You don't have to "deep-fry" to call it Southern-Fried Squash. Learn how to make crispy fried squash, yellow or zucchini, without a lot of oil in this easy shortcut recipe. No messy batter and with cornmeal and 3 other ingredients, it's so simple!
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Whether you call it yellow squash or summer squash, I call it yummy!
Summer cannot end until I have had at least one mess of fried yellow squash, or summer squash as I've always called it.
What is a "mess of squash"?
In Southern speak, it means just enough for one meal. How much squash is that? It depends on how many are in your family. There are four in my family, if they are all home.
So, a mess for us is about 4 small squash. But we LOVE fried squash so we often cook extra!
We like to eat squash fried up crispy and call them fried squash chips! Dipped in my Comeback Sauce, they are fantastic as a vegetable appetizer or snack.
Frying cornmeal-coated squash is quick and easy. I grow yellow squash and zucchini in my garden every summer. I make homemade fried squash from both!
If you read my post on Perfect Every Time Fried Green Tomatoes, you see that it takes 3 plates to coat them in flour, milk/egg mixture, and cornmeal/flour mixture. Totally worth the effort! But....
But with my fried squash recipe, it can be as simple as pressing the sliced squash into cornmeal and frying them!
I also have a tried and true recipe for Air Fryer Fried Squash if you want to try it out! Both methods work well to make this classic Southern side dish.
Shortcuts
- No messy batter! Simply press the cornmeal into the sliced summer squash or shake it up in a bag!
Ingredients
- Summer squash- Straight neck, crookneck yellow squash or yellow or green zucchini. They are all tender skinned, mild flavor squash with no need to peel. I've even sliced patty pan squash for this recipe!
- Cornmeal- I prefer yellow cornmeal because you eat with your eyes first! That's the food stylist in me but white cornmeal is fine. From course ground to stone ground cornmeal, all will work! Use what you have. In a pinch, I've even used cornmeal mix that has flour and leavening (baking powder) in it. Still worked!
- Oil - I always have vegetable oil on hand so that is my first choice, but peanut oil, avocado oil or any oil with a high smoke point will work. Avoid extra virgin olive oil. It has a low smoke point.
- Salt - I use regular ol' table salt. You can use sea salt or Kosher salt but the larger the granules, the harder it is to stick to the squash.
(OPTIONAL) Flour- I go into detail with a picture below, but I prefer not to add flour to this recipe. If you want to stir in a couple tablespoons of all purpose flour, it won't hurt it but as you will see in the picture, it didn't change the texture and even prevented the cornmeal from sticking a little.
Use what you have! If you only have flour, it will work, too! Experiment with a couple of slices and see which you like better!
How to fry squash without egg, flour or milk
To me, the best fried squash recipe is made with just cornmeal. This method also makes it a gluten-free and dairy-free recipe.
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the detailed, printable recipe. Pictures below will help guide you as you read the recipe.
- Put your oil in the skillet to begin heating up to between 360F and 375F degrees.
- Meanwhile, slice the squash about 1/4-inch thick. The thinner, the crispier.
- Sprinkle the squash lightly on both sides with salt. Let them stand 5 minutes. This will bring a bit of moisture to the surface of the squash that magically allows the corn meal to stick to it without a batter!
- Pour the cornmeal into a plate and press the salted squash slices into the cornmeal.
Here's where you can add a little flour to the cornmeal, if you like. Scroll down to read my side by side experiment where I tested both cornmeal-only and a combination. It's hard to tell the difference! So I save an ingredient and just use cornmeal.
Pro Tips
If you are making a larger batch of fried squash, simply pour the cornmeal into a bag and add the salted squash and shake, shake, shake!
Salting the slices instead of adding it to the cornmeal keeps most of the cornmeal from getting left behind on the plate of cornmeal.
This fried squash recipe with just cornmeal is also gluten-free!
- Gently add the squash slices to the skillet of hot oil.
Check the temperature of the oil right after adding the squash and adjust the heat to make sure it comes back to 360 to 375 as quickly as possible.
Optional Tip: I use a digital infrared thermometer! Scroll down to read all about how it works on surface heat.
