Home → Recipes → Sides → Vegetables → Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash

Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash

Name: Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2-3 yellow squash ( cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch rounds); 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated); 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Jump to recipe

Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash — The air fryer is a new kitchen gadget that allows you to cook food without using oil. This means the fried squash recipe I share today will be healthy and delicious! Plus, it’s easy to make with just 7 ingredients- so good!

Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash is amazing! If you have been looking for the absolute best way to make a batch of Air Fryer Fried Summer Squash this summer, this is the recipe for you!

This is a true Southern dish, made with a batch of fresh garden summer squash. If you have not tried some, you are so missing out!

Served today with my famous Greek Yogurt BBQ Sauce, this is going to wow everyone. From the little kids who hate vegetables to the grandparents!

Most of us grew up with mom or grandma battering up the squash in the summer and then using a skillet for cooking it. Today, you can skip that method and all of the oil and make this dish perfectly in the Air Fryer!

Healthy & Delicious–what a winning combination! If your garden is exploding with zucchini and summer squash, some of my favorite Air Fryer Squash Recipes are AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI BROWNIES, AIR FRYER LOW-CARB (KETO) EVERYTHING BAGEL ZUCCHINI CHIPS, AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI FRITTERS, and AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI BACON CHEDDAR SCONES.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash

Summer (Yellow) Squash
All-Purpose Flour
Milk
Cornstarch
Cornmeal
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt
Cooking Spray

How To Make Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash

Start by adding the flour to a small plate. Then in a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. In another plate or bowl, mix the cornmeal, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt.

Dip your squash into the flour mixture and then into the milk mixture, and finally, in the cornmeal mixture.

Use your hands to make sure that the coating really sticks to the summer squash. As you dip them, place them into a greased air fryer basket, being careful not to crowd the basket.

Spray the tops of the summer squash with cooking spray, and set the basket into the air fryer. Set the temperature to 400 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip halfway during the cooking process, and respray.

Pro Tips:

You can make this recipe in any air fryer basket or oven model. I have made this over the years in the Ninja Foodi, GoWise, NuWave, Cosori, Instant Pot Vortex, Instant Pot Crisp Lid, and even the Mealthy Lid. The recipe will work exactly the same.
You can also use this recipe for zucchini and fried green tomatoes. The same recipe and the cooking time are identical.
Try to slice your summer squash in identical sizes. This way, they all cook up at the same time. I would recommend that you slice them in about 1/2 to 1/4 inch slices.
Spraying the tops with cooking spray really helps the Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash achieve the golden color, making them really appealing.
Make sure that your basket is not overcrowded. Otherwise, you will end up with some pieces being raw, whether they’re touching.

Do You Peel Yellow Squash Before Cooking?

You really do not need to peel yellow squash or even zucchini before cooking or air frying it.

The squash’s skin will become very tender as it cooks, and you will not even realize that it’s there.

The best way to prepare your summer squash for cooking is to wash and dry it, cut the top and bottom off, and then slice it up.

How To Slice Squash

The most important thing to remember as you are cutting squash is that you really want to slice it into even slices. This way, your entire batch cooks up at the same time.

I like to slice mine up between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thick. If you have a Mandoline on hand, this is a great tool for perfectly slicing your vegetables for the air fryer.

How to Keep Fried Squash from Getting Soggy

The only time that I find Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash becomes soggy is when it has been sitting cooked up for a while. If you have to cook your squash in batches in the Air Fryer, place the cooked squash onto a baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven until all of your squash has been air-fried. Set the temperature to 250 degrees F, then all of your squash will be warm at the same time for serving.

Can You Reheat Fried Squash?

Yes, if you have any leftover Air Fryer, Southern Fried Squash, place it into an airtight container and place it into the refrigerator. The leftover squash will last for about 2 to 3 days.

To reheat, either place into the microwave, oven, or Air Fryer until warmed through.

What To Serve Air Fryer Southern Fried Squash With?

While you can serve this alone as an appetizer or snack, I love pairing this with a healthy dinner option for my family.

Some of my favorite recipes to go with this are:

For More Air Fryer Squash Side Dishes Try:

Don’t Forget To Pin: