Crispy, crunchy, and so easy to make, Zucchini Fritte are a great appetizer to make for your family! If you are new to deep frying, this recipe is a great one to try out since it is so simple!
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In the Summer, zucchini is everywhere! If you are growing zucchini, you know that one plant can give you more zucchini than you know what to do with! There's only so much roasted zucchini one family can take, so try frying it up!
When you have an excess amount of zucchini, make zucchini bread, stuff it with buffalo chicken or quinoa, and my newest favorite way, fry it!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a great beginner deep frying recipe! Deep frying can be intimidating, so this is a great recipe to start. Since we don't have to worry about full cooking the inside of the zucchini, you can concentrate on creating a beautiful, golden-brown crust and perfecting the oil temperature. Then you can move on to deep frying chicken and other ingredients!
- You can get your kids to eat zucchini! Because these zucchini fritte get SO crispy and crunchy, your kids will eat them up!
- They are easy to make! From start to finish these zucchini fries take less than 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients for Zucchini Fritte
- 2 medium zucchinis- You want about 4 cups of zucchini cut up.
- Flour- To give the egg something to hold onto on the zucchini.
- Eggs- To bind the breadcrumbs to the zucchini.
- Breadcrumbs- Homemade is best if you have them, if not, Italian style breadcrumbs will work.
- Parmesan- A little parmesan adds flavor and salt to the breading.
Equipment You'll Need
- Dutch oven or large pot. The bigger the better.
- Candy thermometer
- Spider strainer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
How To Deep Fry At Home
Deep frying is submerging an ingredient into very hot oil to get a crisp, crunchy layer on the outside while cooking the inside. It is important to be very careful when deep frying. Have a candy thermometer in the oil so you can control the temperature of the oil.
You don't want the oil to get too hot or the zucchini will burn immediately. If the oil is too cold, the zucchini and breading will soak up more oil than is necessary and create a soggy fry. The perfect temperature to fry in is 350 degrees.
How To Make Zucchini Fritte
Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off. Cut the zucchini into match sticks. I like to cut them about 2 inches long by ½ inch wide. If you have a mandolin you can use that to make life easier, but be very careful when cutting.
Place the cut zucchini on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Allow the zucchini to rest for 5 minutes. This process will draw any excess liquid from the zucchini so they are not mushy.
Take out three bowls. Add the flour to one bowl, the eggs to another, and the breadcrumb and parmesan to another. Mix the egg to break it up.
While the zucchini rest, get a large pot or a Dutch oven and fill it halfway with oil. Depending on the size of your pot will depend how much oil you need. I found that 4 cups of oil was plenty. You want the oil to be about 3 inches up the side of the pot.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Have a candy thermometer in the pan to control the temperature of the oil.
Take another paper towel and pat off any excess liquid that may have accumulated on the zucchini. Take a zucchini and coat it in the flour. Then coat it in the egg mixture, and then coat it in the breadcrumbs. Continue this process until you have about 20 zucchini breaded.
When the oil hits 350 degrees, carefully place the zucchini on the spider strainer and place them in the oil. Cook them for 3 minutes on both sides until golden brown.
Remove the zucchini fries from the oil and place them on another paper towel lines plate. Sprinkle with salt and serve as soon as they are cool enough to enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- Do not overcrowd the pot. You want the zucchini to be in a single layer in the pot. If you overcrowd the pot it will bring down the temperature of the oil and cause the zucchini to soak up too much oil.
- Have a paper towel lined plate close by. Once you take the zucchini out of the oil, place them directly onto the paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- As soon as the zucchini come out of the oil, place them on the plate and season them immediately with salt. The salt will be absorbed slightly into the hot zucchini.
- You'll have the best crisp on the zucchini as soon as they are made. As they sit, they tend to lose their crisp. It is best to serve them right away.
How To Serve Zucchini Fritte
- With a side salad! Top a salad with these zucchini fritte to add a crispy, crunch to the salad.
- With a dipping sauce! My favorite is sriracha aioli or southwest salad dressing that is perfect for dipping! Serve your zucchini fritte on a large platter with a bowl of sriracha aioli and they will be devoured in no time!
- On a buffet table! Serve these zucchini fritte alongside some Italian stuffed mushrooms , Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters, and Lasagna Fritta for an Italian themed buffet.
- With Marinara sauce! Love fried calamari or fried mozzarella? Use these instead and dip them in your favorite Marinara sauce!
- In a sandwich! Grab your favorite sourdough bread, load these zucchini fries on top, top with marinara and mozzarella and heat it in the oven for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. It's like an eggplant parmesan sandwich only better!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are not comfortable deep frying these zucchini fries, no worries! Spray an air fryer basket and set your air fryer to 400 degrees and cook them for 10 minutes or until crispy. You can also place the breaded zucchini on a baking sheet and bake them for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.
Typically, you would use a neutral oil that has a high smoking point so they cook the food perfectly before burning. For this recipe I used vegetable oil. You can use canola oil or peanut oil if you prefer. Olive oil can be used but it tends to be more expensive and a waste because we will be discarding the oil once we are done frying.
These zucchini fritte are best served and enjoyed immediately. If you do have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to reheat them, place them on a baking sheet and bake them for 10-15 minutes or until crispy. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for 10 minuets at 400 degrees.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love these Zucchini Fritte? If you did, don't forget to tag me on social media here on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Fritte (Fried Zucchini)
Ingredients
- 2 Zucchini Medium sized
- ½ cup Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs Homemade or Italian Style
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 4 cups Vegetable Oil To Fry in
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off. Cut the zucchini into match sticks. I like to cut them about 2 inches long by ½ inch wide. If you have a mandolin you can use that to make life easier, but be very careful when cutting.
- Place the cut zucchini on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Allow the zucchini to rest for 5 minutes. This process will draw any excess liquid from the zucchini so they are not mushy.
- Take out three bowls. Add the flour to one bowl, the eggs to another, and the breadcrumb and parmesan to another. Beat the egg.
- While the zucchini rest, get a large pot or a Dutch oven and fill it halfway with oil. Depending on the size of your pot will depend how much oil you need. I found that 4 cups of oil was plenty. You want the oil to be about 3 inches up the side of the pot.
- Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Have a candy thermometer in the pot to control the temperature of the oil.
- Take another paper towel and pat off any excess liquid that may have accumulated on the zucchini. Take a zucchini and coat it in the flour. Then coat it in the egg mixture, and then coat it in the breadcrumbs. Continue this process until you have about 20 pieces breaded.
- When the oil hits 350 degrees, carefully place the zucchini on the spider strainer and place them in the oil. Cook them for 3 minutes on both sides until golden brown.
- Remove the zucchini fries from the oil and place them on another paper towel lines plate. Sprinkle with salt and serve as soon as they are cool enough to enjoy.
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