Description
Golden, crunchy baked zucchini fries with a double-coating technique that prevents sogginess, served with a homemade marinara dipping sauce. A low-carb, kid-approved alternative to traditional fried fries.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large zucchini (about 1.5 lbs / 680g)
- 1 cup almond flour (115g)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (40g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (240g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Wash, peel (optional), and cut zucchini into 1/2-inch sticks.
- Place zucchini sticks on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry thoroughly.
- Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: one with almond flour mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper; one with whisked eggs and water; and one with panko breadcrumbs.
- Dredge each zucchini stick in the almond flour mixture, dip in the egg wash, and press firmly into the panko breadcrumbs to coat.
- Arrange breaded fries in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are not touching.
- Spray fries lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the fries and spray the other side with oil.
- Bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- While fries bake, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, dried basil, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Serve fries immediately with the warm marinara sauce.
Notes
Salting the zucchini and letting it sit is crucial to remove excess moisture and ensure crispiness. Do not crowd the baking sheet, as this causes steaming instead of baking. For best results, serve immediately. Leftovers can be reheated in an air fryer or oven to restore crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 fries per serving
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 8
Keywords: zucchini fries, baked zucchini, low carb snack, gluten free snack, healthy appetizer, keto friendly, crispy vegetables, marinara sauce