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Baked Zucchini Sticks

Baked zucchini sticks are oven-browned zucchini fries with a parmesan herb coating that turns golden and crispy. The fries-style shape is fanned out for dunking in warm marinara.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
10 minutes sweating 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini sticks
  • 3 zucchini Cut into 3-inch long, 1/2-inch wide sticks.
  • 1 tsp salt For sweating the zucchini.
Breading
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs Beaten.
  • 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup parmesan cheese Grated.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp olive oil spray Use to generously coat before baking.
Dipping sauce
  • 1 marinara sauce For dipping, warm as needed.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and sweat
  1. Salt the zucchini sticks and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture.
  2. Pat the zucchini completely dry with paper towels until the surfaces look matte, not wet.
Bread and assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  2. In three shallow sections, set up flour, beaten eggs, and a seasoned breadcrumb mixture made by combining Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika.
  3. Coat each zucchini stick in flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, letting excess drip back.
  4. Press the egged zucchini firmly into the parmesan breadcrumb mixture so the crumbs cling evenly.
  5. Arrange the sticks in a single layer on the baking sheet with space between them and spray generously with olive oil spray.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 18–22 minutes at 425°F, flipping halfway, until the coating is golden and crisp.
  2. Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce for dunking.

Notes

For best crisping, make sure the zucchini is thoroughly dried after the 10-minute sweat, and don’t crowd the sheet pan—airflow helps the crumbs set. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat on a sheet pan at 425°F until hot and re-crisped (about 5–8 minutes). Freezing is not recommended because the breadcrumb coating loses texture after thawing. For a lower-carb swap, you can replace flour and breadcrumbs with a 1:1 gluten-free coating mix designed for frying/baking.