Tender, flavorful, and ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe for air fryer zucchini and squash is a quick and easy way to cook this abundant summer vegetable! Simply drizzle cut slices with olive oil and lightly season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
You can never have too many zucchini recipes during the summer, right?!
While I love making more complex zucchini recipes, like Creamy Broccoli Zucchini Soup and Zucchini Pumpkin Muffins, I also enjoy a fuss-free air fryer squash and zucchini recipe!
Air fryer zucchini and Squash is a flavorful, easy side dish recipe that cooks in under 20 minutes. And, it's easy to customize to your liking and pairs with practically every main dish recipe!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Ingredients needed
- How to make air fryer zucchini and squash
- Expert tips
- Air fryer zucchini and squash recipe variations
- How to store, reheat, and freeze
- Serving suggestions
- Frequently asked questions
- More zucchini recipes you'll love
- Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash
- Hungry for more?
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this recipe
- Flavor. Summer squash is mild, earthy, and slightly sweet, and air frying enhances this sweetness by caramelizing the natural sugars.
- Texture. Crisp and firm yet tender and juicy, it has a good bite without being overly soft.
- Only 1 main ingredient. Yes, you can truly make this air fryer zucchini and squash with just one simple ingredient: summer squash. The olive oil and seasonings are optional and included purely for flavor.
- Easy to customize. Make this recipe your own with different herbs, spices, and toppings. Crumbly feta cheese is one of my favorites toppings!
Ingredients needed
- Zucchini: For the best results, choose medium-sized zucchini. These are tender, mild, and don't have huge seeds in the center.
- Yellow squash: In addition to zucchini, you'll need yellow squash, which is also commonly referred to as summer squash, crookneck squash, and straight-neck squash. For this recipe, just use the yellow squash that looks similar to zucchini.
- Olive oil: A light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil will help give the air fryer zucchini and squash that appetizing golden brown color we all love.
- Seasoning blend: The seasoning blend consists of dried herbs and spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Feel free to adjust it to your liking!
How to make air fryer zucchini and squash
Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. While the air fryer is preheating, slice your zucchini and squash into round slices, then cut them in half into half-moon shapes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Combine the dried herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Step 3: Drizzle the sliced squash with olive oil and season with the dried herb blend. Mix to fully combine.
Step 4: Transfer the cut and seasoned squash slices to the air fryer basket. Try to spread the squash out in an even, single layer. You'll have overlapping, though, which is totally fine.
Step 5: Cook the squash in the air fryer at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, tossing once halfway through cooking time. Start checking the squash at 10 minutes. If it isn't quite golden brown and crispy on the edges, continue cooking it for up to 5 minutes more.
Step 6: Remove the cooked air fryer squash and zucchini from the air fryer basket and transfer them to a serving platter. Add any toppings and adjust the seasonings to taste if needed. Enjoy!
Expert tips
- Many air fryers require preheating. To preheat an air fryer, simply run the air fryer for 3 minutes at the temperature you will be cooking your recipe.
- Use rounds or spears. This recipe works for both round zucchini slices and zucchini spears. I have tested it both ways!
- Seasoning is optional. I included a seasoning blend with this air fryer recipe, but you definitely don't need to use it. If all you want to do is air fry zucchini and squash, then simply follow the cooking instructions and omit the dried herbs.
- Toss halfway through cooking. Don't forget to give the air fryer zucchini and squash a good stir or shake part-way through cooking time. This ensures that all the summer squash slices cook evenly.
- Cut the zucchini and summer squash into even slices to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Adjust the cooking time as needed. All air fryers are different. I use a 6-quart Ultrean Air Fryer, which may cook differently than other popular brands.
Air fryer zucchini and squash recipe variations
There's nothing better than a healthy and flavorful vegetable recipe that's versatile and easy to customize! Feel free to try different seasoning blends, include fresh herbs, or add toppings and sauces right before serving.
- Use different seasonings. I prefer to use the seasonings that I have included in this recipe. However, you could also use an Italian seasoning blend or your own favorite dried herbs.
- Sprinkle with toppings. Zucchini and yellow squash are delicious topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and a light squeeze of lemon juice. I usually top this air fryer zucchini and squash recipe with fresh, flat-leaf parsley.
- Drizzle with sauce. For even more flavor, drizzle air fryer squash and zucchini with marinara sauce, flavored olive oil, or garlic aioli.
How to store, reheat, and freeze
- How to store: Leftover air fryer squash and zucchini can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover air fryer zucchini and squash in the microwave in a glass, microwave-safe dish, or on the stovetop. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop in a small frying pan, lightly oiled with cooking spray, over low heat.
- How to freeze: Let the cooked zucchini cool completely. Lay the zucchini out flat on a baking sheet, spaced apart. Freeze the zucchini for about 1-2 hours, then transfer the frozen zucchini to a plastic freezer bag.
Serving suggestions
I like to make a big batch of air fryer squash and zucchini to keep in the fridge for the week. I add them to zucchini scrambled eggs and pasta salad and use them as a side dish at lunch and dinnertime.
Here are a few of my favorite dinner recipes to serve with air fryer zucchini and squash:
Frequently asked questions
When air-fried, zucchini and summer squash become unbelievably tender and slightly sweet-tasting. It's a wonderful, fuss-free way to cook squash.
There's a chance you're not cooking your vegetables for long enough, or you're overcrowding the air fryer basket. Increase your cooking time and decrease the amount of vegetables you're air-frying at one time.
The longer you cook them, the less soggy they become. Squash and zucchini release moisture as they cook and eventually start to crisp up as their water content cooks out.
More zucchini recipes you'll love
Air Fryer Zucchini and Squash
Tender, flavorful, and ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe for air fryer zucchini and squash is a quick and easy way to cook this abundant summer vegetable! Simply drizzle cut slices with olive oil and lightly season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: air frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 6 cups sliced zucchini and yellow squash (round slices, cut in half)
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
- Make the seasoning blend by mixing the dried herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Transfer the sliced zucchini and squash to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the summer squash with olive oil and season with the seasoning blend. Mix the zucchini and squash well to evenly distribute the olive oil and seasoning.
- Pour the seasoned squash into the bottom of the air fryer basket. Spread the squash out in an even layer. Overlapping will occur, this is totally fine.
- Air fry the zucchini and yellow squash for 10-15 minutes, tossing once halfway through cooking time. Check the squash at 10 minutes. If it isn't quite cooked enough, continue cooking for up to another 5 minutes.
- Once the squash is fully cooked, remove it from the air fryer basket, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is for a basket-style air fryer.
- Leftover air fryer squash and zucchini can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 12
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 52.3 mg
- Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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