Crispy Parmesan Baked Zucchini Chips

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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.

Zucchini chips are served on a white plate.

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

The ingredients needed to make zucchini chips.

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.

The zucchini chips are ready in the pan.

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

Can I use regular olive oil instead of spray?

Yes. You can use a pastry brush to coat the zucchini slices with olive oil or melted butter, rather than a spray.

Can I skip the Parmesan?

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.

Can you show me how thick you slice the zucchini?

Sure. Here's a photo to give you an idea. You can also watch the video in the recipe card below.

Can I keep the 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. 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:

Zucchini chips are served with Parmesan-crusted chicken.

Recipe Card

4.89 from 78 votes

Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips

These Parmesan zucchini chips are the perfect way to use up summer zucchini. They bake up golden and savory, and can be served as a snack or side dish.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 143kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

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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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Disclaimers

Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Baked Zucchini Chips

Ingredients and Variations

Instructions