Oven-Fried Zucchini

By Melissa Knific

Published July 5, 2024

Oven-Fried Zucchini
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(375)
Comments
Read comments

Crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these oven-fried zucchini aim to please the soggy skeptics. Zucchini are about 95 percent water, so a few things need to be done to ensure the disks don’t lose their bite. First, slices should be uniform in thickness (½ inch) for even baking. Next, lightly salting both sides of each slice before coating draws out some of the moisture (make sure to blot the zucchini slices dry with paper towels). Lastly, a generous amount of cheese in the coating helps the zucchini brown and crisp. To avoid bread crumb-y hands, use one for dipping in the egg wash and the other for the panko. To retain their crispness, the zucchini are best served right away. Try them with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • 2large eggs
  • 1cup plain panko bread crumbs
  • ½cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 2teaspoons dried basil or Italian seasoning
  • 1teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1pound zucchini (about 2 medium)
  • Marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

393 calories; 29 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 465 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Adjust an oven rack to the top-third position and heat to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment and coat with cooking spray.

  2. Step 2

    In a shallow bowl or pie plate, beat eggs. On a large plate, combine panko, Parmesan, dried basil, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix with a fork until well combined.

  3. Step 3

    Trim ends of zucchini and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly on one side with salt and let sit for a few minutes, then blot with a paper towel. Flip zucchini and repeat salting and blotting on the second side.

  4. Step 4

    Add a handful of zucchini slices to the beaten eggs, turning them a few times to coat. Transfer, one by one, to the panko mixture, allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Turn zucchini a couple times in the panko, gently pressing the panko so it sticks. Return the coated zucchini to the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices until they’re all coated.

  5. Step 5

    Bake zucchini for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently flip the zucchini with a spatula, then bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with marinara sauce for dipping, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
375 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Karen in Montreal

Salt the zucchini and pat it dry, then drop each piece in a bowl of all purpose flour, toss a bit to cover all sides. Take it out, give it a little shake to get excess flour off, then slide the piece into the egg mixture, then the panko mixture. Filling will stick on much better. Extra work, but extra tasty.

Lillian

Why not give directions for doing this in an air fryer?

Edith

To get breading to stick on anything, let the breaded food rest on a rack for 5 - 10 minutes before cooking.

GC

Challenging to keep the panko coating to stay on the zucchini.

Josée

Very easy recipe, quick and ideal as an appetiser. I made a fresh tomato sauce to serve with it. I thought about dipping the zucchini first in flour as it is more traditional but I wanted to try it without the flour and it worked quite well. I forgot to buy panko but had bread crumbs and it was still very good. I prepared the zucchini in advance, kept them refrigerated and baked a little bit longer than mentioned in the recipe as my zucchinis were cold.

Susan B

Was a little dry, next time will brush with olive oil before coating with the panko mixture

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.