Cooking with an air fryer is a fun and easy way to whip up delicious dishes. One of my top favorites is zucchini. This air fryer roasted zucchini recipe is super easy to make and is a delightful side dish, perfect for any meal! Whether you’ve used an air fryer many times or you’re just giving it a go, this zucchini recipe is sure to impress.
Why I Love this Recipe
Zucchini has always been a go-to vegetable for me. It’s healthy, delicious, inexpensive, and provides the perfect accompaniment to just about any main dish or meal. There are several ways to cook zucchini but my favorite way is with this air fryer recipe. All we do is slice the zucchini into spears, season with a simple blend of pantry-friendly ingredients and cook in the air fryer for 10-12 minutes. That’s it! You don’t even have to turn or flip them while cooking. Just let the air fryer do its magic. And the result is so delicious.
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
There is no special equipment needed to make this recipe. The zucchini will be seasoned and placed directly in the air fryer basket or on the air fryer tray (depending on the style of air fryer you own). Naturally, you’ll want a good sharp knife to slice the zucchini and a surface upon which to do it such as a cutting board. You can apply the seasonings to the zucchini in a large bowl or in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, which I like to do for easy cleanup.
For our recipe, you’ll need 2-3 medium-sized zucchini. This quantity is ideal for most standard air fryers, ensuring the zucchini spears lay in a single layer without overcrowding, which allows for even cooking.
Our seasonings will include Italian blend seasoning, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Some olive oil will bring it all together.
Preparation
We’ll create 8 spears from each zucchini. Start by cutting the ends off of the zucchini and then cut it in half crosswise, creating two shorter cylinders. Take one of the cylinders and slice it lengthwise down the middle, producing two long halves. Cut each of those halves in half again lengthwise, resulting in a total of four long spears. Repeat with the second cylinder. When finished, you’ll have eight even zucchini spears.
Now, we want to pat the spears dry with a paper towel. This is important!
Stay Dry
Roasting zucchini brings out its natural sweetness, allowing it to turn a beautiful golden color with a delicious caramelized flavor. However, zucchini inherently contains a lot of water. If not properly dried, it tends to steam rather than roast when cooked. By patting the zucchini dry with a paper towel before roasting, you eliminate excess moisture. This not only promotes better roasting but also ensures any oil or seasonings applied adhere more effectively. Taking this simple step will guarantee that your zucchini roasts evenly and delivers an impeccable taste.
Using a large zip-top bag or a bowl, toss the zucchini spears with the olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated.
That’s it! Your prep is done. See? I told ya it was easy.
Cooking
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Once heated, place the seasoned zucchini spears skin side down in a single layer on the tray or basket, depending on your air fryer’s design. Use the air fry setting and cook for 10-12 minutes. The zucchini is ready when it’s golden-brown and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Serving
Your air fryer roasted zucchini is ready to serve. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese or squeeze some lemon wedges over zucchini for additional flavor!
Storage and Reheating
Your roasted zucchini is best enjoyed when it’s made. But of course, you can save leftovers for later.
Store the roasted zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place in a preheated air fryer at 350°F for up to 5 minutes or until heated through.
To reheat in a microwave, place on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 1-minute intervals until heated through – usually 1-2 minutes.
PrintRecipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
With a simple seasoning blend, fresh zucchini is roasted to perfection in an air fryer in about 10 minutes. The perfect side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
- 2–3 zucchini, medium sized (about 1 lb)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the ends off of the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise, creating 2 shorter cylinders, then cut each half into 4 quarters lengthwise. This will give you 8 spears per zucchini.
- Toss zucchini spears with oil and coat with all the seasonings.
- Place the seasoned zucchini spears in an air fryer preheated to 400°F, using the air fry setting. Arrange them skin side down and air fry for 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top. There’s no need to turn or toss them.
- Serve with optional parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Wendy
Yum. Have made these several times for a Snack, I eat them right from the Air Fryer 😊 Thank You
Amanda
These were delicious! All my kids loved them! I salted my zucchini ahead, everything else was exactly as the recipe directed. Thanks so much!
Barbara
This receipe is soooo good!! Thank
you. I’m not too crazy about zucchini, but now I love it. My air fryer doesn’t heat to 400, so the zucchini wasn’t as crisp
Still good though.
Nora Klein
I made the air fryer zucchini. Added halved baby potatoes and it was fantastic.
Mitch
Absolutely delicious, but weren’t as crispy as I’d hoped.
Elizabeth
These were quite tasty and simple to make. However, next time I won’t cut them into fourths; they were too thin and too mushy by the end of the cooking time. Obviously it depends on the size of the veggie. I like zucchini crisp tender.
Hannah
I used fresh herbs, barely chopped. So amazing!
RecipeTeacher
Yep! I’ve used a bunch of fresh herbs too and so awesome! Oragno, basil, parsley, all right from the garden. Thanks for the feedback Hannah!