Zucchini fries

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F/200°C fan (or 220°C conventional).

Combine the panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, salt, and black pepper on a plate.

On a separate plate, place the all-purpose flour and coat the quartered zucchini in the flour before dipping into the bowl of beaten eggs. Then evenly coat the zucchini in the panko mixture.

Transfer the zucchini to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and place into the oven. Leave to bake for around 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Tips & tricks

If you want your zucchini fries recipe to be the best that it can be, we’d recommend adding in the additional step of drying the zucchini. As zucchini contains a lot of natural moisture, it’s a good idea to pat the quartered sticks dry before coating with the panko and flour mixes, to help the fries crisp up even more in the oven. Make sure you do include panko breadcrumbs in the recipe if you want that signature crunch. Panko crumbs are much larger than standard breadcrumbs which helps the outside of the fries to crisp up properly, and the flour helps the panko breadcrumbs to stick to the zucchini surface area for the finest results.

For the eggs, some chefs swear by only using egg whites in this recipe, instead of the yolk as well, as egg whites become really crispy when baked. We’ve shared a recipe above using the whole egg, but you can experiment with this ingredient and see what works best for you in your kitchen. What’s even better about this recipe, is that you can swap in any number of different vegetables. From sweet potatoes, to cauliflower, to asparagus, if you have leftover ingredients in the kitchen, try using them up in this recipe. Or, if you find zucchini is the newest hit flavor with your family, you can find lots more inspiration using this green vegetable, including zucchini fritters for a breakfast idea or zucchini spaghetti, for a lighter alternative to pasta.

How to serve them

If you’re serving this little snack with a dip, then roasted red pepper hummus or creamy tzatziki dips are two of the top pairings with the cheesy flavor of the zucchini fries. Or serve on the side of your best-loved grilled meat or fish. A fresh filet of salmon is a tasty pairing for a healthier alternative, or dish up alongside a juicy burger fresh from the BBQ.

Storage

Any leftover fries will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for two days. You can reheat the fries in the oven. Just heat the oven to 375°F and bake the fries for around 10 minutes, or until fully heated through.