Name: Air Fryer Zucchini Chips (Panko Crusted)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 2 Zucchini (Cut into ¼ inch thick slices); ½ cup All purpose flour (Maida); 1 tablespoon Corn flour (corn starch); Salt & Pepper (to taste); 1 teaspoon Garlic powder; ½ teaspoon Onion powder; ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika; ½ cup Water (to make the batter); 2 cup Panko bread crumbs; Olive oil cooking spray

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These healthy, vegan air fryer zucchini chips are so crispy and tasty. If you’re looking for a healthy snack then these non-greasy chips are perfect and give you a serving of veggies too.

Air fried zucchini chips served with fry sauce on a wooden board.

❤️ About This Panko Crusted Zucchini Chips

These air fryer zucchini chips are coated with seasoned flour batter and panko bread crumbs and cooked until perfectly crisp with minimum use of oil.

Taste: Savory, delicious and super yummy when served with a dipping sauce like fry sauce.
Texture: Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. These are not soggy at all.
Easy-to-make: These zucchini chips are made with 3 simple steps. Slice, coat and air fry.
Quick: The prep work will require around 10 minutes and air frying time for one batch is around 5-7 minutes only. You’ll have a healthy snack ready in under 20 minutes.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Air fryer zucchini chips ingredients in bowls and spoons with labels.

Zucchini:
- No need to peel zucchini for chips. Cut them into ¼-inch thick round slices.
- Choose zucchini that are firm and heavy, without blemishes or bruises.
- Do not choose overgrown, fat zucchini (these are good for eggless zucchini muffins or eggless zucchini bread but not for zucchini chips).
Flour: A mixture of all purpose flour and corn flour (aka corn starch) is used. A thick coating consistency batter is made by adding some water.
Seasonings: Here I have used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- Try with other flavor combinations like italian seasoning, taco seasoning, or a mixture of turmeric and garam masala for some Indian flavor.
Panko bread crumbs: These are Japanese seasoned breadcrumbs and they have a large, coarse texture that gives these fries such a crispy texture. You can find them in the grocery store near the regular breadcrumbs.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Air Fryer Zucchini Chips?

1) Take all purpose flour, corn starch, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika in a bowl.

2) Mix everything together.

3) Add water.

4) Stir and make a lump-free thick batter.

Collage of 4 images showing making a flour batter.

5) First grease the air fryer basket base using a cooking oil spray and keep it ready. Take one zucchini slice and dip it into the batter. Lift it using a fork and let the excess batter drip.

6) Add into a bowl of bread crumbs and coat both sides.

Pro Tip: To do the mess-free coating, keep batter and bread crumbs bowls next to each other. Use two different forks (one for batter and one for breadcrumbs) or use two different hands (left for batter and right for crumbs).

7) Arrange the coated chips into the greased air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray the top layer using a cooking oil spray.

8) Air fry zucchini chips at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5-7 minutes. Serve these zucchini chips right away to enjoy the best crispy texture. Repeat the same for the rest.

Collage of 4 images showing coating with batter and then with bread crumbs and air fried.

💭 Expert Tips For Panko Crusted Zucchini

Preheating the air fryer is not necessary. I know you’ve read in multiple blogs that preheating is important. I have tried both ways and it doesn’t make any difference.
Arrange zucchini chips in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Overcrowding the chips will result in a soft and soggy texture. To get the crispy texture they need to be in a single layer so hot air can circulate around them.
Cut the zucchini slices of even thickness so they get cook event at the same time.
Cook time may vary slightly depending on the brand and model of the air fryer you’re using. So take a quick peak a few minutes earlier to decide the cooking time. This recipe is tested in this Gourmia 5qt air fryer.

🥣 Storage & Re-heating

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Of course, zucchini chips will get soft after storing.
Reheat them in the air fryer at 400 F for 3 minutes or until they crisp up again and become warm throughout.

🍽 Serving Ideas

These make a great healthy snack or appetizer or a great side dish for your meal. Below are a few suggestions:

Snack or Appetizer with dipping sauce: Dip them in ketchup or fry sauce or your choice of any other sauce like ranch, yum yum sauce.
Side dish for your meal: Make these a healthier alternative for your sandwiches or burgers (kidney bean burger) instead of regular fries or potato chips. This makes a perfect side for your protein.

Air fryer zucchini chips dipped into fry sauce.

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