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These air fryer zucchini fries are golden, crispy, and garlicky to the max! A gluten-free breading—without breadcrumbs—layers rice flour for lightness, almond flour for flavor, and parmesan for an extra-crisp finish.
They’re quick to prep, full of flavor, and pair perfectly with my creamy garlic aioli. I’ll show you how to keep zucchini fries crisp and intact from the air fryer to your plate. If you’re after a lighter option, try my no-breading air fryer zucchini and squash — easy, delicious, and breading-free.
Main Ingredient Notes
- 4-Layer breading: Layering is the secret to a crispy coating that actually sticks to zucchini fries. This recipe uses rice flour for a light base, egg for binding, seasoned almond flour, and parmesan for flavor and crunch. For an even lower-carb option, see the recipe notes for using whey protein isolate.
- Flavorful garlic aioli sauce: Made with Kewpie mayo, a rich Japanese mayonnaise crafted with egg yolks, this dip is creamy, tangy, and savory. Fresh garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt give it a bright, zesty finish.
- Oil spray: Essential for preventing fries from sticking to the air fryer basket and for helping the breading turn golden and crisp.
How to make crispy air fryer zucchini fries
Making crunchy gluten-free veggie fries really is quick and easy! Here are some tips on prepping your zucchini, layer your breading, and air frying so they crisp up, not steam.
- Make your garlic aioli sauce first and let it chill. Mixing it ahead lets the flavors deepen while you prep the fries.
- Prep and dry zucchini to prevent sogginess. Cut to similar sizes so they cook evenly. Pat them dry thoroughly to remove excess moisture—this helps them crisp up instead of steam.
- Bread in layers for crispiness, flavor, and moisture control.
- Rice flour first, so the egg sticks.
- Next, dredge in the eggs—this will help the next layers stick.
- Then almond flour mixed with garlic powder and salt—adds flavor and absorbs moisture.
- Finish with parmesan for extra crunch and a golden finish.
- Air fry until golden and cooked through: Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil first so they don’t stick. Leave space in between—this is important so they get crispy, not steam. Once in the basket, spray the zucchini spears with oil so the crust turns golden brown.
- Rest on a cooling rack to keep them crisp: Cook in batches so you don’t overcrowd the basket. Place finished fries on a rack to prevent them from steaming and getting soggy.
- Enjoy right away! Zucchini fries are best fresh and hot. Pair with garlic aioli or your favorite dipping sauce.
Tip
Oven bake for large batches
Need to make a big batch at once? Skip the air fryer and use your oven. After prepping and breading the zucchini, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until golden and crisp—done!
What to serve with air fryer zucchini sticks
These healthy air fried zucchini fries are a family-friendly side dish for any meal, perfect when you want something quick, easy, and kid-approved. They’re my go-to when I want a quick snack or party food, too!
- Crunchy appetizer spread: These fried zucchini spears are in good company with my air fryer corn ribs, air fried oyster mushrooms, or crispy eggplant bites.
- More dipping sauces: Please a crowd with a variety of flavorful sauces, like my tangy bang bang sauce, creamy bacon aioli, or sweet and spicy honey sriracha sauce.
ChihYu’s Tips: How to keep zucchini fries crispy
- Prevent soggy fries: Pat the zucchini dry before breading them. The parmesan crisps up beautifully, so don’t skip it. When cooking in batches, rest finished fries on a cooling rack so they stay crisp. Eat them right away!
- Getting the coating to stick: Layering the breading in the right order (flour-egg-flour-parmesan) helps the coating cling while building flavor at every stage.
- Spray evenly with oil: A light, even coat helps the breading turn golden and prevents the fries from sticking to the basket.
- Leave space in the basket: Overcrowding traps steam, which softens the crust. Cook in batches so hot air can circulate around each fry.
More tasty zucchini recipes to try
Recipe Card
Air fryer zucchini fries recipe
These air fryer zucchini fries are crispy, garlicky, and totally gluten-free—coated in almond flour and parmesan, with a rich homemade garlic aioli for dipping.
