The Mistake You're Probably Making When Preparing Zucchini Fries

Zucchini fries are a flavorful spin on your standard potato-based french fries, but these veggies pose a unique problem for frying. Some home cooks forget to address the issue but do so at the peril of the finished dish. So, what's the problem? Chef and owner of City Roots Hospitality, Guy Vaknin, put it succinctly: "Zucchini is full of water." If that water isn't somehow removed, you will end up with limp, soggy, unappealing fries that nobody wants to touch. Thankfully, Vaknin had the perfect advice for drying out the zucchini so you end up with a crispy, tender result on your plate. Even better, it only takes one humble ingredient every home cook has lying around the kitchen: salt.  

Instead of waiting for your zucchini fries to come out of the oven or air fryer to coat them with a bit of salt, do it before they even get battered. "Slice the zucchini, sprinkle it with salt, and let it sit for 20–30 minutes," Vaknin specified. "Afterward, pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels." This is key, as the salt will kick off the process of osmosis, which will in turn dry out the zucchini (which is itself roughly 95% water). This step helps to create a firm portion perfect for frying. The same concept applies to other waterlogged veggies like eggplant. As a bonus, you are pre-seasoning what is, let's face it, a fairly bland bit of produce. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you don't want to season your zucchini fries when they are done cooking as well.

While salting zucchini before frying amplifies the flavor somewhat, it still needs a little flavor help once it is cooked. As Vaknin said, "Once the zucchini is breaded and done frying, you can add extra salt for flavor." Still, salt isn't the only flavor enhancer at your disposal. When it comes to zucchini, there are plenty of seasoning combinations you can experiment with that can elevate the veg and complement whatever the fries are being served with.

Vaknin has a few seasonings he's fond of using for zucchini fries, one of which gives the vegetable some earthy warmth. "I love using a smoked paprika and cumin," he said. For the spice lovers, there's another option: "If you want some extra heat, you can add chili flakes." If you want a suggestion from us, spicy Tajín seasoning works well with several fried veggies and would be another easy way to boost the heat. It is also a good idea to balance those flavors with a bright touch of acid, said Vaknin, who specified "I always add a squeeze of fresh lemon after for a zesty finish."