Bacon wrapped zucchini fries pair zucchini sticks with a crisp bacon wrapping and ranch for dipping. If you like vegetable sides with a little crunch, this recipe uses garlic powder and black pepper to season the zucchini before each stick gets its bacon spiral. Thin cut bacon matters here because it crisps before the zucchini goes soft.
Save this recipe for later:
Ingredients for bacon wrapped zucchini fries
- 2 medium zucchini
- 12 slices thin cut bacon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing for dipping
The ingredient list is short, so pay attention to the bacon thickness when gathering everything. The recipe calls for thin cut bacon, and the tip explains why: thick cut bacon stays chewy. The zucchini, bacon, garlic powder, and pepper go into the oven together; the ranch stays separate for serving.
Keep the ranch out of the seasoning step. It is the dipping sauce for the finished fries, so you can serve it alongside them after their brief rest. There is no coating to mix or breading to press onto the zucchini.
Dry the zucchini before wrapping
Cut the zucchini into 12 sticks about 1/2 inch thick, then pat them very dry. Take care with the cut surfaces as well as the skin. This is the drying step specified in the recipe, and it belongs before the garlic powder, pepper, and bacon go on.
Try to keep the sticks close to the stated thickness as you cut. A much smaller piece has less zucchini beneath its wrapping, while a much larger piece changes the balance between the vegetable and bacon. Aim for sticks that look similar beside one another before you season them.
Once the sticks are dry, season them with the measured garlic powder and black pepper. Spread the seasoning across the batch so each stick receives some before it is wrapped. You do not need a separate seasoning mixture for the bacon.
Keep the bacon ends underneath
Wrap each zucchini stick with a slice of bacon, working in a spiral along its length. The aim is to carry the slice around the stick, with its ends tucked underneath. Check that placement before transferring each piece to the rack.
Set the wrapped sticks seam side down, as the recipe directs. If a loose end has slipped out while you moved a stick, tuck it back underneath before baking. That small adjustment is easier to make while you are arranging the fries than after the bacon has started to crisp.
Wrap and bake the fries
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Set a rack on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Cut the zucchini into 12 sticks about 1/2 inch thick. Pat them very dry.
- Season the sticks with the garlic powder and black pepper.
- Wrap each stick in a slice of thin cut bacon in a spiral, tucking the ends underneath.
- Lay the wrapped sticks on the rack seam side down. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
- Rest for 2 minutes, then serve with the ranch dressing.
The Foodie Yummy Cookbook
12 reader-favorite recipes in one printable PDF. Enter your email and download it instantly.
Check the bacon before serving
The baking window is 25 to 30 minutes, with crisp bacon as the finishing cue. Look at the wrapping as well as the clock. The exposed bacon should have reached the crisp texture described in the recipe before the fries come out of the oven.
The rack is part of the baking setup, so arrange the fries on it above the foil lined sheet. This keeps the wrapped zucchini raised while it bakes. Use that setup from the start, with the tucked bacon ends facing down.
After baking, give the fries their full 2 minute rest before serving. Set out the 1/2 cup ranch dressing alongside the batch so the bacon wrapping remains visible and each fry can be dipped as you eat. The recipe makes 4 servings.
For more zucchini sides, try our baked zucchini fries with herb dip or baked cheesy zucchini tots . If you enjoy bacon wrapped bites, take a look at bacon wrapped green bean bundles and bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese .
Before you make a batch
Are these zucchini fries breaded?
No. The recipe uses bacon as the outside wrapping, with garlic powder and black pepper on the zucchini underneath. There are no breadcrumbs or flour in the ingredient list.
Why does the bacon stay chewy?
Check whether you used thick cut bacon. The recipe specifically warns that it stays chewy, while thin cut bacon crisps before the zucchini goes soft. Bacon thickness is therefore an important part of getting the intended result.
Does the ranch go into the oven?
No. The ranch is reserved for dipping and served after the baked fries have rested. Only the seasoned, bacon wrapped zucchini goes onto the rack.
Made it or loved it? Share this recipe
Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team
The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us
Bacon Wrapped Zucchini Fries
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F and set a rack on a foil lined baking sheet.
Cut the zucchini into 12 sticks about 1/2 inch thick and pat them very dry.
Season the sticks with the garlic powder and black pepper.
Wrap each stick in a slice of bacon in a spiral, tucking the ends underneath.
Lay them on the rack seam side down and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
Rest for 2 minutes and serve with the ranch dressing.
Notes
Thin cut bacon crisps before the zucchini goes soft. Thick cut bacon stays chewy.
Pat the zucchini sticks very dry before seasoning.