Ingredients
For the zucchini fries:
- 16 oz zucchini 2 medium
- 1 large egg
- Pinch ground black pepper
- 6-8 tbsp rice flour or gluten-free flour
- ½ cup almond flour or more (can also use panko)
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt plus a touch more
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 8 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Avocado oil spray
For the garlic aioli:
- 1/2 cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Garlic aioli sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Slice the zucchini into sticks: Slice the zucchini into fries by cutting each zucchini in half crosswise, then quartering each piece lengthwise to create long French fry shapes. Pat them dry with a clean paper towel.
- Dipping bowls: Whisk the egg with a touch of salt and pepper in one bowl; set the flour in a second bowl; then combine the almond flour, salt, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
- Bread the zucchini: Dip the zucchini sticks in the flour and dust off the excess, then dredge in the egg, followed by the almond flour and parmesan cheese mixture. Make sure each piece is coated well on all sides. Rest the coated zucchini over a large sheet pan or plate as you work through the batch.
- Air fryer time and temperature: Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil, then carefully place the zucchini spears into the basket with space between each piece. Spray more oil over the top. Make sure each piece is lightly coated evenly so they crisp up evenly. Air fry at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes. (Check after 8 minutes.)
- Rest and cooling: Rest the zucchini fries on a cooling rack so they don’t turn soggy while you finish cooking the remaining batch.
- How to serve it: Serve the fries right away with the garlic aioli while they’re at their crispiest.
Notes
- Flour choices: You can use all-purpose flour if you’re not sensitive to gluten. For a low-carb option, use whey protein isolate.
- Oven method: Bake on a parchment-lined sheet at 425°F for 20 minutes.
- Breading tip: I use a pair of chopsticks for the wet ingredients (egg) to keep my hands dry for dipping in the flour and coating.
- Avoid over crowding the basket: Leave some space between each zucchini sticks in the air fryer. Cook them in separate batches if needed.
- Make the garlic aioli first—it needs time for the flavors to come together and chill.
- Storage: Pack the sauce and fries separately. The fries stay fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The aioli keeps well for up to one week in the fridge.
- To reheat: Air fry the leftover fries at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 406IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 210mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Perfect way to cook that zucchini we have so much of right now! These were a hit, very delicious!
Thank you! So happy to hear!
Hello Chihyu, we need to be dairy free and also low carb due to type 1 diabetes. Have you ever heard of replacing way protein isolate with egg white powder or have you ever tried it? if it’s not going to be crispy then we don’t want to go that route but we can’t think of another substitution that’s not high carb. We LOVE your recipes. Thank you!
Hey Holly, I don’t know about egg white powder so I can’t really tell you about it. Sorry about that. If I see it next time, I’ll grab a bag and give it a try. 🙂
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m trying it today. I’ll try to remember to let you know.
I ended up using hemp protein powder. I was concerned I would be able to taste it but I couldn’t at all. It turned out SUPER! Thanks Chihyu
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing as I’m sure it’ll help others, too! Appreciate it again!
We made these zucchini fries in the new air fryer I got for my mom this past weekend and everyone loved the fries! So crispy and with lovely cheesy taste. They are easy to make, too! This is a wonderful alternative to traditional potato fries. Lighter and healthier. Thank you!
These zucchini fries are so DELICIOUS! They are a little crisp outside and full of cheesy and garlicky flavor. We devoured them with a sprinkle of pink salt. Next time, we will try with the garlic aioli sauce. This is a great dish for the upcoming zucchini season.
I made these last night! So so easy and yummy! I also loved how they cooked up so fast. My husband liked them too! They came out crispy and flavorful! We dipped ours in marinara! I like having different ideas to make veggies! Thank you for these air fryer recipe’s! I’ll be making these again for sure!
Yum! Love the marinara choice!
I have a bunch of zucchini at home and this recipe comes at the perfect timing! I dipped the zucchini with tapioca starch because that’s what I have and then the eggs and the almond flour/Parmesan coating and they turned out DELICIOUS! We devoured them very quickly Will be making it again!
Perfect!