Fried Yellow Squash
Jul 13, 2020, Updated Aug 22, 2023
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Fried squash is made with beautiful yellow squash, a light batter, and then gently fried. This dish is sure to become a summer favorite. Serve as a delicious side dish or appetizer.
We love using different types of squash for recipes like roasted spaghetti squash, chicken zucchini squash casserole, and zucchini bread.
Growing up my mom had a beautiful vegetable garden where she grew everything from peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash.
We always seemed to have an over abundance of yellow squash so it felt like we were eating it all summer long. She would use them in stir fry and casseroles but my favorite thing was when she fried them.
Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect way to use summer squash.
- Makes a delicious appetizer or side dish.
- Surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow squash – Use fresh from the garden squash or from the grocery store. Zucchini also works for this recipe.
- Flour and cornmeal – These are used to make the batter that will coat the squash.
- Egg and milk – Wet ingredients used for the batter.
- Seasoned salt – I love using seasoned salt but feel free to substitute with salt and pepper or Cajun seasoning.
How to Make Fried Squash
Scroll to the bottom for full printable recipe, ingredients and video.
- Cut: Clean and dry the squash. Cut off the ends and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Salt: ***This step is optional but helps to keep the squash crispy. After slicing, place the yellow squash rounds on a paper towel or in a colander. Sprinkle salt over the rounds to help draw out any extra moisture. Let sit for 15-30 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
- Prepare: Whisk together egg and milk in a bowl. Stir together flour, cornmeal, and seasoning salt in a large bowl, shallow dish, or plate.
- Heat: Pour vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet and warm over medium heat. (About 350 degrees.)
- Coat: Dip squash slice into the egg mixture then the flour mixture. Make sure to completely coat.
- Fry: Place coated squash slices in the hot oil in a single layer. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until they turn golden brown.
- Serve: Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil and then place on a wire rack until ready to eat.
How to keep fried squash crispy?
The secret to keeping squash crispy is to sprinkle salt on top of the rounds to help draw out any extra water.
Once the squash is sliced, place slices on a paper towel or in a colander. Sprinkle salt on top of the slices and then let them sit for about 15 minutes to get out any excess moisture. If you like, lightly rinse the salt off and pat them dry with a paper towel before cooking.
How to make fried squash in air fryer
Making this in the air fryer helps to cut back on calories and oil. It does a nice job of crisping up the squash.
Prepare the squash by dipping in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture. Place the squash in the air fryer basket being sure not to overcrowd or stack.
Air fry at 390 degrees F for about 5 minutes on each side.
How to store
Warmed: If you are frying a large batch and need to keep the already fried squash warm before serving, place on a baking sheet and keep in the oven at 250 degrees F until ready to serve.
Store: If you have any leftovers, let them cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Place on a baking sheet and reheat at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure that the temperature of the oil doesn’t get too hot to ensure the squash doesn’t burn.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch dressing, Chick-fil-A sauce, or Zesty sauce. I even like to sprinkle on french fry seasoning immediately after they are finished frying.
- If you like a little heat and spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture or a splash of hot sauce into the milk mixture.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the frying pan or they won’t cook evenly.
How to serve
This makes a wonderful side dish, especially in the summer. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to pair it with:
- Air fryer hamburger
- Air fryer meatloaf
- Slow cooker country style ribs
- Chicken tenders
- Pork tenderloin
Your squash could be soggy if you didn’t salt the slices to help draw out extra moisture. Also, be sure not to crowd the frying pan because it can drop the oil temperature making the squash soggy.
Chicken, beef, pork, even seafood goes well with fried squash.
I recommend to salt the squash before cooking to help keep it crispy.
Yes, you can overcook the fried squash. Cooking to long could burn the coating and cause the squash to become mushy.
Let me know if you tried this yellow squash recipe in the comments.
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Fried Squash
Ingredients
- 2-3 yellow squash
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt OPTIONAL for drying out squash
Instructions
- Clean and dry squash. Cut off ends and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- ***This step is optional but helps to keep squash crispy. After slicing, place rounds on a paper towel or colander. Sprinkle salt over the rounds to help draw out any extra moisture. Let sit for 15-30 minutes. Rinse of salt and pat dry.
- In a bowl, whisk together milk and egg. In a large bowl or plate, whisk together flour, cornmeal, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- Dip squash slice into egg mixture and then dip into flour mixture. Make sure to completely coat the squash slice in the flour mixture.
- Pour vegetable oil in large, deep skillet and warm over medium heat. (About 350 degrees.)
- Place coated squash slices in the hot oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until turns golden brown.
- Carefully remove squash from oil and and place on a paper towel lined plate and pat off any excess grease.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so yummy! I love squash and have always made casseroles but I’ll be sure to cook this recipe often from now on
This recipe was fabulous! My family loved it! Many Thanks!
This recipe turned out perfect. I followed all of the instructions. First time I didn’t have soggy squash. I’m 64!
Thanks for sharing
These were so good! My kids are obsessed with dipping so thanks for all of your suggestions. We tried the chick fil a sauce and it was a hit too!
can’t wait to use more of our garden squash to make these!