Easy Air Fryer Zucchini

This air fryer zucchini recipe is an easy side dish that cooks fast! You just need zucchini, a little oil, and a few simple seasonings.

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2021 and has been republished with all new photos.

Air fryers are a big deal these days and I’m here for it. It’s such an easy way to prepare healthy food! I use mine daily and one of the recipes I make the most often is this one is this Air Fryer Zucchini. It’s the perfect side dish for any meal! If you’re a fan of roasted zucchini you’ll really love this method too. Air fryer zucchini gives you the same tender pieces you can achieve on a baking sheet in the oven. The best part? The air fryer method is a great way to cook with less oil and in less time!

There are so many ways you can season these simple summer veggies so feel free to play around with various spices and dried herbs. Any of your favorite seasonings will work! But first let me show you my tried and true spin on this delicious side dish. It has so much flavor and requires very little effort. You can’t beat that, my friend.

Craving more delicious air fryer recipes? My favorite use for ours is my recipe for Easy Diced Air Fryer Potatoes. Those crispy potatoes are on repeat in this house.

Easy Air Fryer Zucchini Ingredients

• Zucchini: Summer is zucchini season but you can find zucchini in your grocery store any time of year. Choose medium zucchini with shiny green skin. Very large zucchini tend to have less flavor and small zucchini will taste great but you’ll need more of them.
• Olive oil: A little bit of oil helps us get the zucchini pieces tender. I recommend extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil but you can use any oil you’re comfortable cooking with. A cooking spray is also a great solution and what I use most often.
• Seasonings: Dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt are the only seasonings you need to flavor this easy zucchini recipe.

How to Make Easy Air Fryer Zucchini

To flavor the zucchini, simply dice them and toss them in a mix of olive oil and seasonings. Be sure to dice them the same size so they’ll all cook in the same amount of time.

Then pop them into the air fryer and cook for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. Spread the zucchini in a single layer as much as you can for even cooking. If using a basket-style area fryer you’ll want to shake the air fryer basket at the halfway mark. This ensures the zucchini settled in the bottom of the basket won’t be underdone.

The finished zucchini will be perfectly tender and tasty. You’ll see some golden brown pieces in there too! Enjoy as is or switch things up by topping with parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or italian seasoning.

Should You Preheat the Air Fryer?

A preheated air fryer will help your food cook faster so absolutely preheat the air fryer whenever possible. Even just a couple of minutes can help! But know that if you forget it will still work out. You might just require a few extra minutes of cooking at the end.

How to Avoid Uneven Cooking in the Air Fryer

To avoid uneven cooking we want to understand the cooking process of the air fryer. It cooks our food by circulating hot air. We want all the ingredients to benefit from this circulation so we don’t want to pile our food on top of each other.

The cooking time for any air fryer recipe can vary depending on the size of your air fryer. A larger air fryer means you have the space to spread your ingredients in a single layer which is important for the best results.

But don’t worry! You can use a smaller air fryer too if you’re careful to not cook too much at one time. It’s better to make separate batches of a recipe versus trying to cram everything in at once and piling ingredients on top of each other. Second, when you shake the basket make sure the food at the bottom of the basket makes it’s way to the top.

If using a basket-style air fryer always shake the basket of the air fryer halfway through cooking time to make sure the food at the bottom of the basket makes it’s way to the top. Otherwise the ingredients at the bottom will cook more slowly and the ingredients at the top will cook faster (and possibly get too brown since they’re closer to the top).

What Kind of Air Fryer Should You Use?

There are so many options out there and you do not need a pricey air fryer to make yummy food. When I first start using an air fryer I purchased a Bosh Compact Air Fryer and it was under $40. The price tag appealed to me because at the time I wasn’t sure how often I’d use it! Needless to say, we use it all the time!

Since then I’ve moved to this Cuisinart Convection Air Fryer which is also a toaster oven. It’s big enough to cook a lot of food at once! Plus it looks nice and I keep it on the counter (I mentioned that I use it everyday so there’s no point in storing it elsewhere). It comes in white, silver, and black. I have it in white and my sister has it in silver.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to Serve

These tender veggies are the perfect addition to any healthy meal. I enjoy this side with chicken, steak, turkey, pork, or fish. If you’re eating low carb, add a simple salad! If you want to create a more satiating dinner, add a side of rice or a baked potato. I can’t imagine a more beautiful summer meal!

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