Why This Recipe is a Game-Changer
Eliminating the watery inner seeds of zucchini is crucial for achieving that perfect baked texture. By doing so, you prevent the zucchini from becoming soggy during cooking. Additionally, pre-coating the breadcrumbs with oil ensures they achieve a delightful golden crispness in the short baking time.
Every summer, I embark on my gardening journey fueled by the optimistic belief that I will relish every bite of the zucchini I’ve grown. Despite my limited gardening skills and occasional neglect, my zucchini plants flourish abundantly—giving me a false sense of accomplishment (which is why I keep this charade going year after year). As summer progresses, harvesting becomes an overwhelming task akin to playing whack-a-mole. No matter how many times I attempt to pickle, grill, or incorporate it into salads for dinner, I can never seem to keep up.
Zucchini can be tricky to cook; its mild flavor and high water content often result in limp and bland dishes if not prepared correctly. This baked zucchini fries recipe offers a deliciously crunchy solution that transforms this often-overlooked vegetable into an irresistible snack.
While these may not technically be “fries,” they are certainly satisfying enough to win over even those who are skeptical about eating their vegetables. When coated in a flavorful Parmesan-infused panko crust and baked until golden brown and crispy on the outside, these zucchini sticks become perfect for dipping into a rich feta dip infused with dill.
To achieve this delectable outcome, we enlisted Julia Levy from our Birmingham test kitchen to meticulously prepare batch after batch of these crunchy delights until we found a version that would impress even those who typically shy away from zucchini.
Tips for Perfectly Crunchy Zucchini Fries
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Remove Excess Moisture: Zucchini’s high water content can lead to sogginess in your fries. To combat this issue, slice your zucchinis into spears and use either a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove as much of the inner seed pulp as possible—the most watery part of the vegetable.
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Pulse Panko Breadcrumbs: For optimal crispiness when baking your fries at home, pulse panko breadcrumbs in a food processor until finely ground before coating them with oil (about 1 tablespoon per cup). Smaller crumbs adhere better and cook faster.
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Incorporate Parmesan: Adding grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese not only enhances flavor but also creates an appealing frico-like crust around each fry once baked.
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Serve with Dip: Like any great fry dish deserves its companion dip! A tangy feta dip enriched with herbs complements the neutral taste of zucchini beautifully—simply blend feta cheese with yogurt along with lemon juice and fresh herbs for an easy yet delicious accompaniment.
Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe
Ingredients:
For Feta-Herb Dip:
- 4 ounces (113 g) feta cheese - ½ cup (118 ml) whole-milk strained yogurt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves + more for garnish - 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill + more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon honey
For Zucchini Fries:
- 3 medium zucchinis (~8 ounces each), ends trimmed & quartered lengthwise
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (~2 ounces; ~85 g)
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (~2 ounces; ~70 g)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (divided) -½ cup all-purpose flour (~2¼ ounces; ~64 g) -3 large egg whites
Instructions:
Feta-Herb Dip Preparation: In your food processor combine feta cheese, yogurt, water, olive oil garlic clove(s), lemon juice thyme leaves & dill until smooth—about thirty seconds should do it! Transfer mixture into serving bowl & refrigerate while preparing fries.
Zucchini Fry Preparation: Use knife/peeler remove seeds from inner portion then cut quarters lengthwise followed by crosswise cuts yielding approximately sixteen “fries” per medium-sized squash totaling around forty-eight pieces!
Preheat oven at 450°F (230°C) adjusting racks accordingly while lining two rimmed baking sheets using parchment paper set aside afterward patting down sliced zucchinis between paper towels drying excess moisture off thoroughly beforehand!
In clean dry food processor pulse panko till finely ground transferring it alongside parmesan cheese mixing well together adding one teaspoon salt ensuring complete coverage through fingers tossing lightly throughout process!
Prepare separate shallow bowls containing beaten egg whites plus flour dredging methodically working batches dusting off excess before moving onto breadcrumb mixture pressing firmly ensuring even coating across all sides placing spaced out evenly across prepared sheets avoiding overlap during bake time!
Bake both trays simultaneously allowing twelve minutes initially flipping halfway through switching positions top/bottom rotating front/back continuing till evenly browned/cooked approximately ten-fourteen additional minutes sprinkling remaining half teaspoon salt upon completion transferring onto serving platter drizzling honey atop dip garnishing further if desired serve immediately alongside warm crispy veggie treats ready enjoy guilt-free snacking blissfully indulging without hesitation!
Special Equipment Needed:
Food Processor
Make-Ahead Tips:
The herb-feta dip can be made ahead up-to five days stored airtight within refrigerator thickening naturally over time needing perhaps some Greek yogurt whisked back together prior usage if necessary! The cut zucchinis may also remain refrigerated sealed tightly lasting two days max but ensure thorough drying occurs pre-baking stage thereafter enjoy delightful results every single bite guaranteed satisfaction awaits you here today!