The flavors of salt and vinegar potato chips in a healthier version. Oven baked salt and vinegar zucchini chips.
I’m a big fan of salt and vinegar potato chips. They’re crunchy, salty, and tart. But, as you can imagine, they’re not so good for you. They are, after all, deep fried potatoes.
I’ve done a healthier version of salt and vinegar potato chips before with these salt and vinegar roasted potatoes, which I love!
Today, I’m taking a different healthy approach to this treat. I’m using zucchini in place of potatoes, and I’m baking them instead of frying them to make salt and vinegar zucchini chips.
Start by slicing zucchini very thin. I used the slicing attachment on my food processor and it worked perfectly. Using the processor, I was able to cut 4 zucchini into ⅛ inch slices in about 1 minute. A mandolin would also work for this.
Make a vinaigrette out of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gently coat the zucchini slices in the vinaigrette. Then, lay them flat onto baking sheets.
Bake at 225 degrees until the moisture has evaporated from the zucchini slices and they turn crisp.
The color of the baking sheet and the thickness of the zucchini slices will influence how long they need to bake. The zucchini slices on my dark baking sheet were done in about 2 hours. The slices on my light baking sheet took almost 3 hours.
Find more of my recipes on TikTok
Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar red wine or white vinegar would also work
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 large (17 x 11 inch) baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice them very thin (about ⅛ inch thick), making about 5 cups of zucchini slices. To make it easy and consistent, use a mandolin or the slicing attachment on a food processor.
- In a large bowl, add the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the zucchini to the bowl. Use your hands to very gently coat the zucchini in the vinaigrette.
- Pull zucchini slices from the bottom of the bowl (to ensure even vinaigrette distribution) and lay them on the baking sheets. Spread them out into an even layer, not overlapping.
- Bake until the zucchini is brown and crisp. When you lift the zucchini from the baking sheet, it should not bend. This will take between 2 and 3 hours, depending on how thin your slices are and the color of your pan. If some chips seem done while others still seem a little soft and soggy, remove the chips that are done and return the baking sheet to the oven until all the chips are crisp.
- Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
I usually use the dehydrator for zucchini chips, but it wasn’t available today, so used this recipe. I was hoping this process would give more zing to the flavor, because with low temp dehydrating you can’t even taste the vinegar or the salt.
This recipe definitely had a more pronounced flavor; but, they were more cooked than dried, almost to the point of tasting burned. I did bake at 225 deg for 2 hours. At 1-1/2 hours they were really soft and sitting in puddles of oil. So I flipped them and sopped up some of the oil just laying there.
If this is not what others are experiencing, I’d love to know what I did wrong.
I made these exactly like recipe calls for. After cooling for a bit they were good minimal crunchiness. Left them in a sealed container overnight the crunchiness was gone and they were soggy. If I would have put them back in the oven they would have burned to a crisp.
Can you use an Air Fryer?
I made this for the first time and I am in love with these!!!! I’m starting another batch now. Thank you for the recipe 😊
I cut my slices by hand but strongly recommend food processor to insure that slices are all uniform. Concept if good, however.
Great recipe! Could you also use the dehydrator? If so how long should I leave it in for? 🙂 Soph x
I know I’m responding to this a million years later, but maybe it will help someone in the future who wants to use the dehydrator! I had some zucchini’s and have made these in the oven once before, inhaled them immediately after they were done! So delicious. I recently got a dehydrator and have been itching to use it. So I figured, why not try these with my surplus of zucchini from the garden! I cut parchment paper to the size of the trays to keep the salt and vinegar liquid with the chips. I dehydrated them for 12 hours at 115 and for the most part they weren’t crunchy and delicious. Not as salt and vinegary as the oven method, but easier to control the crucnhiness. My oven chips tended to always have a hint of burnt taste even though they weren’t burnt. I didn’t mind that though. If you use the dehydrator, start checking after 12 hours. 13 or 14 might be better, but I had to get to work and didn’t want to take any chances with an additional 9 hours! 🙂
They were or were not crunchy in the dehydrator? I’m a little confused.
Thanks! Can’t wait to try these.
I also love Salt & Vinegar potato chips but don’t eat them often…however, I love this healthier twist on them! Thank you so much for sharing this. You have a lovely blog. 🙂
Oh, I love zucchini. Your chips look so delicious and beautiful!
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I have tried to make veggie chips before but they ALWAYS end up sticking. I usually use aluminum foil and possibly am not cooking them long enough to really dry them out. But after reading this, I will try parchment paper and longer cook times. Thanks!