Crispy Courgette Crisps in the Air Fryer

I'm going to ruin courgettes for you in the best way.

Once you've made these, the soggy disappointment that is most homemade courgette fries will never look the same. These come out properly crisp. Golden. Parmesan crusted. The kind of crisp where you eat one and immediately reach for another and then another and then suddenly the whole tray is gone and you're slightly ashamed but also not really.

The secret isn't the air fryer (though that helps). It isn't the parmesan (though that's what makes them taste so good). It's what you do to the courgettes before they go anywhere near a pan, an oven, or an air fryer. And almost nobody bothers to do it.

Here's the recipe.

What You Need For Crispy Courgette Crisps

• 2 medium courgettes

• 75g parmesan, finely grated

• 75g breadcrumbs (panko works best but regular is fine)

• 1 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp milk

• A dip of your choice (more on that later)

That's it. Six things plus salt and pepper for Crispy Courgette Crisps. Most of which you've probably got in already.

The Secret: Salt Them Twice

This is the bit nobody tells you and it's the difference between crisps that go golden and crisps that go limp.

Slice your courgettes really thin — about the thickness of a pound coin. Thinner if you can manage it without losing a finger. Lay them out on a board or a tray and sprinkle salt generously over the top. Properly salt them. Don't be polite about it.

Leave them for 15 minutes.

You'll see water start beading up on the surface. That's exactly what you want — that water is what makes courgettes go soggy when they cook. Pull it out now and you've already won.

After 15 minutes, blot them dry with kitchen towel. Properly dry. Press, don't wipe.

Then — and this is the bit people skip — do it all again. More salt, another 15 minutes, more blotting. Two rounds. The second round pulls out the water you didn't get the first time, and by the end of it your courgettes will be noticeably drier and firmer than when you started.

That's the whole trick. Twice. Not once. Twice.

How to Make Them

While your courgettes are doing their second salt rest, get everything else ready.

In one bowl, beat the egg with the milk. In another bowl, mix the parmesan, breadcrumbs, paprika, and a good crack of black pepper. Don't add more salt to the coating — the courgettes have had plenty already.

Once your courgettes are fully blotted dry, take each slice and dip it into the egg mixture, then into the parmesan and breadcrumb mix, pressing gently so it sticks. Lay them out on a baking sheet that fits your air fryer in a single thin line — not stacked, not overlapping. They need space to crisp up properly.

Into the air fryer at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Then turn each one over. Yes, every single one. I know it's a bit tedious. It's worth it.

Back in for another 8 minutes until they're golden and properly crisp.

How to Serve Them

Whatever dip you like. Garlic mayo is what I usually go for. Sweet chilli works brilliantly. Sour cream and chive if you want something cooler. Honestly, even just ketchup is fine — they're so good on their own that the dip is really just there for the look of the thing.

Serve them straight away. They're at their absolute best in the first ten minutes out of the air fryer. They'll still be tasty after that, but the crisp does fade a bit as they sit, so eat them while they're hot.

A Few Notes

Don't crowd the air fryer. If you've got a lot of courgette, do it in two batches. One layer at a time. Overlapping slices steam each other and you'll lose the crisp.

If you can't be bothered slicing them thin by hand, a mandolin makes this a 30-second job and is one of the best £10 investments you'll make for a kitchen.

Panko breadcrumbs genuinely make a difference. They've got that bigger, lighter texture that crisps better than fine breadcrumbs. Worth picking up a bag if you don't already have them.

And don't skip the double salt. I know it takes 30 minutes longer than just chopping and chucking them in. That 30 minutes is the entire reason these work.

⚠️ Disclaimer

I am not a chef, a food scientist, or anyone with formal qualifications in cooking. I'm a person in rural Scotland who made courgette crisps that don't go soggy and felt the need to share it. Air fryer temperatures and times vary by model — keep an eye on them the first time you make them and adjust if needed. And if you eat the whole tray yourself, that's not my fault. That's just what they do to people.