Fried Zucchini Chips

It all started one unassuming summer afternoon.

(Oh great, is she seriously going to tell us one of her blah blah blah omg and then this craaaazy thing happened stories that make me want to arrange teeny grenades inside my eardrums?)

THAT’S RIGHT CHACHI, SO SIT.

Sorry to scream at you.

It was Sunday afternoon. Hot, dry, the earth blistering and burning outside the walls of the air-conditioned hums and rattles of our 1950s ranch home. Our family had just left from a weekend visit, leaving behind the inevitable void of silence, as we lie on the sofa, recovering from the night before and watching, through lead-like eyelids, the Olympic trials. (which totally stress me out but that’s for another day.)

Wait, are you already bored?

 

The hours passed and as we slowly came back to life, we found ourselves meandering amongst the confines of our property, picking up the pieces of the weekend, thus realizing the obnoxious enormity of what lied before us in our garden – that darned blasted zucchini.

YOU ARE FALLING ASLEEP. Let me spice this up a little bit.

SO THEN, all of a sudden, the sky opened up and this strange, green, Hulk Hogan-type figure lowered himself down to us in slow motion with one hand pointing to the heavens and the other fist on his chest. And he had a SUPER HERO ZUCCHINI BELT on. Just like that we knew, he’d come for us.

And that he was showing off.

At first we didn’t know what would happen. Would he make us sauté them? Steam them over rice? Eat raw in a salad? I tried to ask him but he speaks Svenska, so obviously we were screwed.

THEN, and I’ll never forget this, he put his right hand in, he took his right hand out, he put his right hand in, and he shook it all about. He did the hokey pokey and he turned himself around, that’s what it’s all about.

Oh I’m just kidding! Like super hero zucchini men DO THE HOKEY POKEY.

 

He put his hands to both our foreheads, pressed his lips together, turned on the soundtrack to Top Gun, and it happened. He telepathically, well a) freaked us totally out and b) sent us the message.

And it was clear. We knew what we had to do. Nothing could be changed. Swayed. Altered.

It was time to fry some dang chips.

So some dang chips we fried.

And then the super hero zucchini man disappeared into the sky vortex hole, never to be seen again.

But he did leave me his zucchini belt. Wasn’t that so nice!?

Fried Zucchini Chips:

What it took for, oh man, like a zillion:

* 2 medium-sized zucchini, finely sliced on a mandolin (I used #2 setting)
* 1 Tbs. coarse salt (plus more for sprinkling at the end)
* 1/2 cup milk (or more if needed)
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp garlic salt
* 1 pinch cayenne pepper
* enough canola oil to cover 2 inches of a deep skillet
* 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Sprinkle the salt over the sliced zucchini and let them rest in a colander or a plate for about 15 minutes. This will remove some of the moisture from the zucchini. Then arrange in a single layer on some paper towels and pat dry.

Heat the oil until very hot. I don’t even really know a temperature, but like Satan’s gym hot.

Pour the milk into a shallow dish. Combine the flour, onion powder, garlic salt and cayenne in another shallow dish, tossing to incorporate.

Then it’s just an assembly line. You’ll dip the zucchini into the milk, then into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. And then into the hot oil they go. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all slices are good and fried. (don’t overcrowd) I didn’t photograph the frying because I’m a total sissy.

Serve chips with another good sprinkle of coarse salt and garnished with chopped fresh parsley. You can’t eat just one. JUST TRY.

*Now, not every single chip we made was completely crispy. Some did end up slightly more pliable than others. Aaron did the frying, so let’s blame him. But overall, freaking good chips, y’all.

