About Baked Zucchini Chips
Zucchini is a jack-of-all-trades in the food world. Not only is it good for you, but it can fill almost any role, from side dish to dinner to dessert to appetizer. My favorite way is probably as an appetizer, as these baked zucchini chips are one of my main go-to’s for easy entertaining.
Plus, I absolutely love how customizable they are.
This recipe below is written to be a “base” that you can build upon, but don’t let the wording fool you – the ingredients listed below taste amazing just as they are. In fact, the base recipe is how I usually prepare zucchini chips, whether I’m by myself or entertaining the neighbors.
However, if you’d like a little more kick of flavor, check out some of the common add-ons in the list below. Feel free to add as many (or as little) as you like!
Flavors for zucchini chips
- If you love fresh herbs, try adding 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or oregano to the panko mixture.
- For the garlic fans out there, you can substitute the salt for 1-2 teaspoons of garlic salt.
- If you like a tangy flavor, try drizzling the baked chips with some white vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
- If you love a little spice, you can dust the top of the chips with paprika or a few red pepper flakes.
Plus, you can customize this easy appetizer with a variety of dipping sauces.
Dipping sauces for zucchini chips
- All flavors of ranch (classic, spicy, buttermilk, etc)
- All flavors of mustard (classic, honey, spicy, etc)
- BBQ sauce
- Cocktail sauce
- Aioli
- Ketchup
- Tzatziki
I also like that these zucchini chips are baked, making them a healthier option than their deep-fried brethren.
Lately, I’ve been whipping up a batch of these chips for our evening TV time. It’s been great to wind down the day with a little entertainment and some guilt-free snacking.
Things you’ll need for baked zucchini chips
- A trusty knife for cutting the zucchini
- 1-2 large baking sheets
- Aluminum foil
- 2 mixing bowls
- A fork and a few spatulas for working with the ingredients
Notes & tips for zucchini chips
- This recipe is written to use 3-4 medium-sized zucchini. If you’re shopping by weight, this should be about 1-2lb of zucchini.
- If you’d like the panko breading to be dark and crispy, be generous when you spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. Also, before baking, spray the tops of the zucchini chips with another dose of cooking spray. This will give the zucchini chips a rich golden color like the one pictured.
- These are called “zucchini chips”, but this is only due to the round shape. The panko breading will add a crispy texture, but the zucchini themselves will be soft once baked. If you’re looking for actual chips, search for a recipe where the zucchini is dried in a food dehydrator or freeze dryer.
More great snack food recipes
This post first appeared on The Slow Roasted Italian website (where I am a monthly contributor) and has been syndicated here.
Recipe Details
Baked Zucchini Chips
These tender baked zucchinis are coated in a simple parmesan panko breading and are perfect for a fun appetizer or easy snack. Plus, it's easy to customize this recipe with a few herbs or your favorite dip!
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with baking spray, then set aside.
Add sliced zucchini to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat. Set bowl aside.
In another medium bowl, add panko, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste, then mix well.
Add a slice of zucchini to the bowl with panko mix. Use a fork or spatula to gently press the breading on the top side of the zucchini, then flip zucchini and press more panko on the other side. Transfer coated zucchini to prepared baking sheet. Repeat this step until all zucchini slices are coated, spacing zucchini so that no pieces are touching. If desired, spray breaded zucchini with more cooking spray for a crispier finish.
Bake coated zucchini for 20 to 25 minutes or until zucchini is tender and the panko coating is golden brown in color.
Serve baked zucchini chips immediately with dipping sauce of your choice.
What a great snack! I love this idea. I’m a pretty big fan of anything with panko breadcrumbs (i never use regular breadcrumbs anymore) and of course parmesan cheese. I envision adding some garlic and spice to these!
This did not work well. I recommend doing this with egg batter in the future.
I usually make these in the frying pan but wanted to try in the oven. The recipe was so promising… But it did not work well for me at all.
I had a hard time getting the bearing to stick to the zucchini. I agree with the other commenter that an egg batter would work better.
But even worse, most of my zucchini burnt to a crisp cooked as directed… I only cooked for 20 minutes, but I think 450 is too high? I’ll try things differently next time.