Air Fryer Zucchini With Garlic- The Perfect Side Dish

Air fryer zucchini is easy to make. It's the perfect side dish for any meal. Add a little minced garlic to the recipe to flavour it up, and it will delight even the most fussy eater at the table.

How To Make Air Fryer Zucchini

Making air fryer zucchini couldn't be easier. Let's have a look at some of the tools you will need.

Tools You Will Need:

• A sharp knife, or mandoline slicer

• Cutting board

• Air fryer

• A large bowl

• Garlic press

How Does An Air Fryer Work?

An air fryer works by quickly cooking the food, while also circulating hot air.

Air frying is similar to cooking in a convection oven, in that foods cooked in the air fryer are done evenly on both sides due to the cooking process.

The air fryer helps to make the foods brown and crispy on the outside with less oil. Crispiness is dependent on the air fryer temperature as well as the cooking time.

Using an air fryer is a healthy way to crisp up and brown your foods without using a lot of oil.

With air fryer zucchini , the pieces are evenly cooked, and the olive oil coating allows for them to brown readily on the top.

Air Fryer Zucchini Recipe

This is one of the easiest and simplest zucchini recipes. With just a handful of ingredients, the ingredients are few, although you can certainly add more. You can also substitute the garlic, to change it up for a bit of variety.

It is however, absolutely perfect just as it is.

If you find yourself wanting to make it several times a week like I do, consider some of substitutions in ingredients for more variety, which we will also discuss.

Air Fryer Zucchini Ingredients

• 3 medium sized fresh zucchini

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced

Substitutions

This air fryer zucchini is such a simple recipe, and you can add any of your favourite seasonings to spice it up a bit if needed.

I love the taste of zucchini all on it's own, even without the garlic, but this simple recipe definitely has the potential to be flavoured so many ways.

Some additional ingredients to add or substitute include:

• paprika

• oregano

• cumin

• teaspoon garlic powder instead of minced garlic

• avocado oil instead of olive oil

• olive oil spray

• Italian seasoning

• parmesan cheese

• lemon juice

• red wine vinegar

• dill

• the list is endless

Zucchini Preparation

• Wash and dry the zucchinis, and place them on a cutting board.

• Remove the end pieces from each zucchini.

• Now it's time to cut the pieces for cooking.

Cutting The Zucchini For The Air Fryer

• The zucchini can actually be cut in several different ways.

• An easy way to make the cut is to slice it down the middle, making two halves.

• If cutting the pieces in half, make sure that you cut into lengths that will fit into the basket of your air fryer unit.

• Another popular method is to slice the zucchini into evenly sized coins with a sharp knife or mandoline slicer.

• For best results the zucchini slices should be approximately ¼" to ⅓" thick. They will shrink even further as they cook.

• Make sure not to cut too thinly if using a mandoline slicer.

• These coin sized slices are perfect bite sized pieces, and there's really no need to cut them when they are cooked, and on the plate.

• If you zucchinis are larger however, you can further reduce the coin sizes by halving these as well.

• I cut the zucchini both ways, in coins and halved slices, for this recipe.

Adding The Ingredients

• Place the sliced zucchini pieces into a large bowl.

• Mince one clove of garlic with a garlic press, and add this to the zucchini in the bowl.

• Next, add the olive oil which is used to coat the zucchini, and then add salt and pepper to taste.

• Stir the oil with the other ingredients, making sure to coat each side of all the zucchini pieces.

• For the halved pieces it may be easier to pour the oil mixture directly onto the zucchini slices.

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions

• Place the zucchini pieces into the cooking basket of the the air fryer.

• For the coins, since these pieces are not going to be crisped up like air fryer zucchini chips, you do not have to lay the pieces out individually in a single layer.

• As a result you will likely not need to do multiple batches, even if using smaller air fryers with a smaller cooking capacity.

• Just spread them out in the basket, and they will cook and brown fairly evenly on top.

• For the zucchini halves, place them side by side in the air fryer basket.

• Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes for the coins, and about 15 minutes for the zucchini halves, which are thicker and require a bit more cooking time.

• Cook until the pieces are evenly golden on top.

• The length of cook time for the zucchini pieces can vary. This is dependent on the actual type of air fryer that is used, as well as your personal taste in the texture of the cooked zucchini.

• Variations in cooking times are common with air fryers. Basket type air fryers may cook a bit more quickly than the oven type fryers.

• It is always a good idea to check on your zucchini as it approaches the final cooking time, so you can learn about what works best with your own air fryer.

• Another thing to consider is that some people like to have their zucchini cooked to the point where it has a slight crunch, so vary the time according to your cooking preference and taste.

How to Serve Air Fried Zucchini

Serving air fried zucchini is a delicious way to feed you family this healthy vegetable in all it's air fried goodness.

It's a perfect addition to any meal, and can be used as a vegetable serving with any main dish.

It is also a great appetizer before any meal, served with some of your favorite dips.

Air fried zucchini can be served as a stand alone dish with your favorite dipping sauces.

It can also be a great healthy after school snack, and a great way to provide a much healthier option than potato chips.

How To Store Air Fried Zucchini

If you have extra zucchini left over, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.

This recipe can also be made in advance, stored in the fridge, and then heated up when you are ready to use it.

It's a delicious snack heated up after school for hungry kids returning home at the end of the school day.

Can You Freeze Air Fried Zucchini?

Air fried Zucchini can also be frozen to save and store for later use.

Be sure to allow the zucchini to cool down to room temperature before placing in the freezer.

When ready to use, defrost and reheat. You can reheat the zucchini pieces in the air fryer at 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes.

What To Serve With Air Fried Zucchini

Air fried zucchini can be served with any meal as a delicious vegetable side dish.

It compliments any healthy meal, and looks delicious.

It can also be served all on it's own with a favourite dip or dressing.

I love to serve it with Tzatziki for a cool and refreshing taste.

Recipe Card

Conclusion

Air fryer zucchini is an easy zucchini recipe, and the perfect healthy snack to make for your family.

You can serve it alone as a light appetizer, or as a healthy low carb side with your favourite dip.

Serve warm for the best texture and flavour, however you can also store in the fridge and freezer for reheating at a later time.

If you have lots of extra zucchini in the garden, this is a wonderful way to use up your produce and store it for later.

Switch up the recipe as needed, adding different spices and substitutions for different variations of this versatile dish.

You'll likely find yourself craving this flavourful zucchini dish more than once a week.

I am looking forward to the next gardening season, and hoping for lots of fresh dark green zucchini to cook in the air fryer with this delicious recipe.

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