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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Air Fryer Recipes

    Cheesy vegan air fryer zucchini (oven directions included)

    Last Modified: Jun 10, 2020 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    A close up of air fryer zucchini in a gray bowl on a table

    Air fried zucchini is tender, flavorful, and comes together in minutes. You are going to love the cheesy, oniony, garlicky coating! Meet your new favorite side dish.

    serving platter of cheesy vegan air fryer zucchini with a serving spoon dishing up a scoop

    This vegan spin on parmesan air fryer zucchini is easy to make and totally addictive! You're going to be obsessed with this air fried zucchini.

    Jump To:
    • How to cut the zucchini pieces
    • Seasoning your zucchini
    • Air fry or bake
    • How to serve, store, & reheat
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Vegan air fried zucchini recipe

    How to cut the zucchini pieces

    Cutting your zucchini to the right size is critical. You want them to be a pretty uniform size and shape, so they will cook evenly.

    This is very easy to do. Start by removing the ends of your zucchini, and toss them into the compost. Then, dice them into ½" pieces

    image collage with text showing cutting the ends off the zucchini, cutting it into half and then quarters, then the half-inch dice

    I like to do this by slicing the zucchini in half lengthwise. You start with two zucchini, so now you have four half moon-shaped pieces.

    Next, slice each of those half moons in half lengthwise again. You'll now have eight long spears. If your zucchini is large, cut the wide end of the half-moon pieces into thirds instead of halves.

    overhead photo of a larger zucchini on a cutting board cut into thirds instead of halves

    Now, cut those spears into ½" pieces, and you'll end up with nice, uniform chunks of zucchini.

    Seasoning your zucchini

    The coating technique for this air fried zucchini recipe is based on my air fryer tofu. It uses corn starch to bind the flavorful coating to the zucchini.

    image collage with text showing zucchini pieces with corn starch and spices before and after tossing and after tossing with the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt

    The resulting zucchini isn't meant to be crunchy. It is tender, lightly crisp, and thoroughly coated in addictively cheesy, garlicky, oniony goodness.

    For this recipe, you'll season your corn starch with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then, toss the zucchini pieces in that mixture.

    Next, add nutritional yeast, salt, and olive oil to the bowl. This is going to bring the cheesy flavor. The oil also helps the nutritional yeast stick to the pieces. If you don't want to use oil, aquafaba will help the coating stick to the pieces instead.

    Stir the mixture until the zucchini is well coated in the nutritional yeast. It's fine if some of the nutritional yeast doesn't stick -- just do your best.

    overhead photo of coated zucchini in the air fryer basket on a blue table

    Air fry or bake

    You can cook your zucchini in the air fryer or in the oven. I like to air fry them, because it's faster and crispier, but feel free to do what feels best to you!

    To air fry, just transfer the coated zucchini to the air fryer basket. It's ok if some pieces are touching or even overlapping a little bit, but try to spread them out as much as possible. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, and eat!

    If you want to bake these, just line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, arrange the zucchini fries in a single layer on the paper. Bake for 20-28 minutes. There is no need to flip these, so don't worry about that!

    How to serve, store, & reheat

    You can eat these plain, but I love them with a good dipping sauce, too! Here are some suggestions to try:

    • garlic cashew cream sauce
    • vegan ranch
    • vegan sriracha mayo (whisk sriracha sauce, to taste, into vegan mayo)
    • tomato sauce

    These will keep for about three days in an airtight container.

    To reheat, air fry at 350° F for five to seven minutes or bake at 350° F for 10-15 minutes. I do not recommend reheating these in the microwave, because they will be soggy.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do you cook zucchini without making it soggy?

    Air frying is a great way to cook zucchini without it getting soggy! Because your air fryer basket has holes in the bottom, it allows the moisture that zucchini releases during cooking to drain away, which prevents sogginess.

    How long do you air fry squash?

    You can use the cooking time for air fried zucchini to cook other summer squash, as well. If you cut your squash to a ½" dice, you can air fry it at 360° F for 10-15 minutes.

    Winter squash is a harder veggie, so it needs a bit longer and a higher temperature. Check out my recipe for air fryer butternut squash for the details on how to prepare and cook winter squash in the air fryer.

    Should you salt zucchini before air frying?

    You can do this, if you like, but I prefer to skip this step, since it adds a lot of time and sodium to the recipe.

    Salting zucchini helps it release some of the moisture and can help breading stick. Air fried zucchini isn't soggy, though, even without salting, and the corn starch does a great job of making the coating stick without having to salt it.

    Do I need to preheat before air frying?

    No need, unless you are using a full-sized air fryer oven.

    Countertop air fryers preheat so quickly that it doesn't make a difference in recipes like this. It's much easier to just tack a few minutes onto the end of cooking, if needed, to get that crisp coating you want.

    A close up of air fryer zucchini in a gray bowl on a table

    Vegan air fried zucchini recipe

    Air fried zucchini is tender, flavorful, and comes together in minutes. You are going to love the cheesy, oniony, garlicky coating! Meet your new favorite side dish. Meet your new favorite side dish.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: Air Fryer, Vegan
    Keyword: air fried zucchini, air fryer zucchini
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 116kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 2 small zucchini - diced into ½" pieces
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch - or potato starch
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil - or aquafaba, see note

    Instructions

    • If you're baking, preheat the oven to 400° F.
    • Transfer the diced zucchini to a large bowl
    • In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
    • Pour the cornstarch mixture into the large bowl of zucchini. Toss to coat well.
    • Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and olive oil to the bowl. Use a spoon toss the zucchini pieces until they're well coated in the nutritional yeast. It's fine if some of the nutritional yeast is still at the bottom of the bowl, just do your best.
    • To air fry: Transfer the zucchini to your air fryer basket. Spread it out as much as possible, though overlap is okay. Air fry at 370F for 10-15 minutes, shaking every 3-4 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Serve immediately.
    • To bake: Arrange the breaded zucchini in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-28 minutes, checking in a few times during the last 8 minutes. Your zucchini is done when the pieces are tender but not mushy. Serve immediately.

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Video

    Notes

    How to dice the zucchini:
    • Remove the ends of your zucchini.
    • Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. You start with two zucchini, so now you have four half moon-shaped pieces.
    • Slice each of those half moons in half lengthwise again. You'll now have eight long spears. If your zucchini is large, cut the wide end of the half-moon pieces into thirds instead of halves.
    • Cut those spears into ½" pieces, and you'll end up with nice, uniform chunks of zucchini.
    About the aquafaba: Aquafaba is just the liquid from canned beans and works well as a binder in breaded recipes like this one.
    Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, air fry at 350° F for five to seven minutes or bake at 350° F for 10-15 minutes. I do not recommend reheating these in the microwave, because they will be soggy.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan air fried zucchini recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    116
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    8
    g
    12
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    5
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Sodium
     
    150
    mg
    6
    %
    Potassium
     
    543
    mg
    16
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    9
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    0.1
    g
    0
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    489
    IU
    10
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    33
    mg
    40
    %
    Calcium
     
    30
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Air Fryer Recipes

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    • Butternut Squash with Mushrooms and Cranberries (air fryer or oven!)

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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