These crispy zucchini chips can be baked in the oven or air fried. They’re the perfect summer snack and have a delicious flavor. This is the best way to get your entire family to enjoy eating zucchini!
Zucchini Chips
These baked zucchini chips are seasoned perfectly and have such a delicious crunch. They aren’t mushy at all, thanks to salting the zucchini slices and then thoroughly drying them before baking. They truly are crispy and really do feel like a chip even though they’re not deep fried.
Zucchini chips are seasoned with oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. It’s the perfect savory blend that enhances the flavor of the zucchini, and gives the chips such a beautiful golden-brown look thanks to the paprika.
My favorite way to make zucchini chips is baking them in the oven, but I’ve also had pretty good luck using an air fryer. If you want to know how to make air fryer zucchini chips, see the recipe card below for the instructions for that method. Just keep in mind that most of this article is written referencing baked zucchini chips. Regardless of whether you use the air fryer or the oven, I really think zucchini chips are the best way to cook zucchini!
Ingredients
Zucchini: Zucchini make a great low-carb alternative to potato chips. This recipe is also a great way to use up the abundance of zucchini from your summer garden.
Olive Oil: Oil does two things in this recipe. It both helps the spices stick to the zucchini better, and it helps the zucchini brown and crisp up.
Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Oregano, and Pepper: This combination of spices creates a delicious savory blend to flavor the zucchini chips. Feel free to omit any you don’t like, or add in others that you do like!
Salt: Salt is a very important ingredient in this recipe. It’s used to help draw out the excess water from the zucchini, which helps them crisp up. It’s also used in the seasoning blend to enhance the other flavors.
Alternative Ingredients
- Oil: Feel free to swap olive oil for your favorite cooking oil, like avocado oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil. You can also coat them in melted butter instead of oil for a richer flavor, just use a basting brush to coat them lightly (I would only recommend using butter if you’re planning to bake them in the oven).
- Spices: You can definitely experiment with different spices to make different flavors of zucchini chips. You could try using chili powder, cumin, or even curry powder for a new flavor profile.
How To Make Zucchini Chips
Prepping the Zucchinis: Wash and dry two medium zucchinis, then slice them into thin, even rounds. Sprinkle some of the fine sea salt over the slices and let them rest in a colander until they’ve drained a significant amount of water. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Rinse and Dry: Rinse the zucchini under cool running water, then pat dry and let them rest on paper towels to absorb more moisture.
Season: In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, the remaining salt, and black pepper.
Coat in Seasoning: Add the zucchini slices to the bowl and gently toss to coat them evenly with the oil and spice mixture.
Arrange on the Baking Sheet: Arrange the zucchini in a single layer on the baking sheets, making sure they don’t overlap.
Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake until the chips are golden brown and crispy. Be sure to flip each zucchini slice halfway through the baking process and keep a close eye on them as they can brown quickly.
Cool: Once baked, remove the zucchini chips from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets. They will become even crispier as they cool. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Slice Evenly: It’s so important to keep the slices as consistent as possible. Since they’re sliced so thin, any variance in the thickness will make a noticeable difference in how long they take to cook. That means that if you don’t slice them evenly, you’ll end up with some slices that are burning before the thicker slices have had a chance to crisp up. You can cut them into even slices more easily using a mandoline slicer, just be sure to use it carefully and use the safety guard.
- Don’t Skip Salting the Zucchini: Salt helps draw moisture out of the zucchini, which helps you get nice crispy zucchini chips.
- Dry the Zucchini Thoroughly: Patting the zucchini slices dry after you rinse the salt off helps remove as much excess moisture as possible. This is another important step for getting crisp zucchini chips.
- Arrange in a Single Layer: If the zucchini slices are overlapping, they’ll end up steaming instead of crisping up. The zucchini slices need plenty of space for air to circulate in order to get crispy.
- Watch Them Closely: It only takes a couple of minutes for the chips to go from perfectly crispy to burnt, so it’s important to keep a close eye on them. This is especially true if you’re using parchment paper instead of silicone baking mats.
Why Do You Salt Zucchini?
Zucchini has a naturally high water content, so salting them is an important step because it helps draw out all of that excess moisture. By removing the extra water from the zucchini, we’re able to make crispy zucchini chips that have a delicious crunch.
Why Are My Zucchini Chips Soggy?
- Too Much Moisture: If you didn’t dry the slices well enough with paper towels, they’ll have too much excess liquid on them, which will stop them from crisping.
- Overcrowded Baking Sheet: If the baking sheet is overcrowded, the zucchini slices will steam instead of crisp. The zucchini slices need space in order to turn that beautiful golden brown and get the crispy texture you’re looking for.
- Oven Temperature: Oven temperatures vary, and if your oven runs cool, it may not have gotten hot enough for the slices to crisp up.
- Thick Slices: The zucchini needs to be sliced thin in order for it to get crispy. If you cut the slices too thick, they’ll likely remain a bit soggy.
- You Forgot to Flip the Slices: Not flipping the slices will definitely result in soggy chips. So much steam is released when they’re flipped, and letting that moisture escape is crucial in creating crispy zucchini chips.
Are Zucchini Chips Better Baked In The Oven Or Air Fried?
Oven baked zucchini chips and air fryer zucchini chips are both great options that will make crispy zucchini chips with a definite crunch. I prefer baked zucchini chips though. I find that it’s easier to control the cooking and that the chips turn out more evenly golden-brown with a lower likelihood of burning.
Since the zucchini slices are so lightweight, air fried zucchini chips blow around a lot in the air fryer, which makes them more difficult to cook. I’ve included instructions for both options in the recipe card below. Most of the photos in this post are for oven baked zucchini chips, but the photo below is a photo of air fryer zucchini chips if you want to get a reference point of the difference in appearance.
What To Serve With Zucchini Chips
These make a great side dish for sandwiches, like this bruschetta chicken sandwich or this black bean burger. I also love eating them as a snack with a dipping sauce, like this French onion dip, this delicious spicy ranch, or this traditional tzatziki. You can also serve them on salads for a nice crunch, alongside soup, or with grilled meats. They’re the perfect, versatile side dish for BBQs, potlucks, or any summer gathering.
Storing Leftovers
These are really best eaten fresh for optimal crispiness. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but they won’t be as crisp.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Appetizer Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other appetizer recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Fried Squash
- Chicken Tenderloins
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fried Chicken Tenderloins
- Cheeseburger Sliders
- Dry Rub Chicken Wings
- Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
CRISPY Zucchini Chips (Oven or Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Oven Baked Zucchini Chips:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats and set them aside. (Parchment paper works if you don’t have silicone baking mats, but they cook much faster on parchment paper, so keep a very close eye on them. I also think the texture is slightly better when you use silicone baking mats.)
- Wash and dry the zucchinis. Slice them into thin, even rounds, about 1/8-inch thick. You can use a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife for this step. Place the zucchini slices in a colander and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the slices and let them rest for about 30 minutes or until about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water has drained from the chips. Rinse the zucchini under cool running water then lay the zucchini slices out on 2 layers of paper towels. Pat dry with another paper towel, then lay a paper towel on top of them. Let them rest for 20 minutes to allow the paper towel to absorb more moisture.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the zucchini slices to the bowl and toss gently to coat them evenly with the oil and spice mixture.
- Arrange the seasoned zucchini slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they don’t overlap.
- Bake the zucchini chips in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Then, carefully flip each zucchini slice, removing any crispy ones that are finished baking, and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes (checking them after 5 minutes), or until they are golden brown and crispy. These brown quickly, so keep a close eye on them when they’re baking on the second side.
- Remove the baked zucchini chips from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. They will become even crispier as they cool.
Air Fryer Zucchini Chips:
- Wash and dry your zucchini, then slice into 1/4” thick slices (thinner slices will blow around the air fryer too much and burn quickly).
- Place the zucchini slices in a colander and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the slices and let them rest for about 30 minutes or until about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water has drained from the chips. Rinse the zucchini under cool running water then lay the zucchini slices out on 2 layers of paper towels. Pat dry with another paper towel, then lay a paper towel on top of them. Let them rest for 20 minutes to allow the paper towel to absorb more moisture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the zucchini slices to the bowl and toss gently to coat them evenly with the oil and spice mixture.
- Place the zucchini slices in the air fryer in a single layer (it’s OK if they overlap slightly). You’ll likely have to cook them in batches.
- Cook them at 375°F for 4 minutes, then open the basket and shake them. Air fry them for another 8 minutes, opening and shaking the basket every 2 minutes. If you notice any are sticking together, pull them apart.
- The chips will cook at different speeds. If you notice any are finished cooking when you’re checking on the chips, go ahead and remove them. If any of them are still soft after cooking, leave them in the air fryer and air fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining batches.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I hope you love these crispy baked zucchini chips as much as I do! They’re my favorite way to use up the abundance of garden zucchini in the summer.
1 thought on “Zucchini Chips Recipe”
The thickness of the zucchini is really important. My slices all burnt baked at the timing on the recipe because I think they were way too thin.
It would be helpful if s thickened measurement was given. If we cannot be given that then be forewarned that they might take longer (at a lower temp) if cut too thick or burn quickly if cut too thin!