What does one do when all the summer zucchini starts coming in? Leave some on your neighbor’s doorstep under the cover of darkness? Take bags to the office? Instead, try this easy Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash recipe that no one can stop eating!
In just 20 minutes, you can have this delicious crispy seasonal low carb side dish on your dinner table and there will be no leftovers. Technically speaking, these air fried roasted Zucchini and summer squash should serve 4 adults. Shhh…Don’t tell anyone but we’ve been known to polish off the whole darn plate ourselves. It’s that good!
These healthy summer vegetables are tender on the inside but crispy and golden on the outside with a simple garlic lemon seasoning. Until you have tried zucchini in the air fryer without breading or extra oil, you have no idea what you have been missing out on.
Do you have zucchini (courgetti) and yellow summer squash growing in your garden? Don’t wait until they are so large you could use them as a floatation device. (smiling) Pick them small for this recipe and try our Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms.
Jump to:
Why it Works
- This way of cooking zucchini and squash is simple and light. It’s happily vegan, paleo, whole30, gluten-free and keto friendly.
- Eating seasonally allows you to enjoy the natural sweetness of your garden’s bounty and is budget friendly.
- Easy to find ingredients and uses common household staples.
- Great way to use up all the zucchini along with our Mediterranean Veggie Wraps and Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta with Zucchini Blossoms.
- Roasting zucchini in the air fryer keeps the house cool on those hot steamy days and frees up the burners on the stove.
- Delicious vegetable side dish for Tea Smoked Chicken Legs or Mediterranean Baked Fish.
- Air frying means you don’t heat up the whole house by firing up the oven!
Ingredients
Zucchini (courgetti) – or can use all yellow summer squash
Yellow summer squash – (straight neck squash) or just use all zucchini
Olive oil - extra virgin if you have that on hand
Fresh Garlic – or can substitute with dried garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Lemon Zest – optional but really makes this dish pop
Dried Red Pepper Flakes – optional - just a dash if you like a little heat
Garnished with fresh lemon slices, tomato slices from the garden and chiffonade basil.
How to Make
- Slice the zucchini and summer yellow squash into ¼ inch slices.
- Toss with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
- Air fry zucchini and squash at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 7 minutes. (We used the air fryer basket not this lined platter to air fry the vegetables. However, to keep the mess down whilst taking the photo, its in this lined platter)
- Turn over halfway through and air fry for another 7 to 8 minutes or until toasty golden.
- Zest lemon on top, add dried red hot pepper flakes and garnish with basil if desired.
Equipment
Cosori Deluxe S 26-qt. 10-in-1 Smart Toaster Oven was used with the basket for air frying. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches. You do not want the squash and zucchini to overlap so that it stays crispy like our Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce.
Variations
- Feel free to use all yellow summer squash or zucchini. We are all about using what you have on hand.
- Do you prefer zucchini fries instead of slices? You can cut up the summer vegetables any way you desire. Try a few layered up in our Whole30 make ahead lunch cups.
- Experiment with different herbs and spices. We love keeping this Italian side dish simple with garlic, lemon zest and sometimes dried red pepper flakes. However, basil, thyme, oregano, herbs de Provence and even everything bagel seasoning are delicious additions.
- If you are not vegan or lactose intolerant, parmesan cheese is a delicious topping and gives this recipe a little added crunch.
Top Tips
- To keep the air fryer squash and zucchini crisp, do not overlap the slices in the air fryer basket. If need be, cook in smaller batches.
- For optimal results, use the air fryer basket instead of the baking pan. The rationale for this choice is that the convection heat gets to both sides of the vegetables so that they get crisp. If you have a toaster oven style air fryer like us, just line the baking pan underneath the fry basket to catch any drips for easy cleanup. We tested the recipe both ways and hands down, the basket wins.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C), while you are prepping the vegetables. A high heat prevents the zucchini from getting soggy while it I cooking.
- Don’t use too much oil. A teaspoon or so is really all you need.
- Turn the summer veggies halfway in the cooking process.
- Keeping the squash and zucchini slices all about ¼ inch thick allows for more even cooking.
