These zucchini sticks are a great option for your next appetizer platter. Coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and air-fried, they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are made with simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite dip and enjoy.
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.
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What are Zucchini Sticks?
You will often see zucchini sticks on the appetizer section of restaurant menus. They are sometimes better known as zucchini fries or zoo sticks.
There is a good reason they are so 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.
You don’t need anything fancy to make these tasty zucchini sticks. They are a great snack to make in the summer when the garden is overflowing with fresh squash, and all you need are a few simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients to complete the dish.
These sticks come together quickly. With about 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking time, they can be on your table in approximately 30 minutes.
I like to serve them with a bowl of Dill Dip, or Ranch, but they’d be good with almost any dip. They are even delicious just as they are.
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 ¾ 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.
If you are gluten-free you can substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs in this recipe with no issues.
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 ¾ to 1 inch wide for the best results when cooking.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover zucchini fries can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
You can reheat the zucchini sticks by popping them in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes.
These will not freeze well.
More Air Fryer Appetizers
Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Breaded Zucchini Sticks
Ingredients
- 2 Medium zucchini approximately 1.5 inches diameter
- ⅓ Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 large eggs
- ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ⅓ Cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the zucchini and discard. Then cut each zucchini in half crosswise.
- Cut each zucchini piece in half lengthwise, then cut each of those halves lengthwise again. You will end up with 8 sticks per zucchini.
- In a shallow bowl or plate mix the panko breadcrumbs, fine breadcrumbs, garlic powder, parsley and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
- In a third shallow bowl or plate mix the flour and cornstarch.
- Dip each zucchini stick in the flour mixture, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs making sure it is well coated.
- Place the zucchini sticks in a single layer in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with olive oil spray.
- Place the basket in the air fryer, set the temperature to 380°F and cook for 10-12 minutes until the zuccini is crispy, golden and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Serve with your favourite dipping sauce and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
This post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated for content and clarity.