These Pan Fried Zucchini Squash Chips are made without flour or breading so they are gluten free! They are so simple to make requirinh less than 4 ingredients! Paired with a good tzatziki sauce you will not be able to stop eating these!
Pan Fried Zucchini Squash Chips (With Tzatziki Sauce)
These pan fried zucchini chips are such a fun party appetizer to serve your guests! I like to pair my chips with multiple dipping sauces so guests can choose what they like. Plus, dipping is just so much fun!
Pan Fried Zucchini Squash Chips Without Breading or Flour
There are a few ways you can fry vegetables. The batter is what can make them crispy and light. I did not use any breading for this recipe because then these chips wont be light and airy.
Instead I used cornstarch. Cornstarch is a great substitute for flour! It is gluten free and, when combined with a fat, makes food nice and crispy on the outside!
How To Make Your Zucchini Squash Chips Super Crispy!
Did you know?
Zucchini contains A LOT of water!
Just LOOK at all the water I was able to squeeze out of ONE large zucchini!
So if we want to make a crispy chip, we need to get rid of that water. Think of it as fries’ enemy!
If you try to bake or fry zucchini as is, it will come out soggy. It is very, very difficult to get ANY crispiness out of one if you do not follow these steps…
Step 1: Use salt!
Sprinkling your zucchini generously with salt will help to draw the water out. Sprinkle and let them SWEAT IT OUT like in the photo here. 
When you use salt, don’t be stingy because we will be wiping it off afterwards! (I let it sit at least 10 minutes!) The longer you allow it to sit with the salt, the more water you will be able to sweat out of it.
Step 2: Soak up the moisture!
Take 1-2 thick paper towels and wipe off as much salt of the water and salt as you can.
Step 3: Coat zucchini in cornstarch.
Finally, I will coat each slice generously with cornstarch (which helps to absorb any leftover water) and fry them until golden brown.
Using Flour vs. Cornstarch To Coat Your Zucchini
I tried BOTH flour and cornstarch and found that the cornstarch works so much better! Cornstarch always seems to give an extra crunch to fried foods so grab yourself a large container from the store if you don’t have one yet! It comes in handy a lot!
You can coat each slice individually or you can throw them in a large plastic bag and shake them around. You may need to separate some slices though since they tend to stick to one-another.
Cornstarch is also gluten-free so that’s a bonus for all of my GF readers! 🙂
What To Serve Your Zucchini Chips With
As I mentioned, the restaurant we go to, serves these as an appetizer with a side of tzatziki sauce. It is THE BEST way to eat them!
Another option could be an aioli or burger sauce if you have a good one.
If you serve these for a party, you can fry the zucchini chips ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven on the ‘warm’ setting.
You can also make the tzatziki dip a day ahead which I recommend because the flavors need to meld anyway!
Steps:
Use a mandolin or sharp knife to cut slices between 1/8 and 1/4 ” thick.
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Sprinkle salt generously onto both sides of the squash and leave on a paper towel for at least ten minutes.
Use a paper towel to wipe off as much salt as possible as well as soak up any excess water.
Add slices to cornstarch making sure that both sides are generously coated.
Add oil to a small saucepan and heat to 350-375 degrees F. Fry a few slices at a time until both sides are golden brown.
Use a rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.Â
 Use this photo below to pin for later!
Here are some other summer appetizers you may like:
Creamy Zucchini Alfredo Roll Ups (with ricotta)
Crispy Oven Baked Eggplant Fries (with Parmesan)
Baked Polenta Fries With Thyme Honey
Pan Fried Zucchini Squash Chips (With Tzatziki Sauce)
Pan Fried Zucchini Squash Chips (With Tzatziki Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Zucchini/Squash ((I used one green and one yellow))
- 1 Cup Cornstarch
- Frying Oil ((Canola, Peanut, or Vegetable))
Instructions
- Slice zucchini squash into 1/4 - 1/8 " slices using a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Generously sprinkle salt onto both sides of zucchini slices and lay on a paper towel for 10 minutes.
- Wipe off as much salt as possible using a damp paper towel so your slices are not too salty! Use a dry paper towel to soak up any extra water on both sides.
- Dip slices into cornstarch and drop into fryer/saucepan a few at a time.
- Flip slices after a few minutes so both sides get golden brown. Remove after color is achieved and let drain on paper towels. Taste test one right away to see if it needs more salt. If so, sprinkle with salt while still hot.
- Serve warm with tzatziki sauce on the side!
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