I usually keep the heat on medium-high. I probably could have added fewer squash to this batch and it wouldn't have dropped to 337 degrees.
If the oil is too low, the squash starts to absorb more oil and the texture is soggy rather than crisp.
- Cook the squash 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, flip them with tongs, then cook 1 additional minute on the other side.
- Drain on paper towels.
How much oil do I need to fry squash?
I recommend using just enough vegetable oil to reach a depth of 1/4 inch in the bottom of a high-sided skillet or large saucepan. Any more oil than that is wasted unless you are frying a large volume of squash.
There's no need to DEEP FRY squash to make it Southern-fried or pan fried. It's still "fried".
What oil is best for frying squash?
Any oil with a high smoke point works well to fry squash. I typically use vegetable oil because I have it on hand but I love to use peanut oil, too. Another high smoke point oil is avocado oil.
Fried squash with or without flour?
I did a side by side visual poll on my Instagram story a while back to see if anyone could see the difference between fried squash coated in plain cornmeal and fried squash coated in a mixture of flour and cornmeal.
They looked almost exactly the same but the cornmeal-only slices were slightly darker. That could have been the dappled sunlight when I photographed them and how long I fried them because they tasted exactly the same.
My family couldn't tell them apart. You can choose. They are yummy either way!
Keep your oil hot for crispy fried squash
(Optional but handy.) One of the most valuable tools in my kitchen now is this digital infrared thermometer! It measures the surface temperature of hot oil and candy mixtures. Just point and click!
Disclaimer: I do realize it doesn't measure the internal temps of things like meat but I have found that it is pretty accurate when it comes to gauging oil compared to a candy thermometer.
No more trying to secure a candy thermometer to the edge of a pan or adding more oil than I need to the pan just so it will be high enough to reach the bulb on my candy thermometer.
Another way to tell if your oil is ready is to sprinkle a few grains of cornmeal in the oil. If they sizzle and fry, your oil is ready!
What kind of cornmeal should I use?
I like to use yellow cornmeal for almost everything but especially for frying yellow squash. It just seems to enhance the yellow in the squash and doesn't mute it like white cornmeal.
This easy, shortcut recipe works with any cornmeal: yellow, white, stone ground. Make sure you are using cornmeal and not cornbread mix or cornmeal mix. Those have leaving (baking powder) in them. They will work in a pinch, though!
Pro Tips
Fried Zucchini Squash - If you have a bumper crop of zucchini and no yellow squash, fry it just like yellow squash! they are both summer squash with similar texture.
How thick do I slice the yellow squash?
Slice the squash somewhere between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch thick. It depends on your preference. The thinner you slice it, the crispier it will be like a chip. The important thing to remember is to slice them all evenly.
If some are thin and others are thick, you will have to babysit it to see which ones need to come out first because the thinner ones will cook faster.
If you are unsure of your knife skills or just want to slice a lot of squash quickly, I recommend a hand-held mandolin. They are inexpensive and fit in any drawer. I use mine to slice cucumbers for my Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar.
How do you coat the squash in cornmeal?
It's as easy as slicing the squash and pressing the squash into the salted cornmeal immediately. The little bit of moisture produced on the cut sides of the squash is enough to make the cornmeal stick to the squash. That's it! No messy batter.
How do I reheat leftover fried squash?
We rarely have leftover fried squash, but the air fryer and oven are the best ways to reheat it. Just 2 minutes at 375F in the air fryer and 5 to 7 minutes in the oven at 350F will crisp it up nicely. Avoid the microwave because you will end up with soggy squash.
How to store and freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze uncooked, cornmeal-coated squash slices! Just freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then toss them in a resealable zip top bag or freezer container for up to 3 months. You can fry the frozen slices in hot oil without even thawing them!
More squash recipes you may love
Glazed Nutella Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Parmesan Yellow Squash Fritters
Ground Turkey Quinoa Skillet Dinner
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Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or want to tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!
