Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Try air fryer zucchini chips and you’ll never open another bag of boring potato chips. Try them and you’ll see what I mean! They’re crispy, salty, but still good for you.

How long it takes: 17 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, knife or mandolin, paper towels
Servings: 2

Overhead view of zucchini chips layered on top of each other.
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Surprising Veggie Chips

It’s probably pretty presumptuous to claim that zucchini chips will replace potato chips in your life. I admit that. But really? Try these air fryer zucchini chips and you’ll see what I mean.

Zucchini chips are crisp, lightly golden brown, buttery tasting, delicious. These are chips, not breaded fries. No breading, no cheese, no egg, no cholesterol, no gluten. Just zucchini and your air fryer. Air fryer, I love you! You make me feel so happy and satisfied. Will you marry me?

About Zucchini

Zucchini is a good-for-you vegetable. Really good! According to Healthline, zucchini has loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, especially in the dark green skin. It’s so low in calories, it’s practically a “free” food, and it has lots of fiber which promotes digestion.

Easy zucchini chips

This recipe is super simple, really more of a technique. You can easily transform a humble green summer squash into irresistible chips with the help of your air fryer.

Is your garden overflowing with a zillion zucchini? Perfect! I see lots of chips in your future.

Air fryer zucchini chips also happen to be keto and Whole30 compliant, non-dairy, vegan, gluten-free, and all that good stuff.

Ingredient Notes

  • Zucchini: Start off with one medium sized zucchini (about a half pound) but you’ll almost certainly want to make more because the chips are so good!
  • Olive Oil: Just one teaspoon of this heart-healthy oil is all you need. You could also use avocado oil, if you prefer.
  • Salt and Pepper: Sprinkle it on to taste. You may want to experiment with other seasonings, too.
Overhead view of ingredients needed to make recipe: sliced zucchini, salt, pepper, oil.

How to make Zucchini Chips

Slice the zucchini. Begin by slicing a zucchini into very thin rounds, about ⅛ inch thick. I usually use a mandoline but a good sharp knife works, too. The outer skin of zucchini squash is tender and there’s no need to remove it. In fact, the skin contains most of the antioxidants found in zucchini. Just wash the zucchini well and it’s ready to cook.

Sliced zucchini in a bowl, a whole zucchini partially visible, a mandoline in the upper right hand corner.
mandoline product image on white background.

Need a Mandoline?

We love using a mandoline (but be careful!) for many recipes. This is a great one and makes straight or crinkle cuts, and julienne cuts (perfect for fries!).

Dry the zucchini. For the best chips, pat the slices dry with a clean towel or paper towel to remove excess water. Remember the mantra: Dry = crispy.

Zucchini slices laid out on a paper towel.

Season. Toss the slices in a bowl with a bit of oil and season with salt and pepper.

Zucchini slices in a large glass bowl on a white background.

Air fry the zucchini chips. Arrange the zucchini slices on the rack of your air fryer, in a single layer, and air fry them for five minutes. Shake them to flip them over, air fry for five more minutes, shake one more time, and let them cook a couple more minutes.

They should be golden brown and crispy. If not, stick them back in for a couple more minutes. Don’t burn them though!

Zucchini in the basket of an air fryer.

Enjoy them right away!

Dip Recipes

If you want, make a dip to use with the zucchini chips. Try this homemade French onion dip (I’ve made it a little healthier for you) or healthy ranch dressing. French fry dipping sauce is really tasty (it’s good on French fries, too). Lately, we’ve been loving bang bang sauce and yum yum sauce!

Stacked up zucchini chips, showing crispy texture.

Easy Recipe Variations

Thinly sliced, cooked zucchini on a white background.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Prep the zucchini ahead of time. Slice it, put the slices between paper towels to drain, and refrigerate. You can do this up to a day in advance.

Storage & ReheatingTips

Well, you probably won’t have leftovers. One person can easily eat one whole zucchini prepared this way. If, by some crazy circumstance, you do have some chips leftover, cool them completely and store in a covered container. Re-crisp them briefly in your air fryer for a minute or two, if necessary.

Overhead view of crispy air fryer zucchini chips.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Recipe

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

5 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Servings: 2
Try air fryer zucchini chips and you'll never open another bag of boring potato chips!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 medium zucchini (about ½ pound)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions 

  • Slice zucchini into ⅛ -inch rounds. A mandoline works great. For best results, pat zucchini slices with paper towels to dry them.
    1 medium zucchini
  •  In a small bowl, toss zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. 
    1 teaspoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste, ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
  • Turn air fryer to 400ºF. Put zucchini slices on rack in a single layer. 
  • Cook 5 minutes, shake, cook an additional 5 minutes, shake and cook 2 minutes more, or until zucchini is golden brown and dry.

Notes

  • Get a head start: If desired, you can prep the zucchini ahead of time. Slice it, put the slices between paper towels to drain, and refrigerate. You can do this up to a day in advance.
  • Change the seasoning. Experiment with seasonings. Try taco seasoning or chili powder. Go more to the sweet side with cinnamon, or apple pie spice.
  • Use different squash. Try yellow summer squash instead of zucchini, or a mix of the two.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5zucchini, Calories: 35kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 299mg, Potassium: 258mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 197IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Air fryer with fries and baked potatoes.

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5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Tia says:

    5 stars
    Such a healthy and quick snack! Love it!!!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      They’re so satisfying!