Air fryer summer squash is a tempting & flavorful side dish that always wows. Slices of yellow squash are coated in batter & seasoned panko breadcrumbs, and air fried until golden brown and delicious.
(I also include pan frying instructions for even more decadence!)
Serve air fryer squash with vegan onion & garlic dressing or your preferred creamy dipping sauce.
When it comes to craveable dishes, it’s hard to beat something that’s breaded, fried, and served with a dipping sauce. And that’s certainly true of fried summer squash!
Summer squash is ideal for frying, because it has a mild flavor that really lets the herbs and spices in the breading shine. This crispy vegan side dish pops with notes of basil, oregano, paprika, granulated garlic, and granulated onion.
The golden breadcrumb coating gets beautifully crunchy on the outside while the inside is tender and steamy. Perfect for dunking into a creamy dipping sauce!
Air fried summer squash can be served as an appetizer, snack, or side dish with a sandwich, soup, or entrée.
Don’t have an air fryer? Pan fry instead! Breaded summer squash is wonderfully indulgent when shallow fried in a skillet. Look for pan frying instructions in the notes section of the recipe card.
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Summer squash: Look for a medium-sized yellow summer squash that is firm and blemish-free.
Kitchen staples: All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Panko breadcrumbs: For the crispiest coating, I recommend Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs.
They can be replaced with standard breadcrumbs. Just read the ingredient label to be sure they’re vegan.
Seasonings: Dried oregano, dried basil, paprika, granulated garlic (or garlic powder), and granulated onion (or onion powder).
You can replace them with your favorite seasoning blend like Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning salt.
Oil: For air frying, use oil spray. (Avocado oil spray is my preference.) If you prefer to keep this squash recipe oil-free, omit the oil; although, they’ll be slightly less brown.
For pan frying, use a high heat liquid oil like avocado oil.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make the recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Cut the ends off of a medium-sized summer squash. Slice the rest into roughly ¼ inch thick slices. Blot the slices dry on a clean kitchen towel. (The coating sticks better that way.)
2. Make a breading station.
In a cereal-sized bowl, combine:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Water
You want it to be the consistency of pancake batter.
On a dinner plate, combine:
- Panko bread crumbs
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Paprika
- Granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
- Granulated onion (or onion powder)
- Salt
Pro tip: Panko adheres best when it is dry. So once you have the breading & seasonings combined, if you like, divide the breadcrumb mixture amongst 2 or 3 separate plates. While you’re breading, as you finish one plate, you can grab another one with completely dry panko.
3. Dip each slice of summer squash into the batter, and tap off the excess. Then dredge each slice in the panko mixture, until fully coated on all sides & edges.
To keep messes to a minimum, use one hand for dipping in dry ingredients and one hand for wet.
4. Move the breaded squash slices to the air fryer basket, and put them in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd. Spray with oil (optional).
Air fry at 360 degrees for 8 minutes, stopping once to flip & spray again.
Remember: Every air fryer runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own air fryer. Adjust as needed.
Depending on the size of your air fryer basket & squash, you will likely need to air fry in batches. Keep in mind that subsequent batches may cook faster, because the air fryer will already be hot.
Alternative pan frying instructions
If you’d prefer, breaded summer squash can be pan fried instead.
To pan fry, bring a skillet to a medium high heat with about a half inch of avocado oil or other neutral-flavored, high heat oil.
Fry summer squash for about 5 minutes, stopping to flip with a spatula halfway through, once they are golden brown on one side.
Make it your own
Make this fried summer squash appetizer your own by varying the slicing, seasoning, or cooking method.
Vary the squash: Try this recipe with a different type of summer squash, like crookneck or tatuma (calabacita). Or make my air fryer zucchini recipe.
Vary the slicing: Cut the summer squash into wedges or fries instead of slices.
Vary the seasonings: Add a dash of cayenne to the breadcrumb mixture for a little kick of spicy heat.
Or if you like, replace the herbs & spices with any of the following:
- Italian seasoning
- Cajun seasoning salt
- Onion salt (One of my favorite Trader Joe’s vegan products!)
Air fry summer squash for a lighter side dish. Or if you’re feeling decadent, pan fry.
Best dipping sauces for fried summer squash
This vegan summer squash recipe is delicious on its own, but it’s infinitely more fun with a dipping sauce.
Here are some of my preferred dipping sauce options:
Storage & reheating instructions
Store leftover air fried summer squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes, stopping to carefully flip with a spatula once the squash slices are crispy again on top.
Once reheated, the interior of the squash will be a little softer/more tender than when freshly cooked, but still delicious.
Serving ideas
Enjoy fried summer squash as an appetizer, or serve it as a side dish to a accompany a larger meal.
Here are some main dishes, soups, or sandwiches to serve with it:
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Crispy air fryer summer squash (or pan fried)
Ingredients
- 1 medium summer squash about 13.5 ounces
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Several pinches of salt
- 6 to 8 Tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
- Avocado oil oil spray for air frying or liquid for pan frying
Instructions
- Remove ends from summer squash. Then cut the remaining squash into roughly ¼ inch thick slices. Blot the slices dry on a clean kitchen towel. Then set aside.
- Now it's time to make a breading station. In a cereal bowl, use a fork or whisk to combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 6 Tablespoons of water. After the batter is mixed, slowly add 2 more Tablespoons of water, as needed. You want the batter to have the consistency of pancake batter.
- Then on a dinner plate, combine panko bread crumbs, dried basil, dried oregano, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and a pinch of salt. Pro tip: Panko adheres best when it's dry. So I like to divide the seasoned panko breadcrumb mixture onto 2 or 3 separate plates. As you finish one plate, you can grab another one with completely dry panko.
- One at a time, dip each slice of summer squash into the batter and fully coat it. Tap off any excess batter. Then dredge it in the panko bread crumb mixture until it's covered on front, back, and sides. Continue breading each one until they are finished. (If you run out of panko breadcrumbs, add more to the plate, along with a pinch of each of the seasonings.)
- Put the breaded summer squash slices into the air fryer basket in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd for optimum browning. Lightly spritz with oil (optional). Air fry at 360 degrees for 8 minutes, stopping once to flip the slices & spray with oil again. (Depending on the size of your summer squash & air fryer basket, you will likely need to cook in batches. Be aware that subsequent batches will likely cook faster.) Remove from the air fryer, give a final pinch of salt, and serve on a platter with the dipping sauce of your choice.To pan fry, see notes section for instructions.
Leave a Reply