Southern Fried Yellow Squash
Equipment
- Digital infrared thermometer (Optional)
Ingredients
- Just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of your pan This varies with pan size
- 4 to 6 small yellow squash (about 1 1/4 pounds) straight or crookneck or zucchini
- 1/3 cup cornmeal (Not cornmeal mix) I prefer yellow
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional) Optional: Many people like to add flour
Instructions
- Pour enough oil in a high-side skillet (not nonstick) or large saucepan to reach a depth of about 1/4 inch. No more! Bring temperature up to between 360 and 375F degrees over medium high heat.
- I use a digital thermal thermometer you can buy online and at hardware stores for a quick and easy way to measure the heat.
- Meanwhile, Cut the squash into 1/8 to 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of the squash slices. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Press the cut sides into the cornmeal. If you choose to add the flour, simply stir it into the cornmeal on a paper plate for easy clean up. I find that the flour prevents some of the cornmeal from sticking to the squash.
- Gently drop the coated squash slices into the oil one by one in a single layer. Be sure they are not touching each other. If there are too many slices in the pan, the temperature may drop too quickly and take too long to come back up to 360 to 375 degrees.
- Cook the squash about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. I usually cook 2 to 3 minutes on first side, flip, then 1 minute on the other side. Drain on paper towels.
Notes
Nutrition
I updated this recipe and blog post July 10, 2024 with new images and helpful information.
Brian
I made these. They were good but a bit too salty.
Kathleen
So glad you made them. You absolutely can adjust the salt to you liking. Some folks on low salt diets leave it out altogether.
Beverly
I made these last night, Delish! I also chunked up a green tomato and cooked it the same way. That was delish too!!
Kathleen
What a great idea to throw in the green tomato! Thanks for sharing. So glad you loved the recipe!
Joan
What a pleasant, easy way to serve summer squash. I couldn't believe how tasty these are. Also, I had about 10 rounds of squash left and stored them in the fridge. They were excellent cold for breakfast this morning. I'll be using this recipe for sure as they come in from the garden.
Kathleen
I love that you had them cold for breakfast! I've actually eaten leftovers straight from the fridge for a snack, too!
Rachel
We cooked squash this way tonight and it was so delicious! This is now my favorite way to serve (and eat) squash. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kathleen
So glad you loved it! Gotta love that crunch on the outside and tender squash on the inside!
Barbara H
Can I make this in an air fryer?
Kathleen
Absolutely! This is the perfect recipe to make "fried" squash in the air fryer because there's no messy, drippy batter. Just be sure to spray the cornmeal-coated squash with oil spray first. Air fry in a single layer for about 3 minutes, then turn them. Spray with oil spray again and air fry for 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Angel
I think I'm going to try this recipe the next time I make homemade chicken nuggets 🤤🤤
Kathleen
I have not tried the cornmeal on chicken nuggets! Let me know if it works for you. I wonder if using self-rising cornmeal mix would work well on cubes of chicken?
Judy
I fried strips of green pepper with fried squash, very good.
gritsandgouda
I've never done that! Ill have to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Post
great recipe! I also like to add some sautéed onion and bacon
gritsandgouda
Thank you! I'm always good with bacon and onion added to almost everything! Good call!
Reesa Gerards
As a southerner, I’ve always cubed green tomatoes and fried this with okra. I’ll now add cubed squash for a fab side!
gritsandgouda
Yes! I love that flavor combo idea! Thanks for sharing.
Shelly Henry
So is it better to only use yellow cornmeal and omit the 2 tablespoons of flour
If I remember correctly my Grandma used yellow cornmeal and always added a little bit of flour, Tony Chachere's Seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
A few times she dipped in a wet batter before coating with dry ingredients, What is the difference in the 2..???
Kathleen
I just use the cornmeal because it seems like the finer flour would adhere to the squash before the coarser cornmeal could grab it. But, the end results tends to look the same. So, your Grandma's flour works, too! The difference in dipping in a wet batter is the thickness of the end result. One is a thin coating and the wet batter is a thicker fritter like batter when fried. Both good, just different. I love the idea of adding Tony Chachere's seasoning.
