicious -- so good, in fact, that they have been putting in an appearance at every meal hereabouts.
Try this easy recipe and it will become your new favorite air fryer recipe AND your new favorite zucchini recipe. And all it will take you to put it together is five minutes. This is a vegan, soy-free and gluten-free recipe and you can easily make it nut-free.
Why you'll love this recipe
- These zucchini chips have a crunchy and savory crust and the zucchini is tender and perfectly cooked. You will very likely find that you just can't stop until the entire batch of these yummy zucchini fries is gone, and that's okay.
- They are so good for you. Air fried foods like air fryer tofu, air fryer Brussels sprouts, air fryer cauliflower and air fryer chickpeas are so healthy, and so is this air fryer zucchini! There are a bunch of amazing ingredients in this recipe, all nourishing and healthy: there's zucchini, of course, and then there's flaxmeal, chickpea flour, almond flour, olive oil and a few tasty spices. Every bit of this recipe is great for you.
- The recipe is keto vegan and it's soy free and gluten free. You can also easily make it oil-free and the result will still be gorgeously delicious.
- It takes just five minutes to put together. Just slice the zucchini, then toss it with the other ingredients. After that you need 13 minutes in the air fryer for a batch to air fry. Easy peasy.
- You can tweak the ingredients for different flavors. I'll have more on this in the FAQs below, but if you don't want a keto vegan recipe, or just want to play with other flavors, it's very easy to do.
How to make air fryer zucchini
- Cut zucchini in slices a fourth of an inch thick. You can make thinner chips and they will be crispier, but I like slightly thick chips. If you make the chips thinner make sure you reduce cooking time to under 10 minutes.
- Place the zucchini chips in a bowl with the flaxmeal. Add ½ teaspoon salt and mix. Let stand a couple of minutes so the zucchini expresses a bit of moisture, then toss with the flaxmeal so it adheres to the zucchini chips. You can also add a tablespoon of water if you find the flax is not adhering.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl: chickpea flour, almond flour, ground cumin, cayenne, turmeric, salt to taste and extra virgin olive oil, if using. Mix well until all chips are coated with the spices.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/205 degrees Celsius. Arrange the zucchini fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the zucchini for 7 minutes, then flip the chips over and air fry for another 6 minutes, for a total of 13 minutes. The zucchini fries should be golden-brown with a nice crust.
- Remove to a plate. Serve immediately. The zucchini fries are best eaten right after they are made, when they will be at their crunchiest. They will get softer as they stand but they will still taste amazing. You can always reheat the chips in the air fryer for a couple of minutes to make them crispy again.
Expert tips
- Always use fresh zucchini for this recipe. Other summer squashes will work just as well, including yellow squash and pattypan squash.
- Make sure you give the zucchini a little time to stand after adding the flaxmeal and salt so it expresses some of its moisture. This will give you the crispiest results.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer and be sure to flip it halfway through to get consistently golden chips.
- Eat the zucchini fries hot, as soon as they come out of the air fryer. That's when they taste the best.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can add all sorts of flavor ingredients to the base recipe instead of the spices I used. These include:
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-vegan parmesan cheese
-dried herbs, including oregano, marjoram or sage. Use no more than ½ tsp. You can also use an Italian seasoning mix.
-ground black pepper.
You can use bread crumbs and cornstarch and skip the almond flour and chickpea flour entirely. Use 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoon rice flour.
See the earlier question. Use breadcrumbs and cornstarch instead of the almond flour and chickpea flour.
Each serving of this air fryer zucchini has 96 calories, three grams of protein and fiber each, and good amounts of vitamins A and C.
There are just four net carbs in one serving of these zucchini fries.
Serve with any tomato-based sauce, like marinara sauce or tomato ketchup.
Air Fryer Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini (about two medium zucchini)
- 1 tablespoon flaxmeal
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (skip if oil-free)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini a fourth of an inch thick. You can make thinner chips and they will be crispier, but I like slightly thick chips. If you make the chips thinner make sure you reduce cook time accordingly. I would air fry them for under 10 minutes.
- Place the zucchini chips in a bowl with the flaxmeal. Add ½ teaspoon salt and mix. Let stand a couple of minutes so the zucchini expresses a bit of moisture, then toss with the flaxmeal so it adheres to the zucchini chips. You can also add a tablespoon of water if you find the flax is not adhering.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl: chickpea flour, almond flour, ground cumin, cayenne, turmeric, salt to taste and extra virgin olive oil, if using. Mix well until all chips are coated with the spices.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/205 degrees Celsius. Arrange the zucchini fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the zucchini for 7 minutes, then flip the chips over and air fry for another 6 minutes, for a total of 13 minutes. The zucchini fries should be golden-brown with a nice crust.
- Remove to a plate. Serve immediately. The zucchini fries are best eaten right after they are made, when they will be at their crunchiest. They will get softer as they stand but they will still taste amazing. You can always reheat the chips in the air fryer for a couple of minutes to make them crispy again.
Recipe notes
- Always use fresh zucchini for this recipe. Other summer squashes will work just as well, including yellow squash and pattypan squash.
- Make sure you give the zucchini a little time after adding the flaxmeal and salt so it expresses some of its moisture. This will give you the crispiest results.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer and be sure to flip it halfway through to get consistently golden chips.
- Eat the zucchini fries hot, as soon as they come out of the air fryer. That's when they taste the best.
- You can add all sorts of flavor ingredients to the base recipe instead of the spices I used. These include:
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-vegan parmesan cheese
-dried herbs, including oregano, marjoram or sage. Use no more than ½ tsp. You can also use an Italian seasoning mix.
-ground black pepper. - To make the recipe nut-free, use bread crumbs and cornstarch and skip the almond flour and chickpea flour entirely. Use 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoon rice flour.
Sarah Spillane
This looks amazing! I have been wanting to purchase an air fryer and now I’m convinced! Do you have a recommendation for an air fryer brand or type that you prefer?
Vaishali
Hi Sarah, I use a Crux 2.6 quart touchscreen which I got at Macy's a few years' back on a great sale. I think the model has been discontinued and I don't know about their other models but I can say I've been very happy with this one.