Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips

The secret to making them crispy? Salt them to draw water out, then bake them in a hot 425°F oven. I love zucchini, especially those firm in-season zucchini with smooth dark-green skin and firm flesh. It’s no wonder I have several zucchini recipes on this website! They’re all excellent, but this is definitely one of the best. These zucchini chips are so good. It’s one of my favorite side dishes to make when zucchini are in season. It helps that my family loves them too - even the Picky Eater! So I tend to make them once or even twice a week.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make these tasty chips. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Olive oil spray: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Melted butter is another tasty option. Fresh zucchini: It’s best to use small, firm zucchini in this recipe. You don’t want them large and watery. Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the chips could end up too salty. Garlic powder: Sometimes I use onion powder. But garlic is best. Grated Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated parmesan, not coarsely shredded.

Instructions

It’s so easy to make these zucchini chips! I season them with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan and bake them in a hot oven until crispy. I keep them gluten-free and keto by avoiding breadcrumbs and using just grated Parmesan to coat them. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

Slice the zucchini thinly, salt the slices, then rinse and dry them. This step helps get rid of some of the water content of the zucchinis, which helps prevent sogginess.Spray the slices with olive oil and bake them in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes.Flip the slices, spray them with more oil, and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Parmesan.Bake the chips for 15-20 more minutes, until browned and crispy.

Expert tips

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

Coat the zucchini slices in melted butter (use your hands or a pastry brush) instead of spraying them with olive oil.Experiment with more spices. Good options include onion powder, chili powder, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper.For a dairy-free option, it’s fine to omit the parmesan.

Serving suggestions

I usually serve these chips as a side dish. But sometimes my kids ask me to make them for a snack, and I am very happy to oblige! They either eat them on their own or dip them in some unsweetened ketchup. When I make them as a side dish, I like to serve them with a main dish that I can bake in the same 425°F oven. So I often serve them with one of the following:

Chicken parmesanCrispy baked chicken legsLemon garlic baked cod

Storing leftovers

Leftovers keep okay in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. But they do lose their crispiness. You can get some of the crispiness back by baking them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.

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