This crispy air fried zucchini sandwich with basil aioli will make you fall in love with veggie sandwiches! The layers of herby basil aioli, crispy zucchini, sweet tomato, zesty arugula, and creamy mozzarella create an unforgettable sandwich. This vegetarian sandwich comes together in under 20 minutes and is the perfect brunch, lunch or even dinner.
June is here and all the summer produce is filling the farmers market and grocery stores! The sweet tomatoes and zucchinis are coming into season and so is the perfect warm weather to enjoy a summer-forward veggie sandwich!
Looking for more savory summer recipes? Check out my avocado toast with red pepper sauce and fried egg and caprese quiche with potato crust.
Why you will love this crispy air fried zucchini sandwich
Filled with Vegetables: This veggie sandwich is packed with fresh summer produce, making it a delicious way to get more vegetables into your diet. And the zucchini is fried in the air fryer, making it a healthier option compared to frying in oil.
Egg Free: Eggs are a typical ingredient used to help bind the breading to the food being fried, but for these crispy zucchinis, I have replaced the egg with avocado oil. It creates just enough of a bind for the panko breading to stick to the zucchini without having to use an egg.
Easy and delicious: This veggie sandwich comes together in under 20 minutes, making it a great choice for a lunch on a busy day! And it is so GOOD! There really is nothing better than a meal that is quick, easy and tasty!
Perfect for summer: This vegetarian sandwich is packed with summer produce, taking full advantage of seasonal ingredients! And although you can make this zucchinis sandwich year around, I love to use seasonal ingredients whenever possible!
What you will need to make this sandwich
Zucchini: Depending on the bread you use and the size of the zucchinis, you will need 1-2 large zucchinis.
Tomato: Heirloom, roma, or beefsteak are good choices for tomatoes.
Bread: I used ciabatta bread for this sandwich but you can use any type of bread that can hold up to this beast of a sandwich! Sourdough, ciabatta and French would all work well for this sandwich recipe.
Arugula: Adds a layer of texture and zesty flavor to the sandwich. I like to drizzle mine with a touch of olive oil to add a little more moisture and flavor.
Mozzarella Cheese: A good quality fresh mozzarella adds a creamy layer to this sandwich!
Panko: Coats the zucchini to add a crispy layer.
Seasonings: salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, and paprika are used to season the panko for the zucchini.
Flour: You will need to coat the zucchini in flour first to help absorb some moisture and create a crispy crust.
Avocado Oil: No eggs needed to create the air fried zucchinis! Instead, I use avocado oil to dip the zucchini in to to help the panko stick.
Mayonnaise: The base of the basil aioli. Use your favorite mayo.
Fresh Basil: You will need fresh basil to to make the basil aioli.
Garlic Clove: One garlic clove is added to the aioli.
Lemon Juice: A little bit of lemon juice add some citrus to the basil aioli.
Olive Oil: To drizzle over the arugula.
Tips and tricks
- Every air fryer may be slightly different in how fast it will take for the zucchini to cook. Keep and eye on them and remove the zucchini or reduce the temperature if the panko is getting too browned. When done, the zucchini will be soft, but the panko will be crispy and a golden brown color.
- For best results for breading the zucchini, slice the end pieces of the zucchini so they are flat. This means you may have to just slice off a little bit of skin on both sides of the zucchini. You may have trouble getting the panko to stick of the zucchini is rounded.
- Don’t forget to season the tomatoes with a little salt! It enhances the flavor and the sweetness of the tomatoes so do not skip this step!
- You can toast the bread a little before you star to build the sandwich if you wish! I like to drizzle a little bit of avocado or olive oil onto the bread and place them in the air fryer for a few minutes to warm the bread and get a slight crust onto the edges. This is an optional step and you can skip it if you wish.
If you give this crispy air fried zucchini sandwich with basil aioli a try, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I appreciate your feedback.
And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
From my kitchen to yours, happy cooking! I hope you love this veggie sandwich as much as we do!
Crispy Air Fried Zucchini Sandwich with Basil Aioli
Ingredients
Sandwiches:
- Air fried Zucchini slices recipe below
- 1 Tomato sliced
- Handful Arugula
- 1-2 Tbsp. Of olive oil
- Herbed mayo recipe below
- Mozzarella cheese sliced
- Ciabatta sourdough or French bread
Air fried zucchini:
- 1-2 large zucchinis
- 1/3 C. Flour
- 1/3 C. Avocado Oil
- 1/2 C. Panko
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Oregano
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/4 Tsp. Paprika
Basil mayo:
- 1/2 C. Mayo
- 1/3 C. Fresh Basil
- 1 Garlic Clove
- Squeeze of lemon juice from 1/4 of a lemon
Instructions
- To make the basil aioli, combine the mayo, basil, garlic and lemon juice into a food processor. Set aside or if making in advance, place in the refrigerator until ready to use to make the sandwich.
- To make the crispy zucchini, carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise into, ,aiming for 1/2 inch thick slices. Slice off both ends of the zucchini as well to make sure the zucchini is flat on all sides.
- Set out 3 separate bowls. Place the flour in one, the avocado in a second, and the panko, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika in the third. Stir the panko and seasonings together.
- Taking one zucchini slice at a time, place into the flour, making sure to fully coat the zucchini. Then dip into the avocado oil, again coating the whole zucchini. Finally, place the zucchini into the panko mixture. Be sure to cover all the zucchini with panko, using your hands to gently press it on. Repeat until all the zucchini have been coated with panko.
- Place the breaded zucchini into the air fryer at 385 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until the panko is golden brown.
- If you wish, you can toast the bread prior to starting building the sandwiches by drizzling it with a little avocado oil and placing in the air fryer at 400 for 3-5 minutes.
- To build the sandwiches, spread a generous amount of basil aioli onto both slices of bread. Add the breaded zucchini, tomatoes (add a sprinkle of salt over the tomatoes) mozzarella, and arugula. Drizzle olive over the arugula. Enjoy immediately!
