Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips

Learn how to make crispy, crunchy baked Zucchini Chips in the oven. They're a perfectly seasoned light alternative to potato chips!

4.5 from 102 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

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Learn how to make crispy, crunchy baked Zucchini Chips in the oven! They’re tossed in salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika for a perfectly seasoned healthy snack alternative to potato chips.

This crispy, oven baked Zucchini Chips recipe actually started out with one of those posts 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.

After seeing the Zucchini Chip recipe for what felt like the hundredth time, I just had to give it a try.

The first batch burned to a crisp. The second batch was soggy. And, well, the third oven batch… let’s not even go there. But, I knew it had the potential to work, so I kept working with it until I got it right!

These chips are so light and crispy, you just might mistake them for potato chips. 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 an easy recipe but does require some patience and attention during the first phase of cooking. Let me know what you think.

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A few simple ingredients, readily available year-round are all that are needed to make delicious oven-baked zucchini chips.

• Fresh Zucchini – This is a rare occasion when I’d recommend larger, more mature zucchini for a recipe. Two reasons – (1) younger zucchini tend to have more moisture content and will take longer to bake, and (2) older zucchini are larger – the chips shrink a lot while baking so larger zucchini give you larger chips when finished.
• Olive Oil – Coats the zucchini slices so that the spices stick and also promotes crisping while baking.
• Kosher Salt – Milder and more flavorful than table salt. The larger flakes stick to the surface of the zucchini and add to the crispy texture. I use Morton brand kosher salt. You can also use Maldon salt.
• Black Pepper – Where salt goes, there goes pepper. Seriously, the sharp flavor of pepper is lovely in the finished chips.
• Onion Powder – Gives a lovely flavor to these crispy chips.
• Paprika – Adds both color and flavor.

Do the Prep Work

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or line with a Silpat (reusable baking mat).

Slice the Zucchini into Rounds

2. Thinly slice the zucchini with a knife or mandolin.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.

TIP: I prefer a mandoline slicer to get really thin slices. I use an OXO mandoline with three thickness settings (1, 2, and 3). For these chips, I use setting #3 for thinner slices.

If you do use a mandoline, be sure to use the finger guard. Those things are basically razor blades with a handle, you know, so take precautions! If you prefer to slice the zucchini with a knife, use a very sharp thin-bladed knife and make uniform cuts of approximately 1/8 inch.

Toss with Oil and Spices

4. Add the sliced zucchini 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 the Slices on Baking Sheets

5. Place the zucchini rounds in a single layer on each prepared baking sheet. You don’t have to space them very far apart since they’re going to shrink up while they cook.

Bake the Zucchini Rounds

6. 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 them from the oven and set them aside.

TIP: 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 😉.

But 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.

7. Reduce the oven temperature to between 180 and 200 degrees (not all ovens go down to 180). 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’re not likely to burn during this part of the cooking.
   
   Keep checking every 10 minutes or so and when the thickest slices are crispy, they’re done! Remember that oven times and temperatures vary and yours may take more or less time to cook. Remove from the oven and cool.

• What goes better with chips than a sandwich? Not much! This salty snack would be a great side dish with any one of my many sandwich recipes like the Grilled Chicken, Apple, and Gouda Sandwich, Steak Sandwich with Grilled Onions, the Mediterranean Pressed Sandwich, or a Ham, Apple, and Brie Panini, just to name a few! They’re also perfect just by themselves for a light afternoon snack.
• I’m often asked whether these chips can be served with dips or a favorite dipping sauce (Ranch, for instance). Be aware that these are very delicate and even lighter than regular potato chips so they don’t hold up well for dipping. 

• Substitute the olive oil with avocado oil.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of finely grated parmesan cheese with the spices.
• Use garlic powder instead of onion powder.
• Add a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a spicy chip!
• Use your favorite spice blends to create a recipe all your own.

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 airtight container at room temperature. I suggest a rigid container rather than a zip lock bag to prevent the chips from being crushed.

📖 Recipe

Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips

Learn how to make crispy, crunchy baked Zucchini Chips in the oven. They're a perfectly seasoned light alternative to potato chips!

4.54 from 102 votes

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Course: Snacks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

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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

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.
• Thinly slice the zucchini with a knife or mandolin.
• 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.

Notes

RECIPE TIPS

• 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 1/8-inch thickness. If you prefer to slice the zucchini with a knife, use a very sharp thin-bladed knife and make uniform cuts of approximately 1/8-inch.
• Baking Tips: 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!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 | 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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— This post was originally published on July 1, 2014. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.