Crispy, thin cut slices of zucchini covered in a crunchy mixture of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. These Oven Baked Zucchini Chips are a great, healthy snack option or a perfect side with your dinner! The fresh tomato dipping sauce for these zucchini chips is so good you could eat it with a spoon!
I prefer to use a mandoline slicer to get my zucchini cut to the perfect, uniform width. I've just recently discovered that I can, in fact, use the mandoline without slicing off my hand. It turns out the food holder that protects your fingers really does work! I recommend getting a mandoline for slicing zucchini, potatoes, carrots...anything you want to cut in a thin and uniform size! It's super handy!
All three of my kids (four if you count my husband!) didn't get too excited when I told them I was making Oven Baked Zucchini Chips. It doesn't sound like the most exciting snack on the planet, but after giving them a shot, all were asking for more! I worked hard to get the size, cooking time and temperature perfect for these so they are crispy and not soggy. I'm not sure I would have had as much acceptance with a plate of soggy zucchini chips!
Ingredients Needed
- Breadcrumbs - I prefer the Italian style breadcrumbs but plain or panko would work okay too.
- Parmesan cheese - Grated works better for this but you could also use shredded.
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Olive oil
- Zucchini
How to Make Oven Baked Zucchini Chips
First, preheat your oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir this to combine.
Next, in a large bowl, combine the zucchini and olive oil. Stir this to combine making sure zucchini slices are evenly coated with the oil.
Take one slice of zucchini at a time and dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Lightly pressing the mixture into the the slices and making sure it is coated on both sides. I like to take zucchini slices from the bottom of the bowl where the oil has collected and the slices are well coated. Place breadcrumb coated zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the 425°F oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them because you don't want them to burn. They are not good when they get too brown! You are looking for a perfect golden brown color. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the zucchini chips bake, you can prepare the tomato dipping sauce. To do this, place the plum tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and basil leaves in a blender or food processor. Puree the mixture, drizzling in the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Continue pureeing until mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and mix in 2-3 tablespoons of water or until you have reached an optimal dipping consistency!
I think the flavor of these are best once they are cool. While I'm not sure I'd recommend it, these can be stored in an airtight container or zip top bag and enjoyed the next day. They stay mostly crisp, but you'll get the crispiest, most delicious result fresh out of the oven!
FAQ
- Will gluten free breadcrumbs work for these zucchini chips? Yes! Gluten free breadcrumbs will work great for this. I like these gluten free breadcrumbs the best but you could also make your own. Take your favorite gluten free bread and pulse in your food processor until you have fine crumbs.
- Do I have to use a mandoline slicer for the zucchini? No. You could thinly slice the zucchini with a knife or most food processors have a slicing blade that you could use to get thin slices too!
- Do I have to make the fresh tomato dipping sauce? No, you don't. Alternatively, you could dip the zucchini chips in ketchup or ranch. They are good on their own too, so you could serve them as a side without any dipping sauce at all.
- How should I store leftover zucchini chips? These are really best served fresh from the oven. The get a bit soggy if you try to save them for the next day, but they are still good. I would keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to eat them, you could pop them back in the oven to rewarm and crisp them up. Alternatively, if you have an air fryer, these would crisp right back up if you put them in there for a couple of minutes, watching closely that they don't burn.
Recipe
Oven Baked Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Chips:
- ½ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 zucchini, cut in ⅛-inch thick slices
For the Tomato Dipping Sauce:
- 1 plum tomato
- 4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 2 teaspoons oil from the jar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 5 basil leaves
Instructions
For the Zucchini Chips:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini and olive oil. Stir, making sure each slice is coated in the olive oil.
- Dredge each slice of zucchini in the breadcrumb mixture and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake in 425°F oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Do not let them get too brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve with tomato dipping sauce or marinara sauce.
For the Tomato Dipping Sauce:
- In a blender, puree the plum tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and basil leaves. Drizzle in the sun-dried tomato oil until smooth. Add 2-3 tablespoons water to achieve desired degree of consistency for dipping.
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