These thin, salty, crispy Zucchini Chips are the perfect little zucchini snack or side dish! No breading, just zucchini, these crunchy fried zucchini crisps will make you forget all about chips and dip!
When it’s zucchini season, there are always plenty zukes to have and share. That’s why we’re always looking for delicious new zucchini recipes. This year, in addition to yummy Carrot Zucchini Muffins, Zucchini Squash Casserole and Zucchini Vegetable Foil Packets, we can’t get enough of these crispity, crunchity fried zucchini chips!
What’s the Secret to These Fried Zucchini Chips?
- Only 2 ingredients
- Tested and tested again to get the crispiest results
- No flour, no panko, just all zucchini, all the time
Fried Zucchini Chips Ingredients
- zucchini
- salt
- water
- oil for frying
- toppings: parmesan cheese & parsley or my All Purpose Creole Seasoning
Kitchen Equipment I Use to Make the Job Easy
How to Make Crispy Zucchini Chips with No Breading
Thin Slices. Remove the ends of the zucchini. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to slice the zucchini into â…› inch thick medallions.
Salt Water Soak. In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt until the salt has dissolved. Add zucchini slices and let soak for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and lay zucchini in a single layer between paper towels for 5 minutes. Press gently to remove excess water. (Repeat if necessary.)
Fry Time. Fry zucchini in about 1 inch of heated oil in a large skillet. Flip the chips when the zucchini begins to blister. Remove the skillet when chips are golden brown. Let drain on a wire rack in a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
A warm oven. As you make the remaining chips, place the wire rack with finished chips in a preheated 200 degree oven to keep warm and further crisp. Top with Parmesan cheese & dried parsley (if desired) or sprinkle with Creole Seasoning & serve immediately!
Why are my Zucchini Chips Not Crispy?
- If the zucchini is not sliced thin enough, it will not crisp up when fried or baked.
- Take a little extra time to repeat & press out as much water as you can with the paper towels. The less water in the zucchini, the crispier will cook up!
- Make sure your oil is sizzling hot when frying your chips. If the oil is not hot enough, the slices will soak up the oil and become soggy. I use a thermometer and keep my oil around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When finished frying, let your chips drain on a wire rack where the excess oil can drip away instead of laying directly on a soggy paper towel.
- If your chips still aren’t as crisp as you like, let them continue to dry and crisp in 200 degree oven (10-15 minutes).
Dipping Sauces to Serve with Zucchini Chips
- Louisiana Remoulade Sauce
- Campfire Fry Sauce
- Whipped Feta Tzatziki Dip
- Fresh Salsa with Cilantro & Lime
- Ranch Dressing or Marinara Sauce
Can I Bake Zucchini Chips?
You sure can! Place a wire rack in a baking sheet. After step #2 on the recipe card below, place the zucchini slices in a single layer on the wire rack and place 200 degree oven. Bake for 2- 2.5 hours to dry out the zucchini slices and crisp them up.
Can I Air Fry Zucchini Chips?
Absolutely! After step #2 on the recipe card below, spray each side of the zucchini slices with cooking oil spray. Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until as crisp as you like. Repeat until all chips are cooked.
What to Serve with These Zucchini Chips
This recipe makes enough chips for 2-4 people to snack on or enjoy as a side dish with:
- Tuna Salad with Apples & Celery
- Tasty Lemon Chicken Salad
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Spicy Italian Crescent Ring Sandwich
- Ultimate Farmhouse Egg Salad
- Southern Chopped Ham Salad
How to Store Zucchini Chips
If you have any zucchini chips left over, store them in a zip top bag or in an air tight storage container at room temperature for a day or two.
Storing the chips in the refrigerator can make them limp. Reheat them in a 200 degree oven until their crisp returns.
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Crispy Fried Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini (or 2 medium zucchini)
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt
- canola oil for frying
- parmesan cheese and/or dried parsely flakes, as a topping
Instructions
- Remove the ends of the zucchini. Use a mandolin or sharp chef's knife to slice the zucchini into â…› inch thick slices.
- In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt until the salt has dissolved. Add zucchini and let soak for 15 minutes, then drain. After draining, lay zucchini slices in a single layer between paper towels for about 5 minutes. Then press gently to remove excess water. (Repeat if necessary.)
- Heat about 1 inch of cooking oil in the bottom of a large skillet. (Oil is hot when a tiny drop of water sprinkled in makes it pop & sizzle.) Quickly add zucchini slices one at a time in a single layer in the frying pan.
- When the zucchini chips begins to blister and brown just a little, turn them over and continue to fry. When golden brown, remove chips from skillet and let drain in a single layer on a wire rack in a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- As the rest of the slices are being fried, place wire rack/baking sheet with finished chips in a preheated 200 degree oven to keep warm and further crisp.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
why do you soak them? My idea was to just add a little salt and wait until they release water, then dry and fry. Haven’t done it yet and came across your recipe and I’m curious.
Hi, Amber! In testing the recipe multiple times, I found that the chips were more consistently crispy (between batches and even among the same batch) and had better flavor than when I just sprinkled with salt and let them “weep.”