Air Fryer Zucchini is an easy, healthy side dish. Slices of zucchini are tossed with a mix of seasonings and lemon, then air fried until crisp and savory. Air fried zucchini carries a subtly sweet and savory flavor and will brighten up any dinner. It's a low carb and gluten free recipe that's low in calories and fat but big on flavor and nutrients!
My recipe contains no breading- just a tasty blend of olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. It's prepared in minutes and air fries for only 7, making it a quick and easy side dish to accompany your favorite main meals, like air fried pecan-crusted chicken tenders, meatloaf, or fish.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
- Fresh zucchini: small to medium bright green zucchini with few blemishes is best.
- Seasonings: dried thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper give this recipe a great flavor and a little spice. Leave out the red pepper flakes for a mild version. Or, use your favorite seasoning blend in place of these herbs. Garlic, rosemary and oregano all taste great on zucchini. You can also use fresh herbs in a larger quantity.
- Fresh squeezed lemon: can be substituted with bottled lemon juice
- Olive oil: this recipe uses a spritz of olive oil spray, but you can use other oil sprays. I prefer the spray to avoid using too much oil, which can make zucchini soggy. You can use liquid oil if you prefer, but use a very small amount.
Variations
- Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and then air fry to make parmesan-crusted zucchini.
- Cut the zucchini into rounds to make zesty zucchini chips.
- Leave out the red pepper flakes for a non-spicy version.
- Add garlic cloves to make roasted garlic zucchini. Or toss with already-made air fried roasted garlic after cooking. Garlic powder gives it a nice flavor too!
- Add cherry tomatoes prior to air frying, for a delicious roasted tomato and zucchini side dish!
- Use your favorite seasoning blend in place of the dried thyme, parsley, and red pepper.
- Make zucchini chips or fries (just cut into a different shape), with the same seasoning blend.
How To Make Air Fried Zucchini
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Spray the air fryer basket or tray with a light coating of olive oil. Place the zucchini slices in the basket or tray in one layer. Spritz lightly with olive oil spray.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes.
- Insert the basket or tray into air fryer and set the timer to 7 minutes (do not flip halfway).
- Squeeze the lemon over the zucchini slices and serve warm.
Kristina's Tips
- You can use a basket or tray style air fryer when making zucchini (and other vegetables). Vegetables are best roasted in air fryers in single layer, which means for smaller air fryers or basket-style ones, you may need to work in batches.
- I have the Instant Pot Omni Plus Air Fryer and the Duo Crisp basket-style. While both work great, the Duo is better for smaller batches of vegetables.
- Because zucchini has a mild flavor, an abundance of different seasonings can be used. Garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, garlic salt, and onion powder are great choices. An Italian seasoning blend tastes fantastic, and for a spicy roasted zucchini recipe, try Cajun or Creole seasoning.
Love zucchini during the spring? I think you'll also love my zucchini ribbon salad and zucchini bread recipes. Enjoy!
How to Store Air Fried Zucchini
Store zucchini in the fridge for up to 5 days. The longer leftovers are stored, the less "crisp" they will be. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave.
Recipe
Air Fryer Zucchini
Air Fryer Zucchini is an easy, healthy side dish. Slices of zucchini are tossed with a mix of seasonings and lemon, then air fried until crisp and savory. Air fried zucchini carries a subtly sweet and savory flavor and will brighten up any dinner!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini sliced
- olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Spray the air fryer basket or tray with a light coating of olive oil. Place the zucchini slices in the basket or tray in one layer. Spritz lightly with olive oil spray.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes.
- Insert basket or tray into air fryer and set the timer to 7 minutes (do not flip halfway).
- When done squeeze the lemon over the zucchini and serve warm.
Notes
Store zucchini in the fridge for up to 5 days. The longer it is stored, the less "crisp" it will be. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave.
There is no need to peel the zucchini before slicing.
Use a very small amount of liquid olive oil instead of the spray.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ozCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 299mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
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Julia says
Yum, I love how easy this is with the air fryer (plus easy clean-up), the seasonings were just enough and made for a great side dish.