These baked zucchini chips are keto and gluten-free. There are no breadcrumbs in this recipe! I simply coat the chips with grated Parmesan and they come out crispy and delicious.
I love zucchini, especially those firm in-season zucchini with smooth dark-green skin and firm flesh. It's no wonder I have several zucchini recipes on this blog! They're all excellent, but this is definitely one of the best.
These crispy keto zucchini chips are so good. It's one of my favorite side dishes to make when zucchini are in season. It helps that my family loves them too - even the Picky Eater! So I tend to make them once or even twice a week.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty zucchini recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Olive oil spray: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Melted butter is another tasty option.
Fresh zucchini: It's best to use small, firm zucchinis in this recipe. You don't want them large and watery.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the chips could end up too salty.
Garlic powder: Sometimes I use onion powder. But garlic is best.
Grated Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated parmesan, not coarsely shredded.
Instructions
It's so easy to make keto zucchini chips! I season them with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan and bake them in a hot oven until crispy. I keep them gluten-free and keto by avoiding breadcrumbs and using just grated Parmesan to coat them.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Slice the zucchinis thinly, salt the slices, then rinse and dry them.
2. Spray the slices with olive oil and bake them in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes.
3. Flip the slices, spray them with more oil, and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Parmesan.
4. Bake 15 more minutes, until browned and crispy. Some of the zucchini slices might be ready before others are. You can remove them to a plate and keep baking the ones that have not yet crisped up.
Expert tip
Salting the zucchini slices before baking them is an annoying extra step, but it removes water from the zucchini, which helps achieve crispiness. So I don't recommend skipping this step. I tried, and the chips were still delicious, but they were definitely not crispy.
Frequently asked questions
Salt them prior to baking to draw water out, and bake them in a very hot oven. Coating them with grated Parmesan cheese is another trick that adds to their crispiness.
Yes, provided you use low-carb ingredients. In addition to these zucchini chips, good options include eggplant chips, kale chips, Parmesan crisps, bacon chips, and salami chips.
You can use unsweetened ketchup, ranch dip, guacamole, sour cream, or a keto cheese sauce.
I tend to use three substitutes. Almond flour (or almond meal), ground pork rinds ("pork panko"), or grated Parmesan. All of them work well and each of them is better suited for different recipes.
Serving suggestions
I usually serve these low-carb zucchini chips as a side dish. But sometimes my kids ask me to make them for a snack, and I am very happy to oblige! I wish all their snacks were this good. They either eat them on their own or dip them in some unsweetened ketchup.
When I make them as a side dish, I like to serve them with a main dish that I can bake in the same 425°F oven. So I often serve them with one of the following:
Storing leftovers
Leftovers keep okay in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. But they do lose their crispiness. You can get some of the crispiness back by baking them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
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Recipe card
Keto Zucchini Chips with Parmesan
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 2 medium zucchini about 1 lb. total weight
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup dry-grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and coat it with olive oil spray.
- Slice the zucchini into ⅛-inch-thick rounds. Arrange the slices on a platter or a tray and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Place the salted zucchini in a colander and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature. This should draw water out. After 30 minutes rinse and dry the zucchini slices using paper towels.
- Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Turn each slice to the other side. Spray with more olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, and Parmesan.
- Return to the oven and continue baking until the zucchini slices are browned and crisp, about 15 more minutes.
NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 