Baked Zucchini Fries

French fries may be the Hollywood superstar of side dishes, but zucchini fries are the dependable sidekick. Secretly, you know you like them better—they make you feel good—and you also like telling your friends you like them. But this is a recipe for Zucchini Fries, not a supporting actor, so let's get to it.

These zucchini fries are coated with a crust of Panko breadcrumbs and cheese that doesn't turn gooey and melty in the oven but instead gets crisp and nutty. Zucchini is a moisture-rich food, so we've had to pull out all the tips and tricks to make sure these zucchini fries are crisp and crunchy, not soggy and sad.

Learn how to make zucchini fries. These are baked in an oven, so they're extra crispy and tender.

Ingredients for Zucchini Fries

If you've got a garden or CSA box overflowing with zucchini, you've come to the right place for using them. Zucchini fries are fun and easy to make as a quick side dish for summer meals—or any time of the year, really, because zucchini is available year-round. To make this recipe, you'll need:

• Zucchini: You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds of it.
• Panko breadcrumbs: The panko will keep its crispy crunch better than traditional breadcrumbs.
• Salt and pepper: For seasoning.
• Garlic powder: Adds depth of flavor to the zucchini fries with a small amount.
• All-purpose flour: Used to dredge the zucchini fries so the outer coating will stick easily.
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: This cheese is on the drier side, and it won't add moisture to the coating. You can buy it grated in a tub, or grate your own.
• Eggs and milk: For the egg coating that will help adhere the panko mixture.
• Jarred marinara sauce: A quick option for a dip, but you can use or make whatever dip you want. Even ketchup would work if it'll help get the kids to eat these.

How To Make Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries require a little bit of organization and several bowls for all the dredging ingredients, but if you get an assembly line going, these come together in no time. Recruit some folks to help you! The full recipe is below, but here's a brief outline:

• Step 1. Make panko coating: Combine the breadcrumbs, half the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Make sure you can easily get your hands into this bowl so you can roll the zucchini sticks later.
• Step 2. Make flour mixture: In a second bowl, combine flour and remaining salt. Again, make sure this is a shallow bowl so coating the sticks will be easier.
• Step 3. Make egg wash: Mix the 2 eggs and milk in a shallow bowl.
• Step 4. Cut zucchini: Cut zucchini into sticks. It's not part of the recipe below, but we also recommend a quick pat dry before you go to coat them. This will help the flour, egg wash, and panko coating stick.
• Step 5. Add coating to zucchini pieces: Working in batches, roll each zucchini stick first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and lastly the breadcrumb mixture. Press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere.
• Step 6. Bake zucchini: Place each coated zucchini stick on a greased wire rack that's sitting inside a cookie sheet. Line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier. Bake until the fries are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Our Tips for the Best Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries are quick and easy to make, but a few smart tips will make the process easier and your final dish even better:

• In a line: The best advice our Test Kitchen has for getting great zucchini fries each time is making an assembly line for the dredging process—and then don't mix up your hands. You'll need three shallow dishes: one for the flour, one for the egg wash, and one for the panko mixture.
• Work with one hand: Ideally, you'd use one hand to dredge the zucchini sticks in flour. Then, use the other hands for the next two steps. Why's that? If you get the flour mixture wet with egg wash, you run the risk of creating gloopy bits of flour that will stick to the zucchini and not cook well. But if you use one hand to move the zucchini fries into the egg mixture and one hand to move the fries out, you'll reduce the chances of this happening.

What To Serve With Zucchini Fries

Serve these crispy zucchini fries to kick off a meal or as part of a fun appetizer spread, along with cured meats, cheeses, and olives. Any jarred marinara sauce will work for dipping, but our Test Kitchen prefers Rao's brand. If you're not a fan of marinara, substitute Alfredo sauce or pesto.

How To Store and Reheat Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries are best eaten immediately after they're baked. The longer they sit, the soggier they will become.

If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat them, place them back on the wire rack, and reheat in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes or until crispy again.

More Zucchini Recipes

Looking for even more ways to use up your bounty of zucchini? These zucchini recipes might help:

• Zucchini Fritters
• Zucchini Lasagna
• Fried Zucchini Straws
• Sautéed Squash And Zucchini
• Zucchini Pie
• Zucchini Casserole