This Extra Crispy Fried Fried Squash recipe has one simple ingredient in the dredge that adds far more crunch than plain flour ever could! Serve this with marinara sauce for a delicious crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Table of contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients for the Fried Squash batter
- How to crush the cereal
- how do you keep the breading from falling off the squash?
- How do you keep fried squash from getting soggy?
- substitutions for a cereal crust
- can I make this recipe gluten-free?
- More fried vegetable recipes on Bessie Bakes
Why you’ll love this recipe
- I use either crushed Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies cereal (generic brands work perfectly too) to add to the top coating in the dredge. Either of these cereals will add SO MUCH MORE crunch to the fried squash
- The cereal coating also keeps the fried zucchini crispier for longer
- This recipe is a tasty way to use yellow squash which is an affordable vegetable
Ingredients for the Fried Squash batter
- First Dredge: Plain flour (with seasoning)
- Second Dredge: Beaten eggs (seasoned)
- Third and Final Dredge: Crushed Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies cereal with shredded Parmesan and dried oregano
- The ingredients and method for the batter are the same as the recipe for my Crispy Fried Zucchini Sticks
How to crush the cereal
I used a mini food processor to pulse the cereal until it was a coarse grind, but you can also use a full size food processor or crush them by hand in a Ziploc bag. I like to have some fully crushed pieces mixed in with larger crushed pieces.
how do you keep the breading from falling off the squash?
Pressing the squash in the regular flour first helps the egg to stick to the slices, thereby helping the cereal coating to stick. When I dredge the squash into the cereal coating I really press it firmly on both sides to get a nice bit of dredge on the outer layer. Make sure to fully coat the squash in each layer of dredge all the way around too.
How do you keep fried squash from getting soggy?
If the oil isn’t hot enough, then you won’t be able to form a nice crust on the outside. Making sure there is a nice sizzle in the pan when you add the squash will ensure a nice crust. Keep the heat in the pan at around medium heat so that the oil doesn’t burn and your coating doesn’t burn either. This also reduces splatter.
substitutions for a cereal crust
- You can use either all purpose flour or cornmeal for the top coating, but neither will create that extra crispy crust quite like cereal (but they will do in a pinch)
- Panko bread crumbs will get as close to creating the crispier crust than any other substitutions
can I make this recipe gluten-free?
- Yes you can! Substitute the all purpose flour in the first dredge with either cornstarch, potato starch, rice flour, or an all purpose gluten-free flour blend. For the cereal crust, use the Rice Krispies cereal since it’s naturally gluten-free.
More fried vegetable recipes on Bessie Bakes
- Extra Crispy Fried Zucchini Sticks
- Easy & Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes with Dill Pickle Ranch
- Crispy Fried Pickles with Dill Pickle Ranch
Bon Appetit Ya’ll,
Leslie O.
Extra Crispy Fried Squash Recipe
This crispy fried squash recipe is next level because it uses a surprise ingredient for the coating that guarantees an extra crispy texture!
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Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 whole yellow squash
For the Squash Batter/Dredge
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies cereal generic brands work well too
- 2-3 eggs depending on how big the squash are
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- salt and pepper for seasoning each layer of the dredge
Other Ingredients
- 5-8 TBSP olive oil or neutral oil how much you need depends on the size of your frying pan
- 1 small jar store-bought marinara sauce for a dipping sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Yellow Squash
- Slice each squash ring in about ½-inch slices.
Create the Squash Batter
- To grind the cereal, you can do this by hand by crushing 2 cups of cereal in a bowl, or you can use a mini or full size food processor to coarsely grind either the Corn Flakes or Rice Krispies cereal. Generic brands work perfectly too.
- Set up a breading station. Place the 2 cups of all-purpose flour on one plate and the coarse ground cereal (Corn flakes or Rice Krispies) on another. In a bowl, whisk the 2-3 beaten eggs. The amount of eggs you need will depend on the size of the squash. Start with two and add one more if needed.Season each component generously with salt and pepper. Additionally, add the shredded ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and 2 tsp dried oregano to the cereal, mixing them in well.
Coat the Squash Rings
- Start by dipping a squash ring into the seasoned flour, then into the egg mixture, and finally into the cereal mixture. Ensure both sides of the squash rings are fully coated in flour, eggs, and cereal. Press the squash into the cereal mixture to get a substantial coating.
Frying the Squash
- Heat the Oil: Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil or neutral oil. Maintain medium heat to prevent the oil from burning and the coating from browning too quickly.
- Test the Oil: To check if the oil is ready for frying, add a small amount of flour or cereal. When it gently simmers, the oil is ready for frying.
- Fry the Squash: Fry a few squash rings at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan. The squash should sizzle but not splatter excessively. Turn the squash occasionally until both sides are golden brown. Place the cooked pieces on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.If the oil gets full of black specks from the coating burning, you may need to use a strainer to strain them out. If it's too tricky to remove most of the black pieces, simply discard the oil and wipe out the pan. Then and add enough oil back to the pan to coat the bottom. If you are making these for a larger gathering, you can use two frying pans at the same time to speed up the frying process.
- Serve immediately with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
- Keep Them Warm: Add them to a paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. If not serving immediately, you can transfer the fried squash to an oven-safe sheet pan with the oven set to "warm." This will keep them warm for about 15 minutes without sacrificing their crispiness. If you keep them warm much longer, they won't be crispy.
Video
Notes
Substitutions for the cereal crust
- You can use either all purpose flour or cornmeal for the top coating, but neither will create that extra crispy crust quite like cereal (but they will do in a pinch)
- Panko bread crumbs will get as close to creating the crispier crust than any other substitutions
Make this recipe gluten-free
Substitute the all purpose flour in the first dredge with either cornstarch, potato starch, rice flour, or an all purpose gluten-free flour blend. For the cereal crust, use the Rice Krispies cereal since it’s naturally gluten-free.Additions and Variations
- To achieve an even crispier texture, refrigerate the coated squash rings for 20-30 minutes before frying.
- Experiment with different seasonings in the cereal mixture, such as garlic powder or paprika, to customize the flavor profile.
Can you prep these in advance?
- You can certainly prep all the dry ingredients and place them in plates or on bowls, and season them. Don’t add the parmesan until right before dredging so the dredge can stay out at room temperature for as long as needed. Cover the plates and bowls and place the beaten eggs in the fridge. You can prep the dredge ingredients 1-2 days in advance.
- You can dredge the squash rings up to 30 minutes before frying and place them in the fridge to help the dredge set.
- You can fry them and keep them warm in the oven for about 15 minutes, but not longer as they will lose their crispiness.
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