Air fryer zucchini and squash is the perfect side for any meal. Sliced zucchini and squash are seasoned with a simple blend, then air-fried until golden. It's an easy side that works perfectly for dinner or meal prep.
Summer squash and zucchini squash are two vegetables that should be on everyone's radar when it comes to cooking. These delicious vegetables have a mild flavor that works well in recipes ranging from soups to pasta, and they're also the perfect side dish. Talk about versatility!
This delicious air fryer squash and zucchini recipe is an even easier version of this pan-fried squash and zucchini. The mild flavor of yellow summer squash and zucchini, coupled with the simple seasonings, creates a vegetable side dish that complements any recipe without being overpowered or overpowering other dishes.
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Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash
- Limited Ingredients: You'll only need squash, zucchini, and a few seasonings to make this dish.
- Easy to Make: Air fried squash and zucchini are ready in just minutes.
- Healthy: This recipe uses nothing more than veggies, seasonings, and a little avocado oil, so it's an extremely healthy recipe.
- Versatile: You can change up the spices to suit your tastes, and the simplicity of the dish makes it an excellent side for almost any meal.
Ingredients
- Yellow Squash and Zucchini: Yellow squash and zucchini add mild flavor and tons of health benefits.
- Seasonings: A blend of paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and a few others add a good amount of flavor without being overpowering.
- Avocado Oil: I used Nutiva avocado oil for this recipe. It has a neutral flavor, and it's 100% organic.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Try different seasonings: Use your favorite seasoning blends to change the flavor of this dish.
- Make it spicy: Try adding red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Add more veggies: Try adding some sliced onion and mushrooms for more flavor.
- Add parmesan: Add parmesan cheese for an earthy, nutty flavor.
- Use any neutral oil: Olive oil or coconut oil both work well in place of avocado oil.
How to Make Air Fryer Squash and Zucchini
1: Toss the sliced zucchini and squash with the avocado oil and seasonings.
2: Place the zucchini and squash in the air fryer basket in an even layer.
3: Cook for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!
Hint
Use a vegetable scrubber to thoroughly clean your squash and zucchini. This gets all the dirt out of the ridges in the skin.
Storage
Refrigerate these vegetables for up to 4 days in an air-tight container. Freezing is not recommended.
To reheat the vegetables, place portions on microwaveable plates, and cook at 30-second intervals until heated through.
What to Serve with Air Fried Zucchini and Squash
The simple seasonings and the mild flavor of the zucchini and squash make a recipe that pairs well with just about everything.
Serve this recipe alongside tuna casserole or pork tenderloin for a full meal that's bursting with flavor.
Their flavor also works well with spicier dishes like this Cajun shrimp pasta or Buffalo chicken pasta.
Tips
- Cut your zucchini and squash into ¼-inch slices. This is the sweet spot for quick cooking time and the best texture.
- It's best to toss your sliced veggies with the oil and seasonings or fold them with a spatula rather than stirring them. This avoids breaking up the sliced veggies.
- For even cooking, preheat your air fryer. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it produces the best results.
- ALWAYS wash your vegetables, even organic ones. You never know what might be lurking on the skin.
- If your air fryer is on the small side, cook the vegetables in batches. Never layer the vegetables on top of each other.
More Air Fryer Recipes
FAQ
Air frying is definitely a healthier alternative to regular frying. An air fryer uses super-hot circulating air to cook vegetables and meats with a fraction of the oil, and it does it faster.
While not technically necessary, preheating your air fryer can produce better results. Preheating the air fryer results in more even heating and cooking and shorter cooking times.
If you overcook the vegetables, use too much oil, slice them too thickly, or put too many in the basket at once, your vegetables will come out soggy.
Related
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini large
- 1 squash large
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon Nutiva avocado oil
Instructions
- Wash and dry the vegetables. Then, slice them into ¼-inch slices.
- Toss the sliced vegetables with avocado oil and all seasonings until thoroughly coated.
- Place the seasoned zucchini and squash in an even layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
Krystle says
This cooks up so crispy! Such a great way to use all the zucchini I'm getting from my garden.
Swathi says
Air fryer zucchini and squash is delicious I tried it, great easy to make side dish.
Juyali says
I'm becoming more and more of an air fryer cook. It's so easy, right!?
I tried this recipe and it turned out so so good. We are zucchini lovers, and I'm glad I found your recipe. 😊
NKendrick says
Yay! Glad you loved it!
Leslie says
This is my favorite way to eat zucchini and squash!!
Dee says
So easy to make. It’s now a new weekly recipe for us.