Fried Zucchini Grandma's Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep zucchini from getting soggy when frying? ›

Salting your zucchini is the most important step in preventing it from getting soggy. Additionally, make sure your pan is properly preheated before frying the breaded zucchini. Adding the zucchini to a cold pan will make it come out oily and soft rather than crisp and golden.

To help the breading stick to the zucchini, you'll need to rest them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, but you could extend that up to 3 hours.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

The secret to zucchini with the best flavor and texture is roasting it in a 450°F oven. Roasting zucchini at a high temperature instead of baking or sautéing helps develop browning and a slight char on the outside, which keeps it from getting soggy.

Reduce cooking time

Since zucchini gets mushy and soft when overcooked, my first tip is obvious - reduce the cooking time. Depending on the recipe, this is an easy step to implement.

Give the zucchini slices a light pan fry, stopping as soon as the outsides begin to turn golden. You'll be left with a nice, lightly crisp exterior, without the interior becoming soggy. Be patient as you sauté. These lip-smackin' slices are worth the wait.

You can season the oil before you add the zucchini with garlic, shallots, spices, or red pepper flakes, it's totally up to you. Once the oil, butter, or combination thereof is heated, add all of the zucchini. If the pan seems crowded at first, don't worry. Season with salt and toss to begin drawing out the moisture.

You only need a little salt — half a teaspoon of kosher salt for one medium zucchini, say — to start pulling the water out. Use more, and the zucchini will simply taste like zucchini-flavored salt. If you try to rinse out the extra salt, you risk adding back in the water you just tried to get rid of.

Why does my zucchini bread come out dry? This is usually due to either not measuring ingredients carefully or over-baking the bread. Be sure to bake until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out with just a few tiny, tender crumbs attached.

It's likely that you did not get all of the moisture out of the squash, or that you cut the sticks too thickly.

How much salt to sweat zucchini? ›

To sauté a pound of sliced zucchini, sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the pieces and let them rest for 20 minutes to half an hour. You'll notice the zucchini start to sweat and glisten. Wipe off the surface moisture with a paper towel – which gets rid of the excess salt – and now you're ready to sauté.

Salt will draw moisture out of the zucchini and will help it to take on the flavors. Let the seasoned zucchini sit for a few minutes before drying it. For steamed zucchini, add seasonings after it is steamed, in a bowl, just like raw zucchini. Seasoning mix for 1½–2 pounds of zucchini (680–900 g):

Slice and salt zucchini in advance of cooking to draw out some of the vegetable's excess moisture (while also seasoning it more thoroughly). To do this, cut up a pound of zucchini and toss it with ½ teaspoon of table salt. Let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes before patting it dry and cooking it.

After spiralizing your zucchini noodles, sprinkle with a bit of salt and let them sit in a colander for 10 minutes. It'll help get rid of some of the excess moisture. If I'm short on time, I'll skip this step but it does seem to help! After resting, pat them down with paper towels.

Use what is called a catering wrap, where you wrap the bread in one direction with plastic wrap, then turn it 90 degrees and wrap it again. Then wrap the entire thing in foil. It will stay fresh for a couple of months.