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    Home » Side Dishes

    Greek Fried Zucchini

    Published: Jan 11, 2023 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 930 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Greek fried zucchini recipe.
    Greek fried zucchini recipe.
    Greek fried zucchini recipe.

    Greek fried zucchini are crunchy chips made with thin sliced zucchini dipped in batter and fried until crispy. They make an excellent snack or appetizer when served with a creamy dip.

    Close up of Greek fried zucchini on a serving plate.

    Greek fried zucchini, or kolokythakia tiganita, are thin zucchini slices dipped in batter and fried in oil until golden brown and crispy. A popular appetizer served in Greek taverns, these crispy zucchini chips are crowd pleasing and surprisingly easy to make at home.

    To make fried zucchini chips, you'll need two medium zucchini, flour, spices, cooking oil, and a pot with tall sides for frying. That's it! You'll have a platter of zucchini chips ready for snacking in no time.

    Serve Greek fried zucchini on their own or with a creamy dip like tzatziki sauce. They make a great side dish for your next meal or party appetizer for a crowd.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients on a counter top.
    • Zucchini - You'll need about two medium, or one large zucchini for this recipe. Don't skip the step of salting and draining your zucchini or they'll be too wet for frying.
    • All-purpose flour - Combined with water, the flour makes the batter for your fried zucchini chips. I haven't tested this recipe with other types of flour, so I can't say for sure how substitutes would work out.
    • Seasoning - Salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder add flavor to your zucchini chips.
    • Water

    Slicing

    I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer, the slicing attachment of a food processor, or the slicing side of a box grater to slice your zucchini. Using a slicing tool, rather than slicing by hand, not only saves time but also makes perfectly even slices.

    Zucchini sliced to the exact same thickness will all cook at the same rate. Thicker zucchini takes longer to cook and can retain more water (making your chips soggy), so I recommend slicing your zucchini as thin as possible. ⅛" slices were the perfect thickness for me.

    • OXO Good Grips Chef's Mandoline Slicer
    • Fullstar 6-in-1 Mandoline Slicer For Kitchen
    • Professional Box Grater, Stainless Steel with 4 Sides

    How to dry out zucchini

    Salting and draining zucchini slices before frying.

    Zucchini is made up of 95% water, so it's very important to take a few steps to dry out your zucchini as much as possible.

    • Thinly slice your zucchini to ⅛". Thicker zucchini slices retain more water and turn out soggy when fried.
    • Add your zucchini slices to a colander placed over a bowl (or over the sink) and salt generously. Salt helps draw the moisture out of your zucchini slices. Allow them to drain for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour), tossing once halfway through to drain off excess water.
    • Using a tea towel or paper towels, pat your zucchini slices dry on both sides.

    Frying tips

    Making Greek fried zucchini in a saucepan.
    • Don't skip the step of salting and draining your zucchini. Otherwise, your chips will turn out soggy.
    • Make sure your oil has preheated fully to 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or 176 to 190 degrees Celsius). Otherwise, your chips will turn out greasy.
    • Use a cooking oil with a high smoke point over 400 degrees Fahrenheit (or 204 Celsius) to prevent burning.
    • Dip your dried zucchini slices quickly into the batter, then gently drop into your hot oil. Zucchini doesn't need to sit in the batter for more than a few seconds.
    • Don't overcrowd the pan - otherwise chips can get stuck together while frying. Instead, fry your chips in several smaller batches.
    • Flip your chips halfway through frying to ensure both sides are golden brown.
    • Use a spider strainer/fine mesh strainer/skimmer to retrieve your finished chips and drain excess grease. Here's an example from Amazon: Spider strainer
    • Drain your fried chips on a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess grease.
    A white serving plate filled with crispy Greek fried zucchini chips.

    What to serve with fried zucchini

    Greek fried zucchini is best served warm with a creamy tzatziki sauce. Optionally, top with a squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving.

    Dipping sauce ideas:

    • Tzatziki sauce
    • Shawarma sauce
    • Hummus
    • Aioli
    Close up of Greek fried zucchini on a serving plate.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Greek Fried Zucchini

    Greek fried zucchini are crunchy chips made with thin sliced zucchini dipped in batter and fried until crispy. They make an excellent snack or appetizer when served with a creamy dip.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 169kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium zucchini
    • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (240 g) water
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • cooking oil

    Instructions

    • Using a mandoline slicer, thinly slice zucchini into ⅛" slices. Transfer zucchini slices into a strainer placed over a bowl (or over the sink) and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour), tossing once halfway through to drain off excess water.
    • Pat zucchini slices dry on both sides and set aside.
    • In a stock pot (or any pot with tall sides), preheat an inch of cooking oil to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit (176-190 degrees Celsius).
    • While oil preheats, prepare batter. In a bowl, whisk together flour, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add more water as needed. Batter should thickly coat the sides of your zucchini slices.
    • When oil is preheated, dip zucchini slices into batter, shake off excess, then gently drop into preheated oil. Do not overcrowd pan (this causes zucchini to stick together while frying). Fry for about 4 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Chips should be golden brown. Using a spider strainer/skimmer, lift zucchini from the oil, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
    • Serve warm with your choice of dipping sauce.

    Recommended Equipment

    • Cuisinart Stainless Stockpot, 6-Quart
    • Mandoline Slicer
    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls, Set of 3

    Notes

    • Greek fried zucchini is best served with a creamy tzatziki sauce. 
    • Thick sliced zucchini will turn out soggy when fried - thin sliced is best. 

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 134IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: Greek

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