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61 Responses to Fried Zucchini Chips

  1. Villy @ For the love of Feeding July 10, 2012 at 8:57 am #
    Loooove!! You should try mixing it up with some eggplant chips! You should try crumbling some feta or goat cheese on top! And no worries I can take care of the not crunchy ones... :)
  2. Cathy @ Noble Pig July 10, 2012 at 8:58 am #
    Awesome idea, I do these with sweet potatoes but with zucchini...how perfect!! Especially since we are swimming in zucchini.
  3. Ashley July 10, 2012 at 8:59 am #
    I want to eat a whole plate of this for lunch!!
  4. Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids July 10, 2012 at 9:03 am #
    Well, those zucchini chips are absolutely making me want to do the Hokey Pokey happy dance, too. Delicious!
  5. Christina July 10, 2012 at 9:18 am #
    I have a zucchini on my counter. So doing some frying tonight. And in Texas, that means just sitting them on the sidewalk for about a half second and they will be fried to perfection!!
  6. Amy July 10, 2012 at 9:23 am #
    "THAT’S RIGHT CHACHI"...Lol. Bev, if ever I wake up in a foul mood, you knock me right out of it. Will you please move next door to me? And bring some of these chips, will ya...
  7. Megan @ Country Cleaver July 10, 2012 at 9:28 am #
    Because who doesn't have a Garden Super Hero coming to spread The Gardening Word and leaving behind awesome tokens of power? I don't. This garden situation must be remedied.
  8. Cassie July 10, 2012 at 9:29 am #
    These look amazing. The zucchini chips are THE reason that I go to North. Amazing. Must try these.
  9. DessertForTwo July 10, 2012 at 9:40 am #
    Now we have matching zucchini belts! Me & the zucchini hero are tight, yo.
  10. Heather July 10, 2012 at 10:23 am #
    i'm going to buy a mandolin like RIGHTTHISVERYSECOND. if only i could find a zucchini super hero belt too...
  11. Katie July 10, 2012 at 10:31 am #
    Alright. You just convinced me to buy a second product this week. I officially need a mandolin. You should be in the ad business, I tell ya what.
  12. Sheila July 10, 2012 at 11:21 am #
    Never ever have seen this done. They look awesome!
  13. Deanna B. July 10, 2012 at 11:41 am #
    Dude. Deep fried and salty. All I needed to hear.
  14. Averie @ Averie Cooks July 10, 2012 at 11:54 am #
    I may have to break my "no frying in the house b/c my house will stink for 3 days" rule...just to make these!
    • Francy I Pollauf July 25, 2020 at 3:50 pm #
      I'm glad someone else thinks frying makes the house stink, LOL. We don't fry very ofter. . . I'm thinking of using our baby fryer on the patio and trying this recipe.
  15. Mande @ The Newfound Foodie July 10, 2012 at 11:54 am #
    I just picked up a bunch of zucchini at the farmer's market yesterday. Totes trying these tonight.
  16. Lynna July 10, 2012 at 12:38 pm #
    D: this looks soooo cool! these look incredible!!
  17. Katie @ Blonde Ambition July 10, 2012 at 1:07 pm #
    Why do zucchini from the garden always look like alien body parts? Thank you for transferring them into a more delectable form. Or I guess thanks to super hero zucchini man. :)
  18. Anna July 10, 2012 at 1:11 pm #
    Great, now I will have this song in my head for the rest of the day. Zucchini chips - I need these in my life!
  19. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar July 10, 2012 at 1:53 pm #
    These are freaking awesome! I looove this idea!
  20. Lauren - @Hippie Dog Company July 10, 2012 at 1:59 pm #
    awesome use for zucchini! What kind of mandolin do you have???
    • Bev Weidner July 10, 2012 at 2:17 pm #
      It's just your basic OXO mandolin! Probably less than $20 if I remember right. Go get it!
  21. claire @ the realistic nutritionist July 10, 2012 at 2:27 pm #
    You have the best kitchen gadgets in all the land. I need that fancy schmancy slicy thing. I want to also come over and eat these immediately while we gab about MIL's and drink wine. Sounds great right? I'll bring the wine?
  22. nicole b. July 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm #
    This is a healthy snack, right? RIGHT. xo.
  23. Debra July 10, 2012 at 4:15 pm #
    Just gotta do these! Reminds me of my mom and zucchini in her little garden. We had zucchini EVERYTHING....bread, pickles, relish...blah, blah, blah. Then the MONSTER zucchini showed up. Looked the size of California....that's another story....
  24. Ali @ Gimme Some Oven July 10, 2012 at 4:53 pm #
    Um...YUM! I could definitely dig snacking on these!!!
  25. Tracey Evans July 10, 2012 at 5:01 pm #
    You literally crack me up Bev!! Your Zucchini is gorgeous! :)
  26. anju July 10, 2012 at 9:30 pm #
    drool
  27. Cookie and Kate July 10, 2012 at 11:14 pm #
    I want, like, a thousand of these.
  28. Karla @ Foodologie July 11, 2012 at 1:42 am #
    "Heat the oil until very hot. I don’t even really know a temperature, but like Satan’s gym hot." HAHAHAHA
  29. Cynthia July 11, 2012 at 1:49 am #
    Thanks for sharing this recipe. I'm bookmarking this recipe to test out. Sounds yummy! ps: I love your story Bev!
  30. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious July 11, 2012 at 1:59 am #
    Vegetable chips? Yes please!
  31. Laurie {Simply Scratch} July 11, 2012 at 6:42 am #
    Oh snapppah! WANT!
  32. Jessen July 11, 2012 at 8:02 am #
    Bev, this would be great with Caramelized French Onion Dip! =) Just Sayin. . . This is actually the first time commenting on your site. Been following for the last couple years and Love it! Have a Great Day
    • Bev Weidner July 11, 2012 at 9:27 am #
      Thaaaat sounds so good! And thanks so much for saying hello!
  33. shelly (cookies and cups) July 11, 2012 at 8:31 am #
    Seriously, zucchini has never looked so appetizing. That sounded stupid, but I really mean it.
  34. Jen @ Savory Simple July 11, 2012 at 8:35 am #
    Now this is a good excuse to break out my deep fryer. Delicious! And the beginning of your post cracked me up!
  35. Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama July 11, 2012 at 2:55 pm #
    need to get a mandolin so I can make these asap! Look soooo good!
  36. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel July 11, 2012 at 3:32 pm #
    Oh my gosh you could totally trick me into eating my veggies this way.
  37. Javelin Warrior July 12, 2012 at 11:27 pm #
    On Fridays, I share my favorite food finds in a series called Food Fetish Friday - and I love this post so I'm featuring it as part of today's roundup (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and I'm happy to be following along with your creations...
  38. Miriam July 13, 2012 at 6:03 am #
    hahahahhahahha! you're fantastic.
  39. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. July 13, 2012 at 10:42 am #
    Since these are made with zucchini instead of potatoes, that negates the fact that they are fried, so I can eat the entire batch, right?
  40. Go CATS July 14, 2012 at 11:04 pm #
    Next time, use beer batter. It's delicious. Even better with squash.
  41. Josie July 16, 2012 at 9:33 pm #
    I want these. Now. I bet if you trashed them up and dipped them in ranch dressing you'd become the zucchini superhero.
  42. Judy July 22, 2012 at 9:59 am #
    been making them this way for years only just use water to dampen them and make them paper thin...they are like potato chips and usually never make it to the table as they are "sampled" as soon as they are out of the oil and on to the paper towel
  43. Peter July 25, 2012 at 9:40 pm #
    I absolutely love your blog.. Great colors & theme. Did you build this web site yourself? Please reply back as I'm planning to create my very own blog and want to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Thanks!
  44. Aurelia July 30, 2012 at 9:11 am #
    Wonderful alternative to ordinary snacks! But why do you use the milk? And do you have an alternative to the milk?
    • Bev Weidner July 30, 2012 at 12:12 pm #
      We used the milk just so the flour would have something to stick to! But you can use a little water bath if you want. Heck, if your zucchini already has enough moisture, you might even be able to skip the liquid and just dip her into the flour! Let me know how it works out. :)
  45. JulieD July 30, 2012 at 12:07 pm #
    Holy heck, how did I miss this beautiful puppies...oh my goodness! I'm in love with them!
  46. Kate March 20, 2013 at 6:43 pm #
    I love these but there are never enough for anyone else I eat them when I take them out of the oven and put more in and eat them. Round and round. I am on the ip diet so no milk or flower still delicious !
  47. Linda July 19, 2017 at 9:18 pm #
    This is the only way we had zucchini when we were growing up! Haven't made it in years.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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