Snack Today: Zucchini Chips

Another zucchini recipe? Yup. If you have are lucky enough to have found yourself with an abundance of zucchini, thanks to your own garden or a generous neighbor, then you are going to find it very helpful to learn about these different ways to enjoy this summer squash!

Can you devour a bag of potato chips in one sitting? Then you need to try the best zucchini chips recipe, which really starts with just 2 ingredients: zucchini and olive oil. These healthy baked zucchini chips are delicious and full of flavor, plus they are loaded with health benefits. Zucchini is part of the summer squash family. One cup of zucchini only has 36 calories but is chock-full of nutrition. It contains 10% of the RDA of dietary fiber and is a great source of folate, vitamin C and vitamin A, potassium, and 19% of the RDA for manganese, a trace mineral that helps the body metabolize protein and carbohydrates, participates in the production of sex hormones, and catalyzes the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol.

Here is an easy way to bake zucchini chips with basil (one of my faves) and rosemary, and I bet you won't be able to eat just one!

Zucchini Chips

• 5 medium zucchini
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp basil, torn into smaller pieces (you can use dry, but use fresh if you have it)
• 3 Tbsp rosemary, chopped (fresh or dry)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp pepper
• 2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the zucchini and cut into thin slices. If you have a mandalin, this will help - but if not, slice as thin as you can.

In a large bowl, toss the zucchini slices in olive oil by slowly pouring olive oil while mixing. Be sure to not overly coat any individual slices.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, lay out a single layer of slices. Season one side up with rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper.

Bake the slices for 30 minutes on one side, then remove from the oven and flip them over. Season the opposite side with rosemary, basil, salt and pepper, which is a big part of why these are zucchini chips good enough to devour. Bake for another 30 minutes.

Pay attention as chips can easily burn, depending on thickness. The finished product will be crunchy, crisp, and golden brown, so yes, zucchini chips are satisfyingly crunchy.

Serve immediately and enjoy, and kids tend to love these zucchini chips too!

One quick note about texture. Because zucchini has such a high water content, the thinner and more uniform your cuts are, the crisper the finished chips will be. Research on drying zucchini slices shows that reducing the water as quickly as possible is the best way to achieve a crisp bite, something you can easily do in your oven at home at a lower temp like 325 for a long time.

The Secret to Crispy Oven Chips

Studies support this claim. In one 2022 study involving zucchini slices, researchers tested the effect of electric field and ultrasound pretreatments, finding that both significantly reduced the time required for drying and improved the crispness of the end product. For home cooks, the bottom line is straightforward. Faster dehydration leads to crispier chips.

How to make zucchini chips in the oven?

Zucchini has a high water content, and water is the enemy of crunch. To get crunchy zucchini chips, slice them thin, use only a light coat of oil, and leave each slice plenty of space on the pan. If you have the time, pat the rounds dry before adding seasoning. A study of dried zucchini slices found that pretreatments could significantly reduce drying time and improve the texture of the slices. That makes sense, since we’re letting our zucchini dry out over a long period of time at 325 degrees.

Breadcrumb, Carrot, and Mediterranean Twists

Once you’ve mastered the basic batch, there are endless variations: For polenta zucchini chips, or zucchini chips with breadcrumbs, roll each oiled round in polenta or bread crumbs before baking to add a little crunch. Carrot and zucchini chips: Thinly slice both carrots and zucchini, and bake on the same tray to create a colorful dish. Pizza zucchini chips, Mediterranean style: Add some dried oregano, a bit of minced garlic, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make zucchini chips?

Slice 5 medium zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick pieces, and toss with 3 Tbsp olive oil; spread out in one layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with basil, rosemary, 2 tsp sea salt and black pepper. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes on each side, flipping once, until the edges begin to become slightly crisp and golden brown, but don’t leave them too long or they will burn.

For crispy chips, remember that zucchini has a high water content, and water is the enemy of crunch. Slice thin and uniform, use only a light coat of oil, leave each slice plenty of space on the pan, and pat the rounds dry before seasoning. Faster drying at 325 degrees for a long time leads to crispier chips.

These zucchini chips are baked, not fried, which is part of why they make a good substitution. When baked at home, they don't have all the frying oils and other additives that come with store-bought bagged chips, and a homemade batch puts the salt and oil directly in your control.

These are baked rather than fried, starting with just zucchini and olive oil. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, lay a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes on one side, then flip and bake another 30 minutes until crunchy, crisp, and golden brown. Watch closely, as chips can easily burn.

Dehydrated zucchini chips rely on removing the water as quickly as possible, since zucchini has a high water content. Slice thin and uniform, use a light coat of oil, and dry the slices in your oven at a lower temp like 325 degrees for a long time until crunchy, crisp, and golden brown.

Are Zucchini Chips Actually Healthy?

The short answer is: they’re a good substitution, and the zucchini chips macros work in your favor. One cup of zucchini has 36 calories, plus it has fiber, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin A. When baked at home, it doesn’t have all the frying oils and other additives that come with the store-bought bagged chips. Crunchy, vegetable-forward snacks like these PCOS zucchini chips may help support satiety between meals.

What a Serving Really Gives You?

One cup of zucchini provides you with 10 percent of the RDA for dietary fiber, a good amount of folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and 19 percent of the RDA for manganese, which is a trace mineral essential for protein and carbohydrate metabolism. A homemade batch puts the salt and oil directly in your control, not in a food factory's.

How to Cut Zucchini for Even Chips?

Even slices are essential. You want thin, even slices so the chips cook at the same rate. A mandolin works well for zucchini chips and is quick. A sharp knife is also fine. The thicker pieces of potato will stay a little chewy.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.