Who would have thought zucchini spears could be spicy, crunchy and delicious? These healthy zucchini fries stay crisp with a seasoned cornmeal dredge. We like crispy, spicy zucchini fries as a snack or side dish.
Anything with the word “fries” in the title is bound to catch your attention, am-i-right? But unlike their oil-soaked potato cousins, these fries aren’t bad for you… You might even call them healthy. Yikes. Healthy fries? These Crispy Spicy Zucchini Fries are a singular wonder with an uber-crunchy exterior and firm-tender interior and they’re a great way to get the kids to eat their vegetables…
Whether you’re a green thumb kind of person (I’m not) and have your own vegetable garden or you’re just gearing up for the onslaught of summer squash that’s right around the corner, you’ll want to keep this recipe in rotation for the duration of the season. Of course, it starts with summer squash — zucchini to be exact. Our farmer’s market carries traditional green as well as yellow zucchini, so I got both to mix it up.
The simple gluten-free coating is nothing more than cornmeal, (don’t use a coarse or medium grind — otherwise you might lose a few teeth) salt, pepper and spices. Mix them up and set aside.
In order to get the coating to stick to the vegetables, you need a binder. I use egg whites, frothed with a fork. Roll the zucchini spears in the egg wash and coat them well.
Then dust them with the cornmeal coating, so that you’ve got an even layer over the zucchini.
Place the zucchini on a wire baking rack set over a sheet pan. This step is important — because if you place the zucchini directly on the baking sheet, they’ll get soft. You want the WHOLE baked zucchini spear to be crunchy — not just the top.
Bake the zucchini fries for 30 minutes, then roll them over and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, until they’re golden brown and extra crispy! As they bake, the zucchini spears fill the kitchen with a “something smells good” aroma… You know, the kind of smell that makes the tummy rumble?
Crunchy Spicy Zucchini Fries are just the thing for an afternoon snack or a fun side to grilled chicken or fish. You can absolutely eat them out of hand like this or if you’re like me and want a little something to go with them, I absolutely recommend this Sweet Bell Pepper Aioli or you could go with a fresh pesto to keep it uber healthy.
Either way, this easy baked zucchini recipe is far from ordinary and deliciously snackable.
I’d recommend a whole zucchini per person (for adults) and maybe half a zucchini for kids. But hey, it’s a vegetable — eat all you want!
Crispy Spicy Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini (I used green and gold colored)
- 3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal (preferably Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 large egg whites
- vegetable spray
- 1/2 cup red pepper aioli (recipe on this site) optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Set a baking rack over a large sheet pan and set aside.
- Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and in half again lengthwise so that you have 4 spears.
- In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk until light and foamy. In another shallow bowl, mix together the cornmeal, salt, pepper and cayenne until well blended.
- Dip the zucchini spears one at a time into the egg white mixture to coat, then transfer spears to the cornmeal mixture and coat with cornmeal. Place on the baking rack. Continue with the remainder of the zucchini.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then carefully roll the zucchini over and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. Transfer zucchini to a serving platter and serve with red pepper aioli for dipping.
Nutrition
More Zucchini Recipes:
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- Grilled Summer Salad
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- Fresh Smoked Salmon Chèvre Pizza
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- Stuffed Italian Zucchini Boats
“Pin It” For Later!
Oh my, you had me at “fries”! I love anything zucchini so this sounds absolutely heavenly. And I love that they are oven baked, it makes it so much healthier and easier to make as well! I Can definitely imagine adding some grated parmesan to that cornmeal coating
That would be delicious, I’m sure!
I love these! Crispy squash is one of my favorite things, I like to add Parmesan to mine. But I am loving the use of cornmeal.
Oh my! Wish you’d posted this last week (had company)! But there’s always this week!
These Zucchini fries look absolutely delicious and healthy!! And the aioli sounds perfect!!
Thanks, Camila!
I love the tip for baking them on the rack! That’s always been my problem with baked sweet potato fries and chips! That’s great tip! I’m totally stealing it! Thanks, Lisa!
Totally STEAL IT!
Summer perfection. I’ve never seen these done with cornmeal, but it’s perfect when you think about it to get that crispy, summer crunch. Now I’m off to pin this and that red pepper aioli, because the two combined are going to make up a big portion of my summer meals 😀
Please let me k now how you like it!
What a fantastic way to enjoy zucchini! I simply love that cornmeal coating and the fact that these are baked not fried! And – that red pepper aiol – oh me oh my!
Thanks, Shashi! They’re simple and really delicious!
I love a crispy zucchini anything and the aioli sounds delicious.