Zucchini Chips: A Fantastic Way To Enjoy Your Zucchini Harvest ;)

By Amanda Rose | Summer Squash

Sep 30

Zucchini Chips: A Fantastic Way To Enjoy Your Zucchini Harvest ;)A couple of years ago we found a bag of seasoned “vegetable chips” at a roadside stand and it changed the way we thought about our summer harvest. Certainly, kale chips are incredible and we make them when we can, but just like you can make chips out of any kind of green (as we write here), you can make chips from a whole lot of vegetables. If you can slice it thin and it stays intact, you ought to try to make a chip out of it. Zucchini certainly fits the requirement.

Pick the zucchini tender and young, about five inches long. Younger zucchini are not full of water, so once they are dehydrated, there is still fiber and flavor on your dehydrator tray or cookie sheet. In a food processor, these younger zucchini will also likely fit whole into your machine, leaving you with a cute round chip.

If you can use a food processor to slice your zucchini, that is your best bet. They will be a uniform size and will dry evenly. However, the slices do tend to stick together. When you toss in the oil and seasonings, use your hands to loosen the slices and integrate the oil onto your zucchini rounds.

Dehydrating Zucchini for Zucchini Chips at FreshBitesDaily.comAnother thing to consider with homemade chips is that as they are exposed to air after being dehydrated, they lose their crisp. If you end up with a chewy chip, you can always pop it back in the dehydrator or oven to re-crisp it.

The steps are simple. Adapt the technique to your own needs. This recipe fills our five tray Excalibur dehydrator, with about one young zucchini per tray.

The chips don’t store particularly well. Bits of moisture will re-accumulate in them as they sit on your kitchen counter and they will lose their “crisp.” Store them in an air-tight container if you intend to hold them over.

Zucchini Chips Ingredients

  • Five tender young zucchini
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 scant tablespoon of zaatar or your favorite seasoning mix
  • 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic (if your spice mix contains no garlic, as is the case with zaatar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Zucchini Chips Steps

A fantastic way to enjoy your zucchini harvest ;)

  1. Wash and dry the zucchini.
  2. Cut off both ends of the zucchini.
  3. Slice the zucchini in your food processor. If you slice by hand, use a mandolin.
  4. Place the squash slices in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on the seasonings.
  5. Use your hands to integrate the oil and seasonings, loosening up the individual slices of squash and covering them well with the toppings, handling them gently.
  6. Place zucchini rounds on food dehydrator trays.
  7. Load your dehydrator. Set the temperature for about 130 degrees if you have a temperature setting.
  8. Allow five hours to dry, though your drying time will vary based on your ambient kitchen temperature and humidity.
  9. Your chips are done when they are crispy.

Enjoy the chips by themselves or with a dip. Five zucchini did not last long here.

Zucchini Chips

This is a simple recipe for zucchini chips.
Prep Time 10 mins
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 5 units zucchini tender and young
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp seasoning zataar or your favorite
  • 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Wash and dry zucchini.
  • Cut off both ends of the zucchini and thin slice in a food processor or with a mandolin. If you slice by hand with a knife, your zucchini chips will not be crispy.
  • Mix together oil and seasonings.
  • Place zucchini slices in a bowl and drizzle oil and seasoning mixture on them. Mix gently but thoroughly.
  • Allow ingredients to sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Spread out on your dehydrator sheets and place in your dehydrator (or under your oven pilot), at about 130 degrees.
  • The chips will need at least 5 hours to dry but dry time will depend on your temperature and humidity. They are done when they are crispy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Zucchini Chips Q & A

Q: Where can I buy zucchini chips?

A: If you are in a pinch and need to buy the zucchini, it is hard to find quality zucchini chips but you can buy good-quality dehydrated zucchini from our Amazon partner (here).

Q: How do I store my zucchini chips?

A: Store them in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in a cool, dark pantry.

Q: How long will my zucchini chips last?

A: The zucchini will last about two years if it was dried and stored properly.

Q: My zucchini chips lost their crisp!

A: Yes, in those households where the chips actually last more than a few hours, the zucchini will take on moisture, particularly if it is just left out on the counter top. It is not as if they get soggy but they do lose that satisfying “crunch” that they have when they come right out of the dehydrator.

Q: What seasonings should I use?

A: Really, use any seasoning that sounds good — a single flavor or a blend. Cajun, taco seasoning, zataar, etc.

Q: My zucchini chips have molded!

A: The zucchini chips can mold if they were not completely dehydrated. If so, they will smell moldy and will probably appear moldy as well. Discard them.

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Lea H
11 years ago

Brilliant, just brilliant. Thank you! You will be featured on my first “101 Dehydrator Recipes” post debuting on Thursday. If you have more, please add them Thursday!

Winnie
11 years ago

These zucchini chips are awesome!
What a great idea, I just have to try
Thanks so much for sharing

Carole
11 years ago

what a good use of zucchini. I found this through Turning the Clock Back’s What’s Cooking Wednesday. I have linked in an attempt at meatballs. Have a lovely week.

Mom Photographer
11 years ago

it sounds fantastic!

April Harris
11 years ago

I have seen chips made with root vegetables, but never zucchini. What a delicious healthy snack!

Miz Helen
11 years ago

We have a bountiful supply of Zucchini from our garden right now and this is a perfect recipe for us to try. Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen

Caren
11 years ago

Oh my! These look so good, and what a great way to use all that zucchini!

I would love it if you would share this at the Smart Solutions linky party. You can link up here:

http://theprudentpantryblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/prudent-projects-and-smart-solutions.html

Have a great day!

Vicky
11 years ago

These sound wonderful..I adore courgettes fried and I’ve been looking at dehydrators this morning! I must get one soon..

Lea H
11 years ago

Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.

Check back later tonight when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂

Laura's Last Ditch--Vintage Kitchenwares

My son is on the GAPS diet. This would be legal, and I’m sure he would enjoy them. Thanks for the great idea!

Kathy
11 years ago

Hey there,

I don’t have a dehydrator. Is there a way I can do this in an oven? And how would I need to do it?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Kat

Kathleen
Kathleen
11 years ago
Reply to  Kathy

If you put your oven on the lowest setting (or 140 if possible) and leave the door ajar you have the same effect as a dehydrator. Ooooor you can use a box fan and furnace filters.. put your food on a furnace filter and stack another on top, then place it on a box fan that has been put horizontally (make sure it has air flow)

Linda
11 years ago

These look great. What a great way to use garden zucchini. I don’t have a dehydrator but might try it in the oven. Thanks for sharing this at Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Ginger
11 years ago

I’ll be featuring YOU this afternoon over on my blog. Thank you so much for linking up with {wow me} wednesday.

Ginger @ gingersnapcrafts.com

Nichi - The Mandatory Mooch

My family loves zucchini. What a wonderful twist!! I’d love to have you link this up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. It’s a new linky party starting today. Hope to see you there. Thanks, Nichi
http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/07/tasty-thursdays-1.html

brthomas
11 years ago

Liquid sauces and marinades are another great way to make zucchini
chips with interesting flavor variations. Pickle flavored zucchini chips are surprisingly good, but my favorites so far are the spicy hot zucchini chips.

good health food recipes

I never thought that zucchinis were good for chips. Brilliant recipe. I must try this one at home.

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