This Air-fryer Zucchini is a delicious, easy side dish for any meal! It's topped with crispy breadcrumbs, freshly minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Each piece is beautifully caramelized and golden brown. And the entire recipe takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
Looking for more easy side dishes? Try my air-fryer broccoli or cauliflower next!
About This Recipe
I would say zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables now. But growing up, I did not always like it. My mom used to saute zucchini slices for us, but they always ended up very mushy, so I always had this negative association with them. However, later on in life, I realized it could be so much better than that.
My favorite way to cook them now is in the air fryer. I find it's the best way to get a caramelized exterior without overcooking the inside. I really hate overcooked zucchini. The inside gets really mushy, and the outside gets shriveled up. If you want the best zucchini, the inside should be tender and slightly firm but never mushy.
A couple of scoops of breadcrumbs and parmesan really elevate this air-fried zucchini. They add a crispy texture, flavor, and extra browning.
Key Ingredients
Zucchini: I prefer to cut zucchini into large chunks. Aim for at least 1 ยฝ inch thick. They need to be air-fried for at least 7 minutes to get a brown color, and if the zucchini chunks are too small, they will get mushy.
Garlic: I love the flavor of garlic in air-fried vegetables. The air-fryer roasts them beautifully and gives them a beautiful, deep flavor.
Olive oil: For coating the zucchini.
Breadcrumbs: I'm using panko breadcrumbs today, but feel free to use whatever you have. Panko has a more varied texture, which is why I like it.
Parmesan cheese: I used the fake kind of parmesan today, but of course this would taste better with the real one. I just didn't have any left after making Alfredo sauce last week.
Salt and pepper: Personally, I do not add any salt, but when I made this for my family, they thought it needed more salt. I updated the recipe to have just ยผ of a teaspoon.
Instructions
STEP 1: Cut the zucchini into large 1 ยฝ-inch chunks. It doesn't really matter the shape, but I did a fancy cut where you rotate the zucchini 90 degrees after each cut, and you end up with these varied shapes.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the zucchini with the other ingredients and toss well.
STEP 3: Place half the zucchini in the air fryer basket.
STEP 4: Air-fryer at 400ยฐF for 7-9 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining half.
๐ Recipe
Air Fryer Zucchini
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini (cut into 1 ยฝ-inch chunks)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together.
- Preheat your air-fryer to 400ยฐF. Place half the zucchini in the air fryer basket.
- Air-fry for 7-9 minutes until lightly brown and crisp on the outside. Remove to a serving plate and repeat with the other half of the zucchini.
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