Crispy Baked Squash
This Crispy Baked Squash only has five simple ingredients and is the perfect quick and easy vegetable side dish!
I love fried squash. I always have. Something magical happens when you toss squash in cornmeal and fry it until it is crispy. But we all know fried foods just aren’t that healthy, so I needed to come up with a lighter alternative. This Crispy Baked Squash is an excellent substitute for classic fried squash!
This is an easy side that pairs perfectly with a summer BLT or a more traditional meal served with my favorite Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes! No matter how you serve it, I promise it will be addictive!
What ingredients do I need to make Crispy Baked Squash?
- Squash: Yellow summer squash or zucchini
- Corn meal: plain cornmeal not self rising cornmeal
- Breadcrumbs: traditional or gluten free, plain or seasoned breadcrumbs, if you use seasoned you can omit the cajun seasoning if you wish
- Parmesan Cheese: powdered parmesan cheese, not shredded
- Cajun Seasoning: or your favorite all purpose seasoning
How do I make Oven Baked Squash?
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Thinly slice the squash and place in a bowl of water.
- Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, parmesan and spices in a bowl and mix well.
- Dip each squash slice in the breading and turn so they are evenly coated.
- Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake 15 minutes and check, if the squash is beginning to brown slightly and begin to crisp turn the squash and bake 10-15 minutes more until crispy. If after 15 minutes if the squash is NOT beginning to brown and crisp bake another 5-7 minutes and check again.
- Remove from the oven when both sides of the squash is crispy and the moisture has evaporated.
- Note: the thickness of your squash slices will determine cooking time, that is why the cooking time can vary for this recipe.
How do I make oven baked squash crispy?
Squash is a vegetable with a lot of moisture. You’ve probably noticed that when you slice squash if you allow it to sit a few minutes it begins to “sweat” and you see small beads of water. Because it has so much moisture it can be difficult to get a nice crispy texture.
The key is to cook the squash until all moisture has evaporated. Here are some tips to make sure your squash comes out perfectly crisp every time:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees: Cooking the squash at a higher temperature ensures a nice crispy texture.
- Thinly slice your squash: This is the single most important tip. Be sure to slice your squash as thinly as possible. Remember squash has a lot of moisture and a crispy texture is only achieved when the moisture has evaporated. The thiner you slice them the quicker this will happen and the less likely you are to have a soggy side dish.
- Turn your squash: Turn half way through cooking so both sides are perfectly crunchy.
What should I serve with squash?
This is an excellent all purpose side dish, it goes great with practically anything! But if you need some recipe inspiration I think this would be perfect with my Blackened Chicken and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. It is the perfect summer meal! Some other ideas include:
- Easy Salmon with Jalapeno Lime Butter
- Buffalo Roast Chicken
- One Pan Cajun Shrimp
- Easy Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers
Crispy Oven Baked Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium yellow squash about 5 cups very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup powdered parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning or all purpose seasoning
- oil for spraying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Thinly slice the squash and place in a bowl of water.
- Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, parmesan and spices in a bowl and mix well.
- Dip each squash slice in the breading and turn so they are evenly coated. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake 15 minutes and check, if the squash is beginning to brown slightly and begin to crisp turn the squash and bake 10-15 minutes more until crispy. If after 15 minutes if the squash is NOT beginning to brown and crisp bake another 5-7 minutes and check again.
- Remove from the oven when both sides of the squash is crispy and the moisture has evaporated.
Note: the thickness of your squash slices will determine cooking time, that is why the cooking time can vary for this recipe.
Nutrition
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