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This air fryer zucchini is marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, and air-fried until tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the edges. It has the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and citrusy flavors. A delicious, flavor-packed side that can be served with rice, quinoa, or your protein of choice!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- Garlicky and gingery. The marinade, which includes fresh ginger and garlic, adds depth and flavor to the zucchini, making it a wonderful and flavor-packed dish that can be enjoyed on its own or as a side dish. You will love the balance of sweet, salty, and citrusy!
- Tender and juicy. The air fryer cooks these zucchini chunks perfectly. Each piece has a slightly crispy outside while maintaining a tender and juicy inside.
- Versatile. You can pair this marinated zucchini with basically everything. From steamed rice to quinoa, fried tofu, vegan chicken, and much more!
🥒 Ingredient Notes
This tender zucchini requires just 8 ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Zucchini – Pick fresh zucchini that is fresh and crispy. It should have a firm texture as well. I went with one medium zucchini, which was about 9 ounces. If using smaller zucchinis, you might have to use two.
- Ginger – For optimal flavor, use fresh ginger. I advise against using ground ginger as you would end up with more spiciness and less citrus flavor.
- Shallot and garlic – For a fragrant and garlicky flavor.
- Soy sauce – To add saltiness and umami. Feel free to use coconut aminos to make this dish gluten-free.
- Maple syrup – To balance with the saltiness.
- Oil – The oil will bring richness and allow the zucchini to achieve a crispy texture.
- Pepper – For an earthy flavor. I went with ground black pepper, but crushed peppercorns or ground white pepper will work, too.
🥣 How to Make It
Salt the zucchini
- Dice the zucchini. Using a sharp knife, dice the zucchini into 1-inch chunks. Transfer the chunks to a mixing bowl.
- Coat with salt. The next step involves coating the zucchini with salt and letting it sit for a few minutes. This step will drain some moisture from the zucchini to allow it to soak up even more flavor!
- Let it sit. Let the zucchini sit for about 25 minutes. After that, drain the excess moisture and slightly press the zucchini chunks between your hands to remove more moisture.
Marinate the zucchini
- Coat the zucchini with the marinade. Toss the zucchini chunks with the minced ginger, garlic, shallots, soy sauce, maple syrup, oil, and black pepper.
- Marinate. Next, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the zucchini marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Air fry
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Air fry the zucchini. Arrange the zucchini chunks into an even layer in the air fryer, leaving at least 1/2-inch between each. Air fry for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. The zucchini should be golden brown and tender.
📔 Tips
- Dice the zucchini into large chunks. During the salting step, the zucchini will lose water and slightly reduce in size. Therefore, it’s best to dice it into larger chunks for a better texture overall.
- Let it marinate for at least 2 hours. To ensure the zucchini absorbs the flavors fully, do not cut short the marinating time.
🌿 Variations
This air fryer zucchini is versatile and easily customized to your liking. Here are a few ideas:
- Make it spicy: Add 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes or finely chopped chili for extra spicy zucchini!
- Season it with curry spices: Add 1/4 teaspoon of your favorite curry powder to infuse the zucchini with a delicate curry aroma.
- Add a hint of nuttiness: Replace the oil with toasted sesame oil for a toasty and nutty flavor.
🍚 What to Serve It With
This air fryer zucchini can be served as part of a Buddha bowl with white rice, cucumber pickles, and your protein of choice, like vegan chicken or teriyaki tofu. It’s also a wonderful addition to your holiday table, as it goes well with almost everything!
❄️ Storing and Reheating
- To store: This air fryer zucchini will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
- To reheat: You can reheat this zucchini in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes or in a 325°F (160°C) preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes.
💬 FAQ
For optimal texture and flavor, let the zucchini marinade in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and air fry it before serving.
The zucchini should be tender all the way through and slightly golden brown on the edges. Depending on the brand of air fryer used, you might have to adjust the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
Yes, you should flip the zucchini once halfway through frying. Giving the air fryer basket a shake works too.
Marinated Air Fryer Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the zucchini. Using a sharp knife, dice the zucchini into 1-inch chunks. Transfer the chunks to a mixing bowl.
- Coat with salt. Add the salt to the bowl containing the diced zucchini and toss to coat. This step will drain some moisture from the zucchini, allowing it to soak up even more flavor! Let the zucchini sit for about 25 minutes.
- Drain it. After 25 minutes, drain the excess moisture and slightly press the zucchini chunks between your hands to remove more moisture. Transfer the zucchini back to the mixing bowl.
- Coat the zucchini with the marinade. Toss the zucchini chunks with the minced ginger, garlic, shallots, oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, and black pepper.
- Marinate. Next, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the zucchini marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Air fry the zucchini. Arrange the zucchini chunks into an even layer in the air fryer, leaving at least 1/2-inch between each. Air fry for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. The zucchini should be golden brown and tender.
- Serve immediately as a side dish. This air fryer zucchini will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Dice the zucchini into large chunks. During the salting step, the zucchini will lose water and slightly reduce in size. Therefore, it’s best to dice it into larger chunks for a better texture overall.
- Let it marinate for at least 2 hours. To ensure the zucchini absorbs the flavors fully, do not cut short the marinating time.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Look amazing. I’ll try it this weekend for my family.