Summary:

Transform ordinary zucchini into deliciously crunchy finger food using this easy keto-friendly recipe. The breading is made from almond flour and parmesan cheese, which keeps the carb count low. Once fried, the exterior turns crunchy and golden brown, a nice contrast with the juicy interior.

fried zucchini slices served on white plate

Fried Zucchini Coins

5 from 2 votes

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Prep: 20

Cook: 5

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

▢ 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch thick coins (Note 1)
▢ oil for frying (Note 2)

Egg Wash:

▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Breading:

▢ 1/3 cup almond flour (Note 3)
▢ 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (Note 4)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (Note 5)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (Note 6)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep Breading Station: Whisk egg and heavy cream in bowl until combined and pale yellow. Stir together all breading ingredients in another bowl until well-mixed with no clumps. Prepare large tray lined with parchment paper to hold breaded zucchini (Note 7). Set both bowls and tray in a line.
Bread Zucchini: Working with one zucchini slice at a time, coat zucchini first in egg wash bowl, then in breading bowl. See Note 8 for breading tips. Place breaded zucchini slices on prepared parchment paper as each zucchini slice is breaded in turn.
Heat Oil: Add 1 to 2 inches of oil to pan over medium-high heat. Heat oil to 350 F, and frequently monitor to maintain temperature by adjusting heat level during frying. Alternatively, use deep fryer with automatic temperature control.
Fry Zucchini (Note 9): Use tongs to transfer breaded zucchini slices into hot oil. Fry until breading is brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve (Note 10).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings

(Note 11)

Amount Per Serving (4-5 zucchini coins):

Calories 130 (66% from fat)
Total Fat 9g	14%
Saturated Fat 3g	16%
Cholesterol 60mg	20%
Sodium 370mg	15%
Net Carb 2g
Total Carb 3.5g	1%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	7%
Sugars 1.5g
Protein 7g

Vitamin A 7% · Vitamin C 15% · Calcium 12% · Iron 4%

PHOTOS

zucchini slice coated in low carb breading

breaded zucchini slices on parchment paper

holding up fried zucchini slice using fingers

half eaten fried zucchini slice on plate

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Zucchini. About 8 ounces weight. Peeling is not necessary. I cut the zucchini into coins, but you can cut them into sticks to make zucchini fries.

(2) Oil For Frying. Select an oil that (a) has neutral flavor and (b) can be heated to at least 350 F without burning — see Oil Smoke Points. Common frying oils include avocado oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil. Note that you can re-use oil by filtering it through a fine-mesh strainer or coffee filter; I use the built-in oil filtration system in my T-fal deep fryer. In fact, re-used oil or a mix of old and new often results in crunchier fried foods due to broken-down oil making better contact with the food — see Cooks Illustrated article.

(3) Almond Flour. I use almond flour that is blanched, which means the skins are taken off of the almonds, so that the resulting flour looks white. Don’t substitute with coconut flour or other flours, which vary in their absorbency.

(4) Parmesan Cheese. This is the kind of parmesan that has a sandy or almost powdery texture. Don’t use shredded cheese, which won’t stick as easily to the zucchini.

(5) Paprika. This spice is included for a smokier breading, and to give a nice orange color to the fried zucchini.

(6) Cayenne. This small amount results in very minimal heat. For spicy zucchini, you can double the amount.

(7) Tray With Parchment Paper. This is useful so that you can bread all of the zucchini at once. I use a baking half sheet. Wax paper or other nonstick surface would also work for lining. You can skip this step if you plan to place each breaded zucchini slice directly into the hot oil right after breading — it just makes it harder to keep track of how long each zucchini slice has been frying, since you’re not putting them in simultaneously.

(8) Breading Tips. To make the breading process less messy, use one hand for touching the breading and the other hand for touching the egg wash. Only one hand per bowl. To coat, flip the zucchini slice a few times in the bowl until it’s coated on all sides, lift up, and let the excess drip away (for egg wash) or shake off excess (for breading). When coating with breading, place the zucchini slice in the breading bowl and first scoop some breading on top of it so that you don’t have to touch the zucchini while flipping to coat.

(9) Frying Zucchini. Halfway through frying, you may need to flip the zucchini slices for even frying if they’re not fully submerged in the hot oil. Once fried, be gentle while handling the zucchini slices to avoid disturbing the crisp breading. Deep frying or shallow frying the zucchini in a pot or skillet on the stovetop is ideal for a crunchy exterior, and using other methods like baking in the oven or cooking in an air fryer will yield less crisp results.

(10) Serving. Serve promptly while hot and crispy; leftovers don’t keep well because the breading loses its crunchiness over time. Serve with dips on the side, like keto ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or buffalo sauce. Or, stir together 4 tablespoons sriracha, 2 tablespoons sweetener, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil for a tasty sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce. Don’t toss the fried zucchini in any kind of sauce because the breading will turn soggy.

(11) Nutrition. The estimate assumes all of the egg wash and breading ingredients are consumed. Oil used for frying is not included in the estimate.