Leann
When I was young my mom would often cut up yellow squash, okra, an onion and a potato and mix together in this breading and fry it together. I loved it as much, if not more than each separately. It's great when things are just starting to get ripe and you don't have enough of one to fry separately. I may go home and fix some of this for dinner!
gritsandgouda
That's a great idea to fry up several veggies at one time! Great idea for flavor as well as convenience early on when the garden hasn't produced a ton, yet. Thank you for sharing!
Linda M.
Yes you can put them in the oven. I put mine in the toaster oven. I spray the pan with cacanola oil, put squash on them and spray the top. Bake on400° to 450° depending on your oven. I do do flip them over as my oven tend to brown the bottom.
Linda M.
I do cook my squash in my toaster oven. You can put oil in pan or spray with spray oil. They don't absorb as much oil if you use spray oil. My mom never could get enough fried up to put on the table as we would eat them as soon as she took them out of the pan. Lol There was 6 of us.
gritsandgouda
Yes! That's a great way to cook a lot of them all at one time! Thanks for sharing!
Amy Williams
add a zucchini in that also. My grandbabies love it when I make this recipe.
gritsandgouda
Yes! Zucchini fries up with the same crispy outside crunch and soft insides. Love that your grand babies love it!
Michelle
My fried squash turned out amazing! I usually end up with what i call “scrambled squash” lol but the batter stayed on perfectly and tasted delicious!
gritsandgouda
I'm thrilled you didn't have "scrambled squash" this time! It really is crazy how the cornmeal sticks to the squash. The cornmeal gives it that extra crunch! Thank you for sharing your success with me!
Roxanne Perdue
I found that if you salt the squash before you put them in the cornmeal it sticks better! I used tony chacheres creole seasoning! They came out fabulous 🤤
gritsandgouda
That is a fantastic tip! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Connie
Yummy!
A tip my grandma taught me: slice the squash long ways and your squash won’t be as “seedy”. The long slice cuts the seeds and you won’t have that seedy texture.
I also add seasoned salt or Old Bay seasoning. They are also good dipped in a fish fry batter.
gritsandgouda
All great tips! Thank you for sharing with me. That's interesting about the squash seeds.
Christine
Can you freeze the squash with the cornmeal on it to fry another time?
gritsandgouda
Great question! Yes you can but be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible-vacuum bags are best--because ice crystals form and when they thaw, ice crystals turn to water. Any water in the hot grease will splatter so be careful.
Peter
Will this recipe work for the oven?
gritsandgouda
I have not tried it in the oven, but I do think it will work fairly well if you place them in a single layer, then spray them with oil spray (not cooking spray) and bake at a high temp like 450F. You might have to turn them over and spray after about 15 minutes. Let me know if you try this method!
Amy
Can you use this recipe for fried green tomatoes too?
gritsandgouda
That is a great question! You can use this simple-coating method for fried green tomatoes. Keep in mind, the coating will be thin unlike my Perfect Every Time Fried Green Tomatoes recipe that has a thick coating. I love the idea of using this recipe for green tomatoes and may try it now! Let me know if you try it and how it works for you! The cornmeal should actually stick to the tomatoes even better than the squash because of more moisture on the sliced surface. You might have to pat the tomatoes just a little with a paper towel to remove some but not all the moisture.
Barbara Rosencrans
This is how my Mom did fried green tomatoes and also Okra. I love to slice the tomatoes thin. So much better than the ones sliced thick and batterrd.
gritsandgouda
Food tastes so much better when there's a fond memory attached to the experience! Luckily, this method works on both thick and thinly sliced tomatoes. I love them both ways!
Anna Rodriguez
Simple! But oh..so..Yummy! The only addition I made was to add some black pepper and throw in a few slices of onion.
gritsandgouda
I love the idea of adding black pepper to the cornmeal! Adding slices of onion is interesting. Did you coat the onion slices like the squash and fry them? Sounds like a cool shortcut for onion rings.
Glenda
Yes do I leave the peel on the squash
gritsandgouda
Yes, leave the peel on the squash. Unlike winter squash like butternut and pumpkins, the peel is tender and helps hold the shape of the sliced squash.
Terry covington
100 percent agree with the black pepper
gritsandgouda
Thank you!