Put the South’s favorite summertime side dish on the table with just a few simple ingredients and 20 minutes time! Featuring perfect, golden Fried Squash, crispy on the outside and buttery, soft on the inside. Use yellow squash, zucchini, or both!
While the oils hot, you should also try our perfectly crispy, seriously Southern, Fried Okra recipe!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR FRIED SQUASH
- Yellow Squash (or Zucchini) – Yellow squash and zucchini are both summer squashes and if you’re a gardener, they’re likely growing together at the very same time. Conveniently, you don’t have to change a thing to this recipe if you’d like to fry both squash and zucchini at the same time, or even just zucchini! If you have extra squash in the garden, add Southern Yellow Squash Casserole to your list of must-make Southern dishes! It’s a sweet and savory casserole that comes together quickly and bakes up beautifully!
- Whole Milk & Eggs – The mixture of milk and eggs is what keeps the dry coating in place.
- Hot Sauce – This gives your Fried Squash a flavor oomph, but don’t have to worry about it adding too much heat. If you don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out altogether.
- Canola Oil – A truly flavorless oil and perfect for frying!
- Flour – Use only all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Cornmeal – We suggest using fine cornmeal for a less chewy and crispier texture. However, if you like that sort of thing, feel free to use medium-ground cornmeal/polenta instead.
WHY CORNMEAL AND FLOUR?
Rather than using just cornmeal or just flour, we suggest using both. A straight cornmeal batter can be unforgiving and chewy. Using flour in the mixture softens the bite, and makes for a much more pleasing, crunchy exterior.
This mix is almost identical to the batter on our Fried Green Tomatoes. If you’ve got both growing in the garden at the same time, double the recipe (except for the squash) and make a it a feast!
HOW TO FRY SQUASH
- Add milk, eggs, and hot sauce to a large bowl. Mix to combine and add the sliced squash.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
- Add oil to a large skillet (cast iron works best if you have it) and allow to come to temperature.
- Coat the squash thoroughly in the dry mixture and carefully add to the hot oil.
- Cook for 2 1/2 – 3 minutes on each side, and set aside to cool on a plate or cooling rack.
WHAT TEMPERATURE TO FRY SQUASH AT?
For best results when frying squash, have your oil situated between 350-375°. An instant-read thermometer is great for gauging temperatures quickly, but take note — nothing makes frying easier than an infrared thermometer.
CAN YOU FRY SQUASH THAT HAS BEEN FROZEN?
Squash that has been previously frozen will have a rather high water content. If you intend to fry squash that’s come from the freezer, make sure it is completely thawed and you might even consider patting it dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
HOW TO KEEP FRIED SQUASH FROM GETTING SOGGY
If you want to keep your Fried Squash from getting soggy, avoid stacking the slices as they come out of the oil. Instead, have ready a cooling rack situated over a rimmed baking sheet or pan, lined with paper towels to catch any grease drippings. As the squash comes out of the oil, place it in a single layer on the cooling rack.
FRIED SQUASH DIPPING SAUCE
Squash and dill go hand and hand, so if you’re looking for a stellar dipping sauce to serve alongside Fried Squash, either Homemade Ranch Dressing or Dill Dip would make an excellent addition to your spread. Not a fan of dill? Try Romesco Sauce instead!
4 MORE SOUTHERN SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
- Fried Green Tomatoes are the perfect Southern summertime treat. They fry up perfect with a batter that makes for one incredibly crunchy coating!
- Butter Beans features frozen lima beans, chopped ham, garlic, and onion, and comes together with full flavor after just 30 minutes of simmering!
- Southern Creamed Corn is made fast on the stovetop with milk, cream cheese and fresh (or frozen) corn!
- Green Beans with Tomatoes and Bacon is an easy, slow-cooking side dish made special with fresh green beans, bacon, and fire-roasted canned tomatoes.
- Purple Hull Peas plump up to tender, creamy perfection after a long simmer in a savory, pork-infused broth.
The best Fried Squash Recipe featuring a crispy, golden batter of cornmeal and flour. Works beautifully for fried yellow squash AND fried zucchini!
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 4 dashes hot sauce
- 4 yellow squash (or zucchini), sliced just over a 1/4" thick
- 1 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 2 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
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Add the milk, eggs, and hot sauce to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the squash slices, and set aside until ready to use.
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In a breading tray or shallow container, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
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Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature, between 350°-375°.
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Shake off any dripping milk from the squash, and dredge completely in the dry batter. Carefully add to the oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pan and frying in batches as needed.
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Have ready a plate lined with paper towels or a cooling rack atop a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels.
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Cook the squash for 2 1/2 -3 minutes each, or just until the crust is perfectly golden brown. Remove from the oil and allow to cool slightly. For best results, serve right away.
I adore fried squash, and this recipe looks absolutely perfect! I love that