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!
This delicious summer zucchini recipe is made with a simple blend of dried herbs and seasonings, and is an easy way to enjoy fresh zucchini straight from the garden, farmer's market, or grocer.
It's a low carb and gluten free recipe that's low in calories and fat but big on flavor and nutrients!
This 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.
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Recipe 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.
Step By Step Directions
Step 1. 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.
Step 2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes.
Step 3. Insert the basket or tray into air fryer and set the timer to 7 minutes (do not flip halfway).
Step 4. Squeeze the lemon over the zucchini slices and serve warm.
Enjoy!
💡Air Fryer Tip: 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.
Tips & FAQs for Air Frying Zucchini
Use small to medium-sized fresh zucchini with few blemishes. It should be firm and bright green. You can also use any summer squash variety, including yellow and green squash types.
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.
Zucchini can be air fried at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or 190 degrees Celsius). Recipes may vary slightly on their recommended temperature, as it depends on whether you are air frying zucchini chips, fries, boats, or slices.
Zucchini cooks quickly, especially in the air fryer. It should be cooked for between 5 and 12 minutes, depending on thickness and recipe. This recipe air fries the zucchini slices for 7 minutes. Always start on the lower end of the time range and check the zucchini until it reaches your desired tenderness. Remember that air fryers vary in their cook times, just as ovens do.
How to Store
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.
It is not freezer-friendly.
Recipe
Air Fryer Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini sliced
- olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon 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.
Julia
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.
Addie
So crispy and delicious!
Jean
I love Zucchini never thought of using air fryer to enjoy them. Thanks for the recipe.
Megan Ellam
I love how easy (and tasty) this is! Thanks for all the tips.
Luca
A great way to have a delicious side dish in no time!
Jeri
This zucchini cooked in the air fryer was delicious! My whole family agreed they liked this method the best! Loved the lemon juice on top!
Natalie
Great idea to make zucchinis in the air fryer. I'm going to give this a try. Yum! Perfect side dish.
Anaiah
Super easy air fryer zucchini! It came out so flavorful and made the perfect side dish. Thanks for the recipe!
Marcellina
Thanks for all the tips. I'm a newbie at air frying so this helps me so much!