Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

These garlic flavored air fryer zucchini chips are crispy and addicting! With no breading, this recipe comes together quickly and easily for a delicious healthier snack, appetizer or side dish.

I’m back with yet another recipe that the air fryer is absolutely perfect for – zucchini chips!

These crispy, crunchy vegetable slices are insanely addictive and the best part is they’re completely healthy and good for you!

Unlike, many of the zucchini chip recipes out there, this air fryer version doesn’t have a breaded coating the outside.

Much like my air fryer eggplant recipe which doesn’t require any breading, cheese or sauce to make it delicious either.

Not only does this make the recipe a bit more healthful, it greatly reduces the time, mess and effort to make them.

I’ll call that a win.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CRISPY AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI CHIPS

• 1 large zucchini cut into thin slices (about 1/8″ thick)
• Kosher salt
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic powder

That’s it!

The recipe will make enough for about 2-4 people to snack on or eat as a side dish.

You can easily adjust the volume of ingredients for the amount of people you want to serve.

The only limitation is really the size of the air fryer being used so you may have to work in batches if increasing the serving size.

HOW TO MAKE GARLIC ZUCCHINI CHIPS IN THE AIR FRYER

Let’s get to the process.

There are three basic steps to making these crunchy garlicky chips, all incredibly simple.

1. Lay the sliced zucchini on some paper towels or a kitchen cloth in a single layer. Generously sprinkle with Kosher salt and let sit for 5-10 minutes. The zucchini will start to “sweat” out some of its moisture. Use another paper towel or kitchen cloth to then pat them dry.
2. Place the zucchini in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and garlic powder and toss until well combined so each piece of zucchini is coated.
3. Arrange the seasoned zucchini slices in your air fryer either in the basket or on the trays depending on the type of air fryer you have. Air fry at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Start checking the doneness of the zucchini chips around the 10 minute mark.

Some may be done “frying” sooner than others if they’re smaller in size.

Remove any that start to turn golden brown sooner and continue checking every minute or so until all the zucchini slices are done.

It’s pretty amazing how four simple ingredients and an air fryer can transform a bland vegetable into an addictively delicious chip.

I’ve made carrot chips, zucchini fries, eggplant chips and jicama fries before so I’m no novice to the vegetable to chip/fry thing.

These zucchini chips in the air fryer though may be my newest obsession. The bowl was polished off by my mom and I while doing a puzzle in approximately 5 minutes. They’re basically like the vegetable version of Pringles. You kinda just can’t stop once you start.

And now I’m intrigued to try roasted sunchokes in the air fryer too. I’ve got the oven version down but I bet they’d be perfect in here as well!

SOME NOTES ON THE RECIPE

Can I use a mandolin to slice the zucchini? – Yes, definitely. I personally don’t have one so it’s not necessary. A sharp chef’s knife will work just fine.

Can I use different seasonings? – Yep! Who doesn’t love garlic + salt? That’s the reason this is a great base recipe to start. If you like other seasonings, go for it! I’d keep the olive oil base the same and then use whatever spices you prefer.

What if the zucchini slices don’t fit in my air fryer? – Work in batches if that’s the case. I have an oven model air fryer and 1 large zucchini sliced will fit on the two trays in mine. If you have a basket type model, you may need to work in batches. It’s important the zucchini air fry in a single layer otherwise the chips won’t crisp up as well.

Can I use frozen zucchini slices? – If you’ve previously frozen zucchini slices, they can definitely be used once thawed. Make sure to thaw under refrigeration and then pat them dry before air frying.

WHAT ABOUT A DIP?

If you’re someone that loves dipping your chips in something, you may want to whip up a quick dip to go with these air fried zucchini chips.

I personally love them plain and unadultered.

A ranch type dip or something like this creamy 3 herb dressing would be really good. If you like the flavor of tahini, try this lemon herb tahini dressing as a dip.

A tzatziki type dressing is another option. Or, this roasted garlic white bean dip which is similar.

Of course, a simple marinara is easy and delicious too!

WHAT ABOUT SOME CHEESE?!

As is, the recipe is a gluten-free, vegan and paleo friendly zucchini chip recipe.

I can’t say I would blame you, however, if you added some freshly grated parmesan to these!

If going this route, you can either grate some parmesan over the chips once they come out of the air fryer as one option. You could do this with air fryer frozen broccoli too!

Or, sprinkle the cheese on top of the slices when they’re in the air fryer before cooking for that “baked on” cheese taste and texture.

CAN I MAKE THESE IN THE OVEN?

I’m assuming you found this recipe because you’re curious about cooking zucchini in your air fryer.

But, if you’re wondering if it can be done in the oven the answer is yes, but…

To mimic air frying, you ideally need a convection oven. That’s really all an air fryer is by the way.

If so and you want to try it, place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and arrange the zucchini in a single layer on the rack while baking at 400°F.

This will help the air flow around the entire zucchini chip as it cooks and hopefully result in the same crispy texture as an air fried chip.

You can try this method without a convection oven but I can’t guarantee the same results.

MORE VEGETABLE CHIP RECIPES LIKE THIS:

Jicama chips
Plantain chips
Beet chips
Tomato chips
Butternut squash chips

Or, give these air fried apple chips a try for something sweet instead!

If you want to serve these as a side dish instead of an appetizer, they pair great with air fryer brats for a healthier alternative to potato chips.