Name: Air Fryer Breaded Zucchini Sticks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 Medium zucchini (approximately 1.5 inches diameter); ⅓ Cup all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp corn starch; 2 large eggs; 1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs; ⅓ Cup fine breadcrumbs; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried parsley; 1/2 tsp kosher salt or coarse sea salt; Olive oil spray

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Seasoned and breaded zucchini sticks are a delicious addition to any appetizer night. Cooked in the air fryer, these tasty zucchini sticks are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. A great way to use the abundance of zucchini in the summer, these never disappoint. Serve with your favorite dip and dig in.

Breaded zucchini sticks on a plate with a dish of ranch dip.

Zucchini sticks are crispy, delicious breaded zucchini squash that are a great addition to any appetizer platter.

We love them with other crispy finger foods such as Cheeseburger Eggrolls and Buffalo Chicken Wontons.

What are Zucchini Sticks?

If you are looking for the perfect recipe to use the abundance of zucchini in your garden during the summer, this is it!

Often seen on the appetizer section of restaurant menus and sometimes known as zucchini fries or zoo sticks, there is a good reason they are popular They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and make a great finger food.

Most of the time you will find them deep-fried, but we’ve chosen to air fry them instead, which gives them the same texture and crunch as the deep-fried version, but don’t have to worry about a pot full of hot oil.

Breaded zucchini sticks on a plate with dip.

Zucchini sticks come together quickly, with simple pantry ingredients. With about 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking time, they can be on your table in approximately 30 minutes.

Zucchini sticks are excellent served with creamy dips. I like to serve them with a bowl of Dill Dip, or Ranch, but honestly, they are good with just about anything. For something spicier Sriracha Mayo Dip is a great choice, or Creamy Jalapeno Dip. And if you aren’t a dip fan, not to worry, they are even delicious just as they are.

These sticks are easy to customize with different flavors, just by changing the seasoning. They also work perfectly using gluten-free ingredients.

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Zucchini sticks on a wooden serving platter with ranch dip.

Ingredients & Substitutions

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

The ingredients you will need to make crispy breaded zucchini sticks are:

Fresh zucchini – You need to use fresh zucchini for this recipe. Frozen zucchini will not work as it will release too much water when it thaws. I recommend using small zucchini, no more than an inch and a half in diameter as they are more tender and have fewer seeds resulting in a nicer texture zucchini stick. If you are using large zucchini you will just need to make sure you slice them into sticks no more than 3/4 inch thick.

Flour & Cornstarch – The combination of flour and cornstarch helps dry the zucchini sticks so they can hold the egg and breadcrumbs and create a crispier zoo stick. You can use just flour if that’s all you have, you can also use gluten-free flour if you need.

Eggs – Eggs will bind the breadcrumbs and seasoning to the zucchini stick. If you have an egg allergy, buttermilk can be used for similar results.

Breadcrumbs – This recipe uses a combination of panko and fine breadcrumbs. Using both will give you the perfect crunch while also fully coating the sticks. You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you need to or, if you don’t have breadcrumbs, crushed crackers or cornflake crumbs work great.

Seasonings – The seasoning used in this recipe is a simple blend of garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt. But you can use almost anything you like. For something spicy, cajun seasoning is a great choice. Ranch seasoning also works well, or you can use Italian seasoning, all-purpose seasoning salt, or any other spice blend you like.

Ingredients for breaded zucchini sticks.

Slicing the Zucchini

Start by slicing the ends off of the zucchini, then cut the zucchini in half crosswise.

Next, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise again.

You will end up with 8 sticks per zucchini.

If your zucchini is larger, you will want to cut it into more sticks. The green side of each stick should be about 3/4 to 1 inch wide for the best results when cooking.

Zucchini on a cutting board sliced in half then sliced into sticks.

Gluten Free Air Fryer Zucchini Sticks

This recipe can be made gluten-free easily with just a few simple ingredient swaps, and you won’t even notice a difference in flavor or texture.

Flour – Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I have used Anita’s all-purpose flour blend (Canadian), Robin Hood, and Cloud 9, and all have produced excellent results. You could also use something like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill.

Breadcrumbs – Substitute regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs. 4C Seasoned Breadcrumbs are my favorite; the rice flour breadcrumbs add a nice crunch. When making these gluten-free, I like to swap the panko for crushed gluten-free cornflakes. I have found gluten-free panko to be extremely chunky; it doesn’t stick as well to the zucchini and tends to get a bit soggy. But the cornflakes add a great crunch, more similar to the gluten version of this recipe.