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Fried zucchini is one of my favorite appetizers. I love that crispy crunch of the outside, contrasted with the soft zucchini inside. It better be crispy. And seasoned. For goodness sakes, I can’t tell you how many times that I have ordered fried zucchini only to have it come out soggy and lacking salt. And here’s the thing- if I’m going to make baked zucchini fries, they better be comparable to fried zucchini fries or it’s a waste of time. I want that crunch that frying gives them. But frying zucchini kind of negates the whole “eating a vegetable” part. So I tried baking them. And came up with these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries.

And P.S. You know who has good fried zucchini? Primanti Bros! Ugh, they’re fried zucchini is delicious. I know that they’re known more for their sandwiches, but if you ever get the chance to eat there, try their zucchini appetizer as well.

Okay, back to work… Enter: panko breadcrumbs. You know what’s annoying? Every time that I go to type panko, my autocorrect wants to change it to pinko or Pablo! I mean is pinko even a word?! I digress… so panko breadcrumbs. The best thing about panko breadcrumbs is that it can really get things crispy. Panko holds up so well to baking or frying. I much prefer it to traditional breadcrumbs. Especially for something like these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries. So if you are thinking to yourself, “Can I substitute panko breadcrumbs for regular breadcrumbs?” My answer is No. Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get started.

Let me show you how I made these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries 👇🏻

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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp paprika to a large plastic baggie. Shake it a little to mix and then add the zucchini fries. Toss the fries to evenly coat them.

Next, creat a breading station. To a large, flat bowl, add 3 whisked eggs. To a second large, flat bowl, add 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and 2 tbsp of dried parsley and mix together.

Begin breading the zucchini. Pull one zucchini fry out at a time, dip into the egg (shaking off excess), and then dip into the panko-cheese mixture (again shaking off excess). Place the breaded zucchini fry on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all of the fries are breaded.

Lightly spray the breaded zucchini fries with olive oil spray and then place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the fries are crispy and golden. Immediately sprinkle the fries with a little extra salt.

Eat them right away while they are warm. Serve them with warm marinara or ranch dressing.

They are best when fresh, but leftovers can be reheated in the oven at 375 degrees until warm.

Enjoy!

These are the recommended products that I used to create this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

Have you tried this recipe? Thinking of trying it? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave me your thoughts below in the comment section.