Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Rating: 4.06 stars
18 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 3
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, August/September 2005
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

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  • Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray.

  • Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve hot.

Tips

Easy cleanup: Recipes that require cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that can be hard to clean. To save time and keep your baking sheet looking fresh, line it with a layer of foil before you apply the cooking spray.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 6 zucchini sticks
Per Serving:
129.3 calories; protein 6.2g 13% DV; carbohydrates 22.8g 7% DV; exchange other carbs 1.5; dietary fiber 3g 12% DV; sugars 3.9g; fat 2.5g 4% DV; saturated fat 0.2g 1% DV; cholesterolmg; vitamin a iu 342.2IU 7% DV; vitamin c 30.5mg 51% DV; folate 46.2mcg 12% DV; calcium 32.7mg 3% DV; iron 1.5mg 8% DV; magnesium 48.4mg 17% DV; potassium 520.2mg 15% DV; sodium 422.6mg 17% DV; thiamin 0.2mg 17% DV.
Exchanges:

1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable

Reviews (18)

Read More Reviews
18 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 3
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Jane Ann
Rating: 5 stars
01/19/2014
Absolutely delicious! Better than fried! Great alternative to French fries! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
06/21/2013
Very Tasty! I made these the first time exactly as directed and they came out very yummy though with some floury spots in places that didn't crisp up quite right. The next time I made them I added a couple pinches of ground cayenne pepper to the flour/seasoning mix--that worked pretty well! I also used both zucchini and a yellow squash I needed to use up and the recipe worked for the yellow squash as well. The next time I make them I will use the suggestion in these reviews of adding extra cooking spray to help ensure crispiness and I might add a bit of Parmesan cheese. You notice I keep saying next time--these sticks are that good. Read More
Lindsay
Rating: 5 stars
01/04/2012
Crispy yet tender I changed the flours in the recipe to rice flour since I am gluten intolerant. It was excellent! I personally liked them best without any dipping sauce but I used ranch (I am from Texas). The first batch I made I lined my pan with aluminum foil and that was not a great idea I think they needed to cook longer with the foil. I do agree that you need to do a generous coat of cooking spray to help them brown or you will have some floury spots. It was a delicious recipe I can't wait to try again! Pros: healthy can be turned gluten free Read More
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elanonuevo
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
The "breading" didn't cover completely and they didn't look all that appetizing after baking but OH were they great tasting!! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Make sure you space these out enough in the pan or will remain soggy. My 11 yo daughter who thought she hated zucchini ate most of the recipe! Definite success in my book! Pros: Cons: Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Quick & easy...everyone thought they were great! Juicy & sweet inside slightly crunchy on the outside. They never did quite brown up...could be my oven or too much flour coating but the appearance did not seem to matter. I'll definitely make this recipe again. Read More
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dmbsoul
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
These tasted fantastic!! However they weren't perfect. I had a bit of a time getting the breading to completely cover the zucchini. But this is a cosmetic issue to me the flavor and taste was great! Next time I may try placing the sticks on a cooling rack over a sheet pan in the oven to bake. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Easy delicious. A new family favorite. Would definitely be a 5 if I could figure out how to get the coating to crunch just right. The best way to coat is to throw everything into a ziploc-type bag and shake. Try a sprinkle of parmesan as they come out of the oven. Yum! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I used liquid egg whites to coat the zucchini and the batter stuck very well. However I had the same problem as others with getting the coating to brown. I thought about trying more oil on top but I didn't want to negate the healthy aspect of them. Very tasty when dipped in a little ranch dressing! Read More
bittersweetnightshade@gmail.com
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I had great success with this recipe and even managed to get the coating to brown and stick nicely. I followed the directions making sure to give a healthy coating (ha ha) of the canola oil and then set them to bake as directed. At the end of their baking time I added another spray of oil to the tops of the sticks and then set the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes and everything became a nice golden brown:) Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Great recipe and the sticks were delicious. Make sure you spray the zucchini for nice golden brown and crisy sticks. I also agree that you should shake them in a ziploc bag for even coating. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I read through the comments first before making this and it was totally worth it. I followed the recipe and added the suggestions from the forum (except for the baking tips). I agree that baking them on a cooling rack over a baking sheet and having them spaced apart is important; an even coating with spray is key for a nice brown fry; that a little bit of parm and/or ranch dressing makes them taste even better; and that the plastic bag technique is also work well for coating. My two tiny additions are that I moved my zucchini sticks around using a tong and that kept the coating on pretty well. I also used an older zucchini (you know the baseball bat sized ones) and honestly we didn't noticed and thought it was still very good. My husband is convinced these are somehow terrible for him because they taste very good. I'll totally make these again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I made these tonight and was impressed with the results! Since I was lacking the cornmeal I substituted a handful (2 tbsp. worth) of crunched up baked low-fat tostitos. The extra crunch was awesome with the texture of the zucchini. On the down side I also had a very hard time getting the "breading" to coat. When served I added a little low-fat sour cream for dipping and even the veggie hater (my husband) of our home enjoyed them & was eating them like french fries! Next time will try the ranch dressing as a dip! Overall great recipe! Read More
erinmurphy17@gmail.com
Rating: 3 stars
10/29/2011
Hard for coating to stay put. I had trouble with the coating staying on but loved the taste. I probably wouldn't serve them. Pros: Very yummy. Cons: Hard for coating to stay put. Read More
majstikleo@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
A great alternative for french fries I was searching for something new for my zucchini other then grilled or steamed. This is a great dish I made them a few days ago and was surprised at how good they were. Only complaint I couldn't keep them really crunchy for long they have to be eaten hot hot. I will be making again for sure. Pros: delish crunchy helps with fried food cravings Cons: Not french fries Read More
Christine
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Great Alternative to French Fries I've made these many times & they are my favorite alternative to french fries. When I started to use a cornmeal that was more coarse I got that extra delicious crunch I was looking for. And I always add a little more cornmeal than called for. Also an even coating of spray is essential to making them brown properly; otherwise they'll turn out with white floury spots. Pros: crunchy not fried delicious Cons: coating comes off sometimes Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Not too bad for a first attempt! I made these last night for dinner. As I was making them I realized that I didn't have cornmeal but corn flour. Tried it anyway. Probably not as good as having all of the "true" ingredients but most were great tasting. I was expecting more of a crunch (probably because of the flour vs meal) I am keeping this to try again. Look forward to using some of your suggestions! Pros: Great taste Cons: Issues with breading sticking Read More
mjcardwell@yahoo.com
Rating: 3 stars
10/29/2011
Involved Recipe Bad Substitution This recipe required a good bit of work to dip all the slices in the egg and then the flour mixture (I did this individually) and I made quite a mess! Also I substituted all white flour and did not use any whole wheat flour. I used lots of cooking spray as was recommended by other reviewers (good recommendation) but the places that did not brown adequately had a very floury taste. Perhaps with a slightly longer cooking time I would have had better results. I might try this recipe again but my first try was disappointing for the effort I put forth! Read More
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