Coated with olive oil, spices, and Parmesan, then baked to crispy perfection, zucchini chips are one of my favorite ways of serving zucchini to my family.
These zucchini chips are crispy and savory. They are the perfect side dish when zucchini is in season, and they can also serve as a delicious homemade snack that you can feel good about eating. The secret to making them crispy: Salt them to draw out excess water and then bake them in a hot 425°F oven.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Olive oil spray: A convenient way to coat zucchini slices with oil before baking.
- Fresh zucchini: Use small, firm zucchini. You don't want them large and watery.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Grated Parmesan: Use finely grated Parmesan, not coarsely shredded.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Slice the zucchini thinly, salt the slices, and then blot them dry. Arrange the zucchini slices on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray them with olive oil, then bake them at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, keeping the oven on. Sprinkle the zucchini with black pepper, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan.
Bake the zucchini chips for 15-20 more minutes, until browned and crispy. Serve immediately.
Wow! These are really good (and I'm not a big zucchini fan, I just had a bunch I was trying to get rid of before they went bad.) Yum, they are so nice and crispy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
E Johnsen
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Recipe Tips
How long to bake
This recipe is not difficult, but the chips do require constant attention and monitoring. They won't all be ready at the same time, as shown in the image below. Bake them for the first 15 minutes, season them, and then check them every 5 minutes. Remove the browned ones to a plate, then return the pan to the oven.
Salting is Important
Salting the zucchini slices before baking removes excess water, which helps achieve crispiness. The photo below shows the zucchini after they were salted. You can see visible water droplets on their surface.
And here they are after I blotted them. You can see how dry they appear. Now they are ready for the oven!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can use a pastry brush to coat the zucchini slices with olive oil or melted butter, rather than a spray.
I don't recommend that. The Parmesan is an integral part of this recipe. If you remove it, you'll lose some crispiness. Parmesan helps create a lightly crisp, golden coating as it melts and browns. In addition, the flavor will be milder. Parmesan adds saltiness and umami. Finally, the chips will not brown as much, since cheese helps with caramelization.
Sure. Here's a photo to give you an idea. You can also watch the video in the recipe card below. 
The leftovers keep okay in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but they lose their crispiness. You can get some of the crispiness back by baking them uncovered at 350°F for 10 minutes. I place them on paper towels to absorb excess moisture, as shown in the photo below.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve zucchini chips as a side dish, but sometimes my kids ask me to make them as a snack, and I am thrilled to oblige! They eat them on their own or dip them in unsweetened ketchup.
Dips that go well with these chips include ranch dip (shown in the photo below), blue cheese dressing, Greek yogurt dip, guacamole, salsa, sour cream dip, cream cheese dip, tahini sauce, or a cheese sauce.
When I make them as a side dish, I like to serve these chips with a main dish I can bake in the same 425°F oven. So, I often serve them with one of the following:
- Parmesan crusted chicken (shown below)
- Chicken leg quarters
- Blackened salmon
- Baked cod
- Roasted rack of lamb
- Baked salmon
Recipe Card
Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips
Video
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 2 medium zucchini - 6 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - see notes below
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup Parmesan - grated, not shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper and coat it with olive oil spray.Olive oil spray
- Slice the zucchini into ⅛-inch-thick rounds.2 medium zucchini
- Arrange the zucchini rounds on paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to draw out excess water. After 30 minutes, blot them thoroughly dry with paper towels to remove the surface water and some of the salt. There's no need to rinse them.1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with olive oil. Bake them for 15 minutes. Please see the notes section below for important tips.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Sprinkle the zucchini slices with black pepper, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan. There's no need to flip the zucchini.¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ cup Parmesan
- Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the zucchini slices are browned and crisp, 15-20 more minutes. They won't all crisp at the same time, so check them every 5 minutes, remove the ones that are ready to a plate, and keep baking the ones that are still soft. Please see the notes section below for important tips.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Salting the Zucchini
Salting the zucchini slices before baking removes excess water, which helps achieve crispiness. Please don't skip this step. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has about half the sodium of other salts, including other kosher salts. If you use any other salt, you might need to use less to prevent the chips from being too salty.How Long to Bake
This recipe is not difficult, but the chips do require constant attention and monitoring. They won't all be ready at the same time. Bake them for the first 15 minutes, season, and then check them every 5 minutes during the second stage of baking. Remove the browned ones to a plate, then return the pan to the oven. If you're OK with devoting more time to baking, you can bake them at 400°F or even 350°F for longer. This should promote more even browning, but you'll still need to watch them carefully. Don't wait until the chips are super crispy before removing them. They should be browned and dry but not necessarily crispy. They will crisp up as they cool. Don't expect them to be crispy like store-bought chips or those made in a dehydrator. This is a quick and simple oven method, so the results aren't perfectly crispy, but they are incredibly delicious. I make these chips weekly in the summer.Storing Leftovers
The leftovers keep okay in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but they lose their crispiness. You can get some of the crispiness back by baking them uncovered at 350°F for 10 minutes.Nutrition
The nutrition info assumes that after blotting the zucchini slices, about half the salt remains on them. It also assumes that the olive oil spray used equals 1 tablespoon of olive oil.Nutrition per Serving
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Mark says
These chips are delicious! I serve them with your Greek yogurt dip.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you like these chips, Mark! Thanks for the comment.
Morgan says
such a yummy and easy snack! Thank you!
btw, made these a few times and have found that it's better to bake them at 400F for about 40 minutes.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you like these chips, Morgan! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Pa Mo says
Not for me. The zucchini slices never crisped up and it was way too salty.
Susan Fox says
I am experimenting with continuing to bake some of the chips at a lower temperature to dry them out a bit more for storage like a potato chip. They are very tasty, love them!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Fascinating, Susan! I love this idea. I'm going to try it, too. Thank you!
Kelli W. says
These chips are great! I cut them too thin the first time I tried these, but the second batch was awesome!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you liked these chips, Kelli! Thank you for the comment.
Josh says
Hi! Do you spray both sides of the zucchini slices with olive oil or just the top side?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Josh,
Just the top.
Angela says
I LOVE THIS!! I have been looking for healthier options for chips since I was diagnosed with DM, and I found it. I will be making this again. I used Mrs. Dash for the seasoning and it was great. I will be trying other seasonings too. I'm even going to try this with sweet potatoes. And, when I get my air fryer/toaster oven set up, I'm going too try cooking them in that. I did cut the zucchini too thin, but now I know better.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Angela! Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed review.
Lydia Holden says
So, I just wanted to comment in case anyone else makes the same mistake. My first error was to oversalt the zucchini in the first step. I saw how effective the salt was, so then went to town on it. I didn't realise the zucchini absorbed some of it. so mine, even though I rinsed the salt off thoroughly, are very salty!!!
Next, I cut my zucchini slices way too thin! And so they shrivelled up and burnt.
I gave it 5 stars, because aside from my mistakes (easily avoided if I read the recipe properly) they smell and taste delicious even with too much salt. So I'd reckon if I did it properly they'd be a real winner. Perhaps a little more involved than I'd prefer to cook - but when you have too much zucchini to deal with, I'd reckon give this a go!!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for this detailed review, Lydia! I appreciate it. I'm sure people will find it helpful.
Lauren says
Do you have to eat them hot? Are they good served cold?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Lauren,
They're good at room temperature.
Kimberly Entenmann says
We have so much zucchini and are looking for ways to use it. This was fabulous!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kimberly!