How to Serve
- This healthy zucchini side dish is delicious with Grilled Swordfish with Crab Salsa, in a Buddha bowl, or with Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks to name just a few.
- If you are serving to guests, try stacking and alternating zucchini and squash in a circle for a beautiful presentation. As we first eat with our eyes, we added fresh garden tomato slices, lemon slices and basil to garnish.
- If by some odd coincidence you actually have air fryer zucchini and squash leftovers, add them to Italian Scrambled Eggs for breakfast.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
In a preheated 400-degree F (204 degrees C) air fryer, it takes approximately 12 to 15 minutes total to cook ¼ inch sliced zucchini.
There are 3 key ways to prevent it from getting soggy.
1) Cook zucchini in the air fryer
2) Do not use too much oil and make sure your zucchini slices are not overlapping. 3) It is best to use the air fryer basket and to turn the vegetables midway during the cooking process.
Sometimes we refer to both zucchini and squash as summer squash which can be quite confusing. However, there are some basic differences.
Zucchini (also known as a courgetti) is usually green in color and relatively straight in shape and has a little bit less seeds compared to a yellow squash.
Yellow squash is usually bright yellow in color and can have a straight neck (younger) or have a crooked neck (more mature with more seeds and external bumps). We find that they have a few more seeds compared to a zucchini. If you want a mellow tasting yellow squash similar to the taste of a zucchini, choose the straight neck younger yellow squash.
More Summer Vegetable Recipes
Super Easy Grilled Asian Eggplant
Italian Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Crispy Curry Chicken Legs
Banana Spring Rolls (Air Fryer Method)
Air Fryer Ribs (Chinese Style Garlic Ribs)
Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.
Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
Fried Zucchini
- 1 zucchini small , sliced in about ¼ inch thick
- 1 yellow squash small , sliced in about ¼ inch thick
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic fresh (peeled and minced)
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil spray to prevent sticking on air fryer basket
Garnishes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional but delicious
- dried red pepper flakes optional to your desired level of heat
- 1 tablespoon basil optional - fresh Chiffonade cut
- tomato optional - fresh sliced
- lemon slices optional as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Slice zucchini and yellow summer squash in ¼ inch circle slices. Peel and mince fresh garlic.
- Place squash and zucchini slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
- Spray air fryer basket lightly with a little oil spray. Lay the prepared zucchini and squash in a single layer in the basket. (If you have a small air fryer, you may have to make this recipe in more than one batch.)
- Air fry zucchini and squash for 7 minutes on one side. Then, carefully turn the veggies over to cook on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes or until slightly golden and toasty. The exact time required to cook will depend on the size you sliced your vegetables. They should be fork tender but slightly crispy on the outside.
- Place the air fried squash and zucchini on a platter. Arrange in a overlapping circular design, if desired. Garnish with lemon zest, dried red pepper flakes and fresh basil if you like. We also added a few fresh garden tomatoes on the platter for serving.
- Enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
- To keep the air fryer squash and zucchini crisp, do not overlap the slices in the air fryer basket. If need be, cook in smaller batches.
- For optimal results, use the air fryer basket instead of the baking pan. The rationale for this choice is that the convection heat gets to both sides of the vegetables so that they get crisp. If you have a toaster oven style air fryer like us, just line the baking pan underneath the fry basket to catch any drips for easy cleanup. We tested the recipe both ways and hands down, the basket wins.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C), while you are prepping the vegetables. A high heat prevents the zucchini from getting soggy while it I cooking.
- Don’t use too much oil. A teaspoon or so is really all you need.
- Turn the summer veggies halfway in the cooking process.
- Keeping the squash and zucchini slices all about ¼ inch thick allows for more even cooking.
rabbitcancook says
Waow.... I can't believe veggie can ever looks so delicious...I am getting hungry and drooling just looking at your photos 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you very much. I have seen that you can do some pretty amazing things with veggies in your bento boxes! Take care, BAM
Rachel @ The Pescetarian and the Pig says
Oh my GOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!! I can't wait to try these, they look AMAZING!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Rachel! They would go perfect at a tapas gathering with your little mini. caprese. Take care, BAM
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
I get inspired when I come over here!! What an awesome appetizer, healthy as well!! Thanks so much for your kind words.. I'm off to see your other lovely friends as well:D xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Barbara! We really do have an awesome group of foodie friends. Take care this holiday! BAM
kitchenriffs says
Gosh, thanks for that link love! I really appreciate it! And I'd appreciate having some of these great looking Shake 'n Bake Veggie Snack Stacks, stat. Really nice recipe, and a totally fun post - really good. Thanks so much.
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are very welcome. Take care this holiday season. BAM
yummychunklet says
Now that's a tasty way to use Shake n' Bake!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Do you remember that commercial? "It is shake and bake I helped! "
erika says
Wow, you always make the most delicious looking dishes! This is not only totally delectable looking, but also perfect--I just opened a can of pizza sauce for cauliflower pizza recently and need to use it up--these little veggie stacks would be perfect! YUM.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you for your kind comment. So there you go, with a jar of sauce, you have recipe in the making. Great way to use up those veggies in the crisper. Take Care, BAM
tableofcolors says
These look fabulous! Something I would love to eat!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you very much. Actually your blog name and these little veggie snacks have a lot in common as they are kind of like the rainbow. Did you have a lot of rain in London during your visit? Take care, BAM
tableofcolors says
We were really lucky! We had clear skies and sunshine for the entire stay. It was about +5-7 degrees Celsius. Perfect weather for walking outside with my down jacket on 🙂
Mich - Piece of Cake says
These look great. I love the fact its baked and not deep fried.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you. In fact, you could bake these little veggie delights through the whole process but as part of the first step I did fry them in just a little bit of oil so that they were nice and brown and crispy, and then baked them in the oven. However, you could do the first step in the oven as well. Take care, BAM
petit4chocolatier says
Wow Bam!! Great idea! They are gems 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you for your kind words. Wishing you a very delightful weekend. Take care, BAM
Eha says
The eye appeal of these is tremendous and my fave vegetables are well and truly included: the biggest 'recommendation' tho' comes from the description 'serves 4 adults of 1 hungry teenager' 😀 ! If this would not taste extra good, NO teenager, however hungry, would not have the fridge door open in search of . . . if he just did not 'need' that next stack 😀 !
Healthy World Cuisine says
Eha, thank you for your kind words! It means so much to me. I know that most people laugh when they read the serving sizes unless they were a parent of a teenage boy and then they completely understand how these are pretty accurate serving sizes... As you have mentioned the opened fridge door searching it sounds like you are a seasoned one...Take care and have a super week. BAM
Marina@Picnic at Marina says
Shake and bake: that's my motto! Love it!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Do you remember that commercial, "Its shake and bake and we helped."? Okay maybe that is way before your time... As I was shaking up my zucchini slices I could not help but think about that 80's commercial or maybe that was the 70's... LOL
Choc Chip Uru says
You are a genius my friend and never forget that 😀
This looks fantastic!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Healthy World Cuisine says
CCU thank you for your kind comment! Stay strong during your exams. Take care, BAM
Francesca says
Great, great dish. So special! And perfect for parties too. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you very much. What wine would you pair with this appetizer? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Take care, BAM
Francesca says
I'll ask Stefano to get back to you on this.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Stefano for the wine selection pairing ideas for this dish. On my way yo go find your wines in the market for a weekend gathering. Have a super weekend. BAM
Karen says
Your little veggie stacks will be served at my next little dinner party...pretty, easy and tasty will be very welcomed. And thank you so much for your kind words...I really do appreciate the mention.
Healthy World Cuisine says
I am so happy you like these little veggie snack stacks. I guess they could easily be a side dish or an appetizer. Take care, BAM
ChgoJohn says
I never had a problem eating vegetables when growing up and these, being fried and stacked, would surely disappear in minutes. It's a great idea, BAM, one that I'll be sure to come back to once locally grown vegetables are available again.
Healthy World Cuisine says
My boys are getting better about eating their vegetables. My one son loves most all veggies but my other is still quite picky so you have to do what you have to do to get them to eat their veggies. I guess it was one perk of living in Asia as that we have fresh vegetables most all year around due to the temperate weather. (Now one cannot find proper brown sugar or red hot hotsauce if life depended on it, but we do have veggies)Take care, BAM