Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips - Crispy, crunchy zucchini chips! Great alternative to potato chips.

These Zucchini Chips actually started out with one of those recipes that get passed around on Facebook. You know the ones. Recipes that everybody shares over and over, you have no idea where they came from, they look really good, but you just don't know whether they'll truly work. Yeah, those recipes.

I kept seeing this recipe for Zucchini Chips being passed around and I just had to give it a try.

So, you ask, did the original recipe as posted on Facebook work? Nope. Not even close.

The first batch burned to a crisp. The second batch was soggy. But, I knew it had the potential to work, so I kept playing with it until I got it right!

These chips are so light and crispy, you just might mistake them for a potato chip. The best thing about them? They'll help you use up some of that flood of garden zucchini! Plus they go really well with drinks.

I do hope you enjoy this one. It's easy but does require some patience and attention during the first phase of cooking. Let me know what you think.

How to Make Zucchini Chips

I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you'll find the recipe card.

Slice the zucchini

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Thinly slice the zucchini with a knife or mandolin. I used a mandolin to get really thin slices. My mandolin has three settings (1, 2, and 3) and I used setting #3. If you do use a mandolin, be sure to use the finger guard. Those things are basically razor blades with a handle, you know, so take precautions!

Toss with oil and spices

In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.

Add the zucchini slices to the bowl and toss so that each slice is coated with the seasoned oil. Actually, you have to do a little more than just toss the slices. You do have to work at it to get each slice coated. They just naturally want to stick together so you have to coax them a bit, separating the slices and rubbing them with the oil. Just be gentle and don't break the slices into pieces.

Place slices on baking sheets and cook

Place the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheets. You don't have to space them very far apart since they're going to shrink up while they cook.

Bake for 8-15 minutes watching very closely. Don't walk away during this time. When the zucchini starts to show some brown spots immediately remove from the oven and set aside.

NOTE: This is the tricky part of the recipe. The baking time is going to vary wildly depending on how thickly you sliced your zucchini, how much moisture is in the zucchini, how humid the day is, and the alignment of the planets around the sun :-)

Seriously, it can take anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes, but be aware that once they start to brown, they will go from beautifully golden to BURNED in about 30 seconds. Watch them like a hawk.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180-200 degrees.

When the oven has reached the lower temperature setting, return the zucchini to the oven and cook for an additional 20-60 minutes or until the slices are crispy. Again, the cooking time will vary but they won't likely burn during this part of the cooking.

Keep checking every 10 minutes or so and when the thickest slices are crispy, they're done!

Remove from the oven and cool.

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📖 Recipe

Zucchini Chips

Crispy, crunchy zucchini chips! Great alternative to potato chips.

4.48 from 86 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 medium zucchini washed and dried
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Thinly slice the zucchini with a knife or mandolin.
• In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.
• Add the zucchini slices to the bowl and toss well so that each slice is coated with the seasoned oil.
• Place the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 8-15 minutes watching very closely. When the zucchini starts to show some brown spots remove from the oven and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180-200 degrees. Return the zucchini to the oven and cook for an additional 20-40 minutes or until the slices are crispy.
• Remove from the oven and cool.

Video

Notes

Slicing the zucchini: I prefer using a mandolin to get very thin, uniform slices. The mandolin that I use, the OXO Mandolin Slicer, has three settings (1, 2, and 3) and I use setting #3 (the widest/largest opening) to produce slices of about ⅛-inch thickness. Keep in mind that mandolins are VERY sharp. When using a mandolin you should always use the finger guard for safety. 

If you prefer to slice the zucchini with a knife, use a very sharp thin-bladed knife and make uniform cuts of approximately ⅛-inch.

Tossing the zucchini: When tossing the zucchini, you have to do a little more than simply toss the slices with the oil and seasonings. You do have to work at it a bit to get each slice well coated. They just naturally want to stick together so you have to coax them a bit, separating the slices and rubbing them with the oil. Handle them gently and don't break the slices into pieces. 

Too much oil will result in soggy chips. You want the lightest possible coating. Let any excess oil drip back into the bowl. 

Baking the chips: During the initial 8-15 minutes of baking time, you'll need to watch the color of the baking zucchini slices very closely. When they start to show some brown spots, immediately remove them from the oven and set them aside. Be aware that once they start to brown, they will go from beautifully golden to burned in about 30 seconds.

You'll finish the cooking at the lower temperature for an additional 20-60 minutes or until the slices are crispy. The time will vary but they most likely won't burn during the lower temp part of the cooking.

Keep checking every 10 minutes or so and when the thickest slices are crispy, they're done!

Storage: Since the chips don't have any preservatives like commercially produced chips, they are best eaten right away. They will keep for a very short time, 24 hours at the most, in a tightly sealed container.

Shrinkage: As with any vegetable chip, these will shrink quite a lot. Remember that zucchini are over 90% water so any time you dry them out and evaporate the water you'll lose a significant amount of volume.

Dehydrator Usage: This recipe has not been tested using a dehydrator so I can't advise on how to adapt for that.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 586mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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