Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries

Skip the potatoes and give zucchini a crispy, downright delicious makeover with these Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries. Each zucchini fry is dipped in an egg wash, then coated in a seasoned mixture of crunchy panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. A little drizzle of butter helps them turn beautifully golden and crisp in the oven. Serve them hot with marinara, Ranch dressing, or your favorite fry sauce for a side dish or snack that just might have everybody reaching for one more.

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Easy Oven Fried Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries Recipe

These fresh zucchini fries are coated in a crispy Panko Parmesan mixture, drizzled with butter, and oven-fried until golden brown and crunchy. Baking them on an oven rack allows the hot air to circulate all around, helping them crisp up beautifully without having to fry them in oil. Serve these zucchini fries alongside burgers, grilled steak, chicken, or pork chops for an easy weeknight side, or add them to the table when you’re entertaining. They’re a delicious way to turn fresh zucchini into a side dish everybody will want to dig into.

Key ingredients you’ll need to make Oven Fried Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries: (Scroll down for full recipe card and quantities.)

  • Fresh Zucchini – Large zucchini replace potatoes in these oven fries.
  • Breadcrumbs – Crispy panko breadcrumbs for the coating.
  • Cheese – Grated Parmesan cheese for a salty bite.
  • Spices – Dry Italian seasoning blend, garlic salt and black pepper.
  • Whole Eggs – Beaten eggs help the zucchini panko parmesan coating cling to the zucchini.
  • Butter – Melted unsalted butter or salted butter for richness.
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How to Make Panko Parmesan Zucchini Fries

  • Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Fit an oven safe rack into the pan and spritz with cooking spray.
  • Prep Zucchini – Remove stem and cut zucchini through the middle into two equal halves. Next, slice each piece lengthwise in half.
  • Slice – Lay on the cutting board flat side down, slicing into 1/4-1/3 inch slices.
  • Combine Breading Ingredients – Stir together panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic salt until well blended.
  • Set-Up Dredging Station – Prepare the dredging ingredients in this order sliced zucchini, egg wash, and panko Parmesan crumbs.
  • Dredge the Zucchini – Dip zucchini in the egg wash then into the panko Parmesan breadcrumbs.
  • Transfer to Pan – Place side by side on the baking rack without touching. Drizzle each with the melted butter.
  • Oven – Place into the preheated oven and bake per the recipe until golden brown and crispy.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Panko Parmesan Zucchini

  • Broiler pan or large baking sheet fitted with an oven safe wire rack.
  • Sharp knife and cutting board.
  • Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
  • Cheese grater.
  • Balloon whisk.
  • Two shallow bowls or plates to set-up the dredging station.
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Recipe Variations Tips and Substitutions

  • Parmesan Cheese – You can use freshly grated Parmesan Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese or Parmesan Reggiano cheese. You can also use quick and easy grated Parmesan for a timesaver.
  • Bread Crumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are my go-to for this recipe since they maintain their crispy texture while baking. That said, you could adapt this recipe using Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs.
  • Pan Options – If you don’t have a broiler pan or a sheet pan fitted with an oven safe wire rack, you can use a large sheet pan covered with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh parsley, rosemary or chives.
  • Adjust Amount As Needed – This recipe can easily be adapted to size up or down in servings depending on the amount of servings you need.
  • Serving Options – You can serve these zucchini fries fresh from the oven with warm marinara, homemade comeback sauce or yum yum sauce on the side for dipping.

Storage and Leftovers

  • Leftovers – Store leftover Panko Parmesan Zucchini Fries chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating – Reheat on a sheet pan in a 375°F oven until crisp and heated through. You can also reheat in an air fryer.
  • Freezer – I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as the zucchini tends to release moisture that makes them mushy when thawed in the fridge.
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More Southern Style Zucchini Recipes to Make

Whether it’s summer and zucchini is in abundance or you’re looking to shake-up your side dish menu, zucchini provides a delicious alternative to more carb heavy options.

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5 from 9 votes

Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries

Crispy Panko Parmesan Zucchini Fries are oven-baked until golden and crunchy for an easy, delicious Southern-style side dish or snack.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: panko-parmesan-crusted-zucchini-fries, zucchini-fries-recipe, zucchini-panko-parmesan
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 2 jumbo zucchini OR 3 large zucchini
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup butter OR light butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Fit an oven safe rack into the pan and spritz with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Remove stem and cut zucchini through the middle into two equal halves. Next, slice each piece lengthwise in half.
  • Lay on the cutting board, flat side down, slicing into 1/4-1/3 inch slices.
  • On a plate or shallow dish mix together panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and black pepper until well blended.
  • Prepare the dredging ingredients in this order: Sliced zucchini, egg wash, and panko Parmesan crumbs.
  • Dip zucchini in the egg wash then into the panko Parmesan breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Place side by side on the baking rack leaving equal space between each piece.
  • Drizzle each with the melted butter.
  • Place into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes OR until golden and crispy.
  • Allow to cool on the rack for a 2-3 minutes then carefully remove to a serving platter.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
  • Special Note: When I'm making a dish that requires a dredging mixture, it can be a challenge to stop and mix additional breading. For reference purposes, these zucchini were approximately 9-10 inches long and around 4-5 inches in circumference. You can adapt the breading ingredient amounts based on the size of the zucchini you're preparing.

Notes

  • Parmesan Cheese – You can use freshly grated Parmesan Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese or Parmesan Reggiano cheese. You can also use quick and easy grated Parmesan for a timesaver.
  • Bread Crumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are my go-to for this recipe since they maintain their crispy texture while baking. That said, you could adapt this recipe using Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs.
  • Pan Options – If you don’t have a broiler pan or a sheet pan fitted with an oven safe wire rack, you can use a large sheet pan covered with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh parsley, rosemary or chives.
  • Adjust Amount As Needed – This recipe can easily be adapted to size up or down in servings depending on the amount of servings you need.
  • Serving Options – You can serve these zucchini fries fresh from the oven with warm marinara, homemade comeback sauce or yum yum sauce on the side for dipping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 965mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 891IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

66 Comments

  1. Normally, I would recommend that for frugality. However, it’s unsafe to do so when raw egg is involved. To prevent any bacterial issues, discard any unused dry ingredients once mixed with, in the case of this recipe, a raw egg product.

  2. If you have too much of the dry ingredients left over, you can put it in a bowl w/lid and put in the freezer until the next time you need it. This way you don’t waste anything and you can just add to it.

    1. I scooped out the zuccini and stuffed with almost a Spanish rice mix, drizzled on marinara sauce. Covered tight my with foil baked 45 min to an hour. If you pierce the zucchini with a fork and get little resistance then it’s almost done. Peel back foil. Sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella. Broil or bake till golden. Delicious.

  3. Hi Beth! Wow, you are blessed! I dearly love zucchini just about any way you can fix it. I sure hope your family loves these as much as we do. 🙂

  4. I have tons of zucchini in my garden right now. I can’t wait to try this. I’ve been breading with cornmeal and frying in oil, grilling on the gas grill and also making zucchini bread. This gives me something new to try. Thanks Melissa for your yummy posts!

    1. 5 stars
      Hi Beth –

      This was Awesome! Another Zucchini Recipe:
      I cut the zucchini into slices like you would a cucumber for a salad and place the slices into a pot w/ either some white wine or veggie or chicken broth. I add onion, a can of Rotelle Tomatoes w/ chiles (don’t drain) and some crushed garlic (I use the kind from a jar) and a couple of heaping tablespoons of salsa. I then steam it real good and add shredded cheese (any flavor, but I like Pepper Jack and Mild Cheddar, mixed) and put the lid on to let it all melt together and walla! A great side dish for all of that fresh yummy garden grown zucchini. My brother isn’t a fan of zucchini but he sure liked this! I even made it at my Momand Dad’s house for them and a friend and they even liked it even though they don’t like spicy foods. Their friend asked for the recipe as well as my my Mom and I gave the rest of the leftovers to their friend. My Mom got jealous! LOL

  5. Great question, I’ve only ever used fresh for these fries. Frozen vegetables have a very different texture, so, my thought would be that they wouldn’t work as well.

  6. Yes, you’ll still have great success with or without a rack. Spritz your metal baking sheet with cooking spray and it will work perfectly.

  7. Lovely recipe,thank you! Just what I was looking for as I think about the summer bounty to be arriving from the garden. Great to see a “breaded stick” recipe for baking and not frying! Happy Cooking, from Canada!:)

  8. I made these last night for my husband and I as an alternative to eating french fries. They were FANTASTIC!! No dipping sauce needed because they had such great flavor. I followed the recipe just as printed. Thanks for sharing!

  9. Hi Cheryl, I make a special effort to give specifics, because cooks of all skill levels visit my blog regularly. 🙂 For a seasoned cook, you’ll do a great job with this recipe! I hope you enjoy!! 🙂

  10. Yes! Thank you 🙂 Cant wait to try. A lot of directions but I like the way you explained it!

  11. Hi Peggy, I couldn’t agree more..Panko makes everything better! I love your idea about egg plant..might try that on my kids, too! 🙂 Enjoy and welcome!!

  12. Melissa, this looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it. I have done this with egg plant before and my sons love egg plant ever since.I fell in love with Panko bread crumbs,lol,and never fry.We do this method for all our veggies, especially sweet potatoe fries.Yum.Thanks for the post.

    1. what about the water in the squash. I made the squash with the mixture on top and baked them and they had so much water in them.

      1. Squash does have moisture however I’ve not found it to be an issue for these. Keep in mind squash isn’t starchy like a potato so the texture of these zucchini fries won’t be the same.

5 from 9 votes

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