Crispy Zucchini Fries Keto Low Carb Recipe with Almond Flour

Crispy Zucchini Fries (Keto + Low Carb)

I have planted zucchini three summers in a row, and two of those plantings gave me nothing but yellow leaves and a lot of quiet disappointment. This year the garden finally cooperated.

By the first week of June I was picking zucchini almost every day, and by July I was handing bags of it to neighbors who politely pretended they wanted more. Something to note: when a zucchini plant is happy, it is extremely happy.

Zucchini has shown up at nearly every meal at our house since early June. It goes into omelets, onto the grill, and into muffins.

But on the nights when I want something that feels like a treat rather than a vegetable obligation, I make these crispy zucchini fries.

They are breaded with almond flour, parmesan, and a short list of spices, then baked until the coating turns crisp and golden.

The whole recipe is keto and low carb, which means it works as a side dish for anyone watching carbs, and it still passes the taste test with people who are not.

The reason these fries work is the coating. Almond flour on its own can turn soft and sandy in the oven, so the parmesan does a lot of heavy lifting here.

It melts slightly into the crust, adds a salty bite, and helps the outside firm up in a way that a flour only coating simply will not do.

Add garlic salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, and you get fries that taste seasoned all the way through instead of only on the surface.

You will love how simple this is. There is no deep frying, no batter to babysit, and no special equipment beyond a baking sheet and two shallow bowls. You slice, you dredge, you bake. That is the whole thing.

If your zucchini pile is getting out of hand, this is one of the easiest ways to use several of them at once without standing at the stove for an hour.

Two medium zucchini make a full batch that serves four as a side, and it bakes in about 25 minutes. I usually make a double batch, because the first pan disappears before it cools.

Ingredients for Keto Zucchini Fries

The shopping list for these low carb zucchini fries is short, and most of it is probably in your pantry already. You need zucchini, one egg, low carb ranch dressing, almond flour, spices, and parmesan cheese.

I use Anthony’s brand almond flour and have for years. It is finely ground, which matters here, because a coarse almond meal makes a gritty coating that does not cling as well. Just keep that in mind if your fries ever seem to shed their breading.

If you do not have ranch on hand, mayonnaise works in the egg mixture, and jalapeño ranch is a great swap if you like a little heat. The full measured list is further down in the recipe card.

How to Make Keto Zucchini Fries

Start by heating your oven to 400 degrees F. While it warms, slice two medium zucchini into thin fry shapes. Aim for sticks that are roughly the size of a thick french fry. If they are too thin they burn, and if they are too thick the middle stays soft while the outside browns.

Next, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels. This step is easy to skip and easy to regret. Zucchini is mostly water, and any moisture left on the surface will steam the coating from the inside and leave you with a soft crust.

Set up a breading station with two shallow bowls and a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or sprayed well with cooking spray. In the first bowl, whisk the egg with a tablespoon of low carb ranch dressing until it is completely combined. In the second bowl, mix the almond flour, spices, and parmesan together well.

Dredge each zucchini stick in the egg mixture, then press it into the almond flour mixture so the coating sticks, and lay it on the prepared pan. Give the finished fries a light spray of cooking spray, which helps them crisp in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully turn each fry with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes more, or until they are golden brown and crisp. Total time from start to finish is about 35 minutes, with 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking.

My husband dips his in ketchup, every single time. I go for a low carb jalapeño ranch, which I think plays nicely with the paprika and the parmesan. Both work, and honestly these fries hold up to almost any dip you like.

Each serving has 3.2 g of net carbs, so you can pile them on your plate without much thought.

What to Serve with Zucchini Fries

These fries can stand in for regular fries anywhere, so anything you would normally serve with fries is fair game. Here are the four pairings I come back to when I want a full keto plate.

• Blackened chicken. Serve it on its own or slice it over a garden salad and use the same low carb ranch you would dip the fries in. The seasoning on the chicken and the parmesan coating on the fries are a good match.
• Greek salmon kabobs. Leave the zucchini off the kabobs when you are serving these fries, since you already have zucchini on the plate. It keeps the meal very low carb and keeps the two dishes from competing with each other.
• Air fryer buffalo wings. Wings and fries are a natural pair, and these wings come in at 2 net carbs per serving, which makes them a solid game day plate next to a basket of zucchini fries.
• One pan bacon cheeseburger skillet. If you want the keto version of a burger and fries night, this is the one. The skillet handles the burger, the fries handle the fries.

If you are cooking for a mixed crowd, this is a nice side to bring, because it does not announce itself as diet food. Nobody at the table has to know the coating is almond flour and parmesan instead of breadcrumbs. It just tastes like a well seasoned, crispy vegetable, which is exactly the point.

One more note on serving. These fries are at their best within a few minutes of coming out of the oven, while the coating is still firm and crisp. If they sit, the zucchini releases moisture and the crust softens.

If you need to hold them for a bit, keep them on the pan in a warm oven rather than covering them, since a lid traps steam.

For dips, ketchup and ranch dressing are the two listed in the recipe, and a low carb jalapeño ranch is my personal favorite. My husband will not touch a fry without ketchup, so we usually put both on the table and let everyone choose.

Can This Recipe Be Made in an Air Fryer?

Yes, this recipe works in an air fryer. Cook the breaded fries at 390 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes. Check them at the 7 minute mark the first time, since air fryers vary quite a bit from model to model.

One thing to plan for: this recipe makes a large batch, so depending on the size of your air fryer it may take about 5 to 6 batches to cook all of the fries.

If you are feeding a crowd, the oven is usually the faster route. If you are making a smaller portion for two, the air fryer is perfect.

Tips for Making Keto Fries

A few small things make a real difference here.

• Swap the cheese. Parmesan can be replaced with Asiago or any other hard cheese. Shredded and grated both work fine, so use what you have.
• Use a silicone mat. Baking on silicone mats keeps the coating from sticking to the pan and makes cleanup quick.
• Spray if they look pale. If your fries are not browning or crisping the way you want, a light spray of cooking spray helps them along.
• Do not crowd the pan. A reader left a comment about this and it is worth repeating. Fries that touch each other steam instead of crisping, so give them room and use two pans if you need to.

I also pat the zucchini dry twice when my garden zucchini is especially fresh and watery. Just keep that in mind if your first batch comes out softer than you expected.

More Keto Fries

If you like the idea of fries without the potatoes, these are worth trying next: Halloumi Fries, Crispy Keto Fries, and Air Fryer Carrot Fries. They all scratch the same itch, and none of them will wreck your carb count.

Ingredients

This makes 4 servings.

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon low carb ranch dressing, jalapeño ranch dressing, or mayonnaise
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice two zucchini into fry shapes.
3. Pat the zucchini dry.
4. Set up your breading station with two shallow bowls and a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or sprayed well with cooking spray.
5. In the first bowl, combine the egg and the ranch dressing and mix until completely combined.
6. In the second bowl, combine the almond flour, spices, and parmesan and mix well.
7. Dredge the zucchini in the egg, then in the almond flour mixture, and place on the pan.
8. Lightly spray the breaded zucchini fries with cooking spray to help crisp them.
9. Bake 15 minutes, turn carefully with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown and crisp.
10. Dip in ketchup or ranch dressing.

Notes

Each serving has 3.2 g of net carbs. That is based on a serving of one quarter of the recipe.

Recipe details

Nutrition per serving: 240 calories, 5.5 g carbohydrates, 11.8 g protein, 19.7 g fat, and 2.3 g fiber.

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Crispy Zucchini Fries (Keto + Low Carb)

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Crispy Zucchini Fries (Keto + Low Carb) I have planted zucchini three summers in a row, and two of those plantings gave me nothing but yellow leaves and a lot of quiet disappointment. This year the garden finally cooperated.

• Total Time: 35 min
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 medium zucchini
1 egg
1 tablespoon low carb ranch dressing
1 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1-Preheat oven to 400 degrees: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2-Slice two zucchini into fry shapes: Slice two zucchini into fry shapes
3-Pat the zucchini dry: Pat the zucchini dry
4-Set up your breading station by setting: Set up your breading station by setting up two shallow bowls and a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or sprayed well with cooking spray.
5-In the first bowl combine the egg: In the first bowl combine the egg and the ranch dressing, mix until completely combined
6-In the second bowl combine the almond: In the second bowl combine the almond flour, spices and parmesan, and mix well.
7-Dredge the zucchini in the egg then: Dredge the zucchini in the egg then the almond flour and place on the pan.
8-Lightly spray the breaded zucchini fries with: Lightly spray the breaded zucchini fries with cooking spray to help crisp them.
9-Bake 15 minutes, turn carefully with a: Bake 15 minutes, turn carefully with a fork and bake for 10 minutes more or until golden brown and crisp.
10-Dip in ketchup or ranch dressing: Dip in ketchup or ranch dressing!

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 240kcal
• Fat: 19.7g
• Carbohydrates: 5.5g
• Fiber: 2.3g
• Protein: 11.8g