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Our Keto Fried Zucchini is a gluten free, grain free recipe that might just be my favorite way to eat zucchini! This crispy coated zucchini is perfect dipped in ranch and so good that I have to fight my kids for these!
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If you’ve been around here for long, you know that I’ve eaten low carb off and on for years now. I love the way it makes me feel and I’ve lost quite a bit of weight doing it as well!
When I’m focusing on carbs, I try to eat healthy – lots of protein, plenty of veggies, and some healthy fats. Egg roll in a bowl is one of our go to meals!
But I inevitably end up craving fried food, because let’s be honest – fried food is delicious. 😉
These crispy fried zucchini chips are the ultimate low carb treat! So easy to make, the whole family loves them, and they make a great snack or side dish!
We like to dip our fried zucchini in this keto ranch dressing. Seriously the best ranch ever!
Ingredient Notes:
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Coconut Flour- We’ve tested this recipe with both coconut flour and almond flour. Both work well, but coconut flour seems to get a bit crispier.
Parmesan – Use the powdery kind in a green can. It adds flavor to the breading!
Zucchini – You can use zucchini or yellow squash in this recipe! They’ll both fry up just about the same.
Oil – We like to use avocado oil for frying. It has a high smoke point and is healthier than most vegetable oils. It is more on the expensive side though, so feel free to use what you have on hand.
What Readers are Saying!
“My husband is the one doing Keto, so I made these for him. They were quick and easy, and he said they were restaurant quality!” – Jodi G.
How to Make Fried Zucchini:
Prepare: Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let them sit on a paper towel lined sheet pan to draw out the moisture for 30 minutes and then wipe off any excess liquid and salt with a paper towel.
Helpful Tip!
Getting Fried Zucchini Crisp:
There is a lot of moisture in zucchini, so salting it and letting that liquid sweat out is a great way to help make for a crispier finished product.
This step is optional, but if you have the time, it’s worth it!
Low Carb Breading: Dip the zucchini rounds into an egg wash and then into the breading.
The low carb breading is just a simple mix coconut flour and Parmesan cheese.
Dip the zucchini one by one into the egg mix and then dredge them in the low carb breading until they are all fully coated.
Fry: Add the zucchini in a single layer to a shallow pan with an inch or two of hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. For best results, your oil should be 375 degrees.
Let these fry for about 1 minute per side, just to get them golden brown.
Drain: Remove the zucchini to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Let the grease drain off for a bit while you fry up the rest of the zucchini.
Substitutions:
Zucchini: Can’t find zucchini? Use yellow crookneck squash instead! We can’t tell a difference!
Breading: Not worried about the carbs and don’t want to purchase coconut flour? Use equal parts all purpose flour and panko bread crumbs.
Seasoning: We keep this recipe simple and dip it in ranch dressing for flavor, but if you’d like more flavor on the zucchini, season the breading with garlic and onion powder.
Dip: Ranch is our go to, but honey mustard is another favorite, if you don’t mind the carbs.
FAQs:
We’ve only used this breading for zucchini, but it should work well on other things such as fish or onion rings.
Like most fried foods, these are best eaten immediately after cooking. If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge and reheat them in an air fryer for maximum crispiness.
Adding salt to the zucchini before frying it allows the zucchini to release some of it’s moisture, so that it fries up a bit more crispy. This step is optional, but recommended.
MORE LOW CARB RECIPES!
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Keto Avocado Fries (Air Fryer)
- Keto Mozzarella Sticks
- Keto Sloppy Joes
- Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Keto Fried Zucchini
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini or yellow squash
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
- avocado oil for frying
- Ranch dressing for serving
Instructions
- Wash and slice the zucchini into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Lay zucchini on a paper towel lined sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Let set for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Pat dry, removing as much liquid and salt as possible.
- Heat a 1/4-1/2 inch of oil in the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat to 375 degrees.
- Beat together the egg and water in a shallow bowl.
- Stir together the coconut flour and Parmesan in a second shallow bowl.
- Coat the zucchini in the egg and then dredge in the coconut mixture to coat.
- Add a single layer of zucchini to the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
- Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in September 2015. It was updated with new photos in January 2022. Original photo below.
Stacey Ann D. Smith says
Can you fry in olive oil too? This would be great for this weekend!
Karly says
Yes, that should work as long as the smoke point is high enough on your oil.
Kathy Egan says
Have you tried this in an air fryer?
Karly says
We put information about the air fryer in the notes of the recipe.
Jodi G says
My husband is the one doing Keto, so I made these for him. They were quick and easy, and he said they were restaurant quality!
Karly says
Thanks, Jodi! Love to hear that!
Jackie says
Bread in crushed pork rinds, spritz with olive oil and cook in air fryer. Dip in blue cheese dressing. Less grease and calories. ?
Jackie says
Bread in crushed pork rinds, spritz with olive oil and cook in air fryer. Dip in blue cheese dressing. Less grease and calories. ?
Maggie Bowling says
Can this zucchini be cooked in air fryer?
Karly says
We haven’t tried this one in the air fryer.
Adriana says
I am also interested if anyone has used an air fryer for these and the temperature and time they set it on.
Thanks!!
Laura says
Mine turned out very mushy! ?
Karly says
Hi Laura! Coconut or almond flour will never crisp up quite like panko or another traditional coating, but we don’t find them mushy at all. Perhaps your oil wasn’t quite hot enough and the coating absorbed it? Sorry these weren’t a hit for you.
Richard F. NOIROT says
Has anyone tried this in an Air Fryer? Mrs N.
Tawny Fields-Bennett says
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! I have a bitvof a nut sensitivity and I cannot stand the taste of almond flour…this worked out perfectly. ..but I did make a few tweaks. I was also making low carb mozz sticks and they had similar breading ingredients so I combined the 2- delish! Aside from the egg, coconut flour and shredded parm, I added garlic powder, italian seasoning, pink himalayan salt, and pepper. I fried them in a mixture if avocado and coconut oil. They turned out deliciously! My only problem was your timing. The first few I made at “2 min per side” burned badly. So I added a bit more oil so they could float and be completely submerged…then I let them fry just until golden…about 1-2 minutes total. Perfect!!! Thanks so much for you recipe! Saved this one as a keeper!
Esther says
They were soggy but tasty. I’m not picky—ate’em all!
Erin Atkinson says
Just tried this out, added a pinch of xanthan gum because I planned on using the breading on cheese curds, and guess what? Turned out great! Thank you for sharing! My guys even loved it! I’m a month into keto diet and I just now got the courage to start cooking this way! Girl, I’ve been eating pepperoni and cream cheese for dinner too! Lol! Living and learning!
Kent says
Thanks so much for taking the time to experiment and share. We tried this recipe and actually even deep fried the zucchini. First fry at 375 in peanut oil. They were still fairly limp. It tried the twice-fry method with the second fry at 425 degrees. The breading did get crispy, but the zucchini was just as limp as if it were just fried on its own. I had hoped these might take on at least the crispy texture of fried pickle chips, but they just weren’t. We will not be making this again.