Air Fryer Squash, both yellow and zucchini slices, can be crispy and crunchy in minutes! This quick and easy side dish made with air fried squash goes great with BBQ ribs on game day cookout as well as alongside your Thanksgiving ham or turkey.
It's that easy. It's that good!
If you love fried squash but haven't tried "fried" squash in the air fryer, yet, try it!
You will LOVE it!
My simple method of how to cook squash in the air fryer doesn't involve a messy batter, which is perfect for air fryer squash and zucchini. The cornmeal-coated squash slices fry up crispy without batter dripping down through the rack.
Here in the South, we love our squash recipes. Southern Fried Squash, Easy Squash Casserole and one of my favorite recipes for zucchini squash is Nutella Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Shortcuts
- The air fryer in itself is a shortcut because it is basically a baby convection oven with super-heated air that browns food and cooks food faster than a conventional or toaster oven.
- Using what you have is a shortcut. If you want to make air fryer yellow squash but all you have on hand or in the garden is zucchini, no worries! Both are interchangeable in this recipe. Just be sure to slice them evenly so they will brown and crisp evenly while cooking.
- Easy breading for squash. I absolutely love my green fried tomatoes recipe and Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes recipe, but this coating is even easier!
Ingredients
What you will need to make this air fried squash recipe.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Yellow summer squash (zucchini also works!)
- Cornmeal
- Vegetable oil in sprayer
- Salt
How to "fry" squash in air fryer
With just 4 ingredients, you'll be enjoying air fried squash in 20 minutes!
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Slice the yellow squash or zucchini into ⅛-inch to ¼-inch-thick slices.
- Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of the squash and wait just a minute. This will not only season the squash, it will draw out just enough moisture to make the cornmeal stick to the summer squash.
- For small batches, press the squash into the cornmeal.
- Or, simply toss the squash and cornmeal together in a bowl or zip-top bag.
- Generously spray the coated squash with the oil sprayer.
Tip: If you do not have an oil sprayer, toss the sliced squash in 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil before coating with cornmeal.
- Arrange the oil-sprayed, cornmeal-coated yellow squash or zucchini on air fryer rack. Or, you can spray them in the air fryer, toss and spray again.
Pro tip: If your air fryer racks are nonstick, avoid using aerosol propelled cooking sprays. The butane in them is not good for the nonstick surfaces.
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- Air fry squash slices according to printable recipe below until golden, turning or shaking after 8 minutes to get them browned evenly on both sides.
- Drain the squash on paper towels before serving and sprinkle with additional salt, if you like.
Tip: Air fryer squash and zucchini are healthy-er options for your game day appetizer recipes. Serve them warm with my Comeback Sauce.
Substitutions & Variations
Trade "this" for "that" in this air fryer squash recipe.
- Squash in air fryer without breading - If you don't want the "breaded and fried" kind of summer squash and just want to cook squash in the air fryer, just skip the cornmeal! Toss it with salt, pepper and about 1 tablespoon of oil and air fry at 400F until browned on the edges and almost tender. Excellent low-carb side dish.
- Air fryer summer squash other than yellow and zucchini. Did you know zucchini can also be yellow? Patty pan squash is thin-skinned summer squash with a sweet, mild flavor. Cousa squash looks like a short and squatty, light colored zucchini and can be used in all the same ways.
- In a pinch, self-rising cornmeal mix can be substituted for plain cornmeal. One time, that's all I had and it worked fine. I didn't taste the baking powder.
Helpful Information
Yes! Whether you coat yellow or zucchini squash with cornmeal breading or air fry it just tossed with a little salt and oil, it's simple and delicious. It's an easy, healthy side dish. If coated with cornmeal and air fried, dip it in your favorite sauce for a tasty game day appetizer.
What to serve with Air Fryer Squash
This squash air fryer recipe is good to serve either in the summer with other garden-fresh side dishes or at Thanksgiving instead of a squash casserole.
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with Pulled Pork
- Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar
- Top 10 Southern Shortcut Thanksgiving Recipes
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container.
- To Reheat. Reheat any leftovers in the air fryer at 400F for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking or tossing half way.
- To Freeze. You can freeze the uncooked, cornmeal-coated squash slices. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, then freeze at least 1 hour or until firm. Place in a freezer zip-top plastic bag and freeze up to 6 months. To cook frozen squash in the air fryer, spray the frozen squash slices with oil and cook according to directions for this recipe. They will take about 3 to 4 minutes longer to cook.
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Want more air fryer recipes?
Air Fryer Squash (Yellow and Zucchini)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow or zucchini summer squash (or 3 small) (about 3 cups sliced)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ⅓ cup cornmeal (not self-rising cornmeal mix)*
- Olive oil or vegetable oil in an oil sprayer
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer at 400F degrees for about 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the yellow squash or zucchini into ⅛-inch to ¼-inch-thick slices. Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of the squash and wait just a minute. This will not only season the squash, it will draw out just enough moisture to make the cornmeal stick to the summer squash.
- For small batches, press the squash into the cornmeal in a shallow dish. Or, simply toss the squash and cornmeal together in a bowl or zip-top bag.
- Spray the preheated rack with the oil sprayer.* Add the cornmeal-coated squash to the air fryer basket and generously spray the squash slices with the oil sprayer.
- Air fry the squash at 400F degrees for about 8 minutes. (See Note on frying in batches.) Then, shake or toss the squash and generously spray the squash again with the oil sprayer. Air fry 5 to 7 additional minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels before serving, if needed. Sprinkle with additional salt, if you like!
- Note: If you have a small air fryer, you can cook the squash in batches so you don't overfill it. I've had the best success frying in a single layer, but I've also cooked the whole 3 cups at one time and just cooked it a few minutes longer, shaking twice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Paula J Prislovsky
Does it matter about white vs yellow cornmeal?
Kathleen
Not at all. Neither the color nor the flavor will change. Use what you have. I prefer yellow because of the color it produces so that's what I have on hand.
Kimi
Can you use frozen squash and zucchini? If so, how would you adjust recipe?
Kathleen
I have not used frozen squash but you can, especially if you have frozen your own individually on a flat surface, then placed in a freezer bag so they retain their shape. Frozen squash tends to become limp after thawing. Pat dry the frozen thawed squash before coating in the cornmeal. It will take less time to cook in the air fryer. If you have individually frozen slices of squash, the cornmeal might not stick to them, so coating them in cornmeal before freezing them on a flat pan would be good. Then, you could pull out just as many frozen, coated slices and air fry them. This way, they might take a minute or two longer to cook. Hope this helps. Let me know if you experiment with frozen squash!
Paula
I had to brush them in oil since my oil sprayer decided to quit on me mid way through the process. I recoated them in corn meal and Mia they are in the air fryer. I plan to flip them over and brush the pieces in oil again, then let them air fry for another seven minutes. Hopefully it will work.