Cajun Zucchini Fries

Name: Cajun Zucchini Fries
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: Nonstick cooking spray; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning; Kosher salt; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal; 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1 pound zucchini (2 to 3 small to medium), cut into 3-inch-by-1/4-inch sticks; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard; 1/2 small dill pickle spear, finely chopped; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

Recipe GLPR9467552380c2a6

Cajun

Appetizer

50 min

287 cal

Servings: 8

Oven

Crispy zucchini fries coated in a seasoned cornmeal and panko crust, baked until golden and tender. Served with a tangy Creole mustard and dill pickle aioli for dipping. A vegetarian favorite with bold Cajun spices.

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Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 pound zucchini (2 to 3 small to medium), cut into 3-inch-by-1/4-inch sticks

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard

1/2 small dill pickle spear, finely chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

Directions

Position oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 425°F. Place wire racks on two baking sheets and coat each rack and sheet generously with nonstick cooking spray.
In the first large resealable plastic bag, combine the all-purpose flour and Cajun seasoning. In a second large resealable bag, mix the beaten eggs with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. In a third large resealable bag, combine the cornmeal, panko breadcrumbs, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Working with about half of the zucchini sticks at a time, add them to the flour mixture bag and seal. Shake and massage the bag to coat the zucchini evenly in the flour mixture. Remove the coated sticks and shake off excess flour, then transfer to the egg mixture. Seal and gently turn the bag to coat completely with egg. Shake off any excess egg before transferring to the cornmeal mixture. Seal and shake until fully coated with the cornmeal-panko mixture (some green and white edges of the zucchini should still be visible). Place the coated fries on the prepared baking sheets and spray them generously with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat this three-step breading process with the remaining zucchini sticks.
Bake on both racks for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until the zucchini fries are golden brown and tender.
While the fries bake, prepare the dipping sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, finely chopped dill pickle, and Louisiana-style hot sauce in a small bowl until well combined.
Remove the zucchini fries from the oven and serve hot with the mustard-pickle sauce for dipping.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

All ingredients are standard stock at Charlotte chains like Harris Teeter and Walmart, so no special trip is needed. Cost per serving runs roughly $0.85 to $1.10, driven by the eggs and panko; the zucchini itself is cheap year-round. The 50-minute stated time is honest—it accounts for prep, breading, and oven time—though active work is only about 15 minutes. This is a fuss-free weeknight side or vegetarian main that holds up to reheating, and eight servings make it practical for a family; the only limitation is that it's not particularly tied to North Carolina ingredients or season, so it reads as generic rather than locally resonant.