Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Crispy & Keto!)
These air fryer zucchini fries are crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and cooked to golden perfection in just 10 minutes. They're coated in seasoned pork panko instead of flour, breadcrumbs, or parmesan cheese, making them naturally keto, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb. Serve them with the creamy fry sauce for an easy snack, appetizer, or side that's every bit as satisfying as traditional fries without the mess of deep frying.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 cup pork panko
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Fry Sauce
- 1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sugar-free ketchup
- Optional: a few shakes of hot sauce
Instructions
- Make the fry sauce first by combining all the ingredients. Place in the refrigerator while you make the zucchini fries.
- Cut zucchini into fries: Cut each zucchini into 3 even pieces widthwise. Halve each piece of zucchini lengthwise. Take each 1/2 and slice in 3 similar-sized sticks lengthwise, so you have 6 zucchini sticks from 1/3 of a zucchini.
- Pat dry the zucchini sticks with a paper towel.
- In a separate bowl, crack and whisk the egg.
- In another bowl, mix together pork panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge the zucchini sticks in the egg wash. Shake off the excess and press into the pork panko mixture. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the zucchini sticks.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F, and spray the zucchini fries with cooking oil for an extra crispy texture.
- Arrange the zucchini sticks in a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes until crispy and browned.
- Serve immediately with fry sauce.
- If you have leftovers, store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees F to crisp up again.
Video
Notes
- Leave the skin on. It helps each zucchini fry hold its shape while it cooks. Medium zucchini also work best because they tend to have fewer seeds and less moisture than oversized ones.
- Cut the air fryer zucchini sticks evenly. Similar-sized fries cook at the same rate and crisp more evenly.
- Pat the zucchini dry before breading. Removing excess moisture helps the pork panko stick and creates a crispier coating.
- Press the pork panko onto each fry. When transferring the zucchini from the egg wash to the breading, chopsticks make the process much easier and less messy.
- Cook in a single layer. Avoid overlapping the fries so they crisp instead of steam. Work in batches if needed.
- Serve right away. Air fryer zucchini fries are crispiest straight out of the air fryer.
- These air fryer zucchini fries are best enjoyed fresh for the crispiest texture.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat them in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes until they're crispy again.
- I don't recommend freezing them because zucchini releases too much moisture after thawing, which makes the fries lose their crispy texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving - makes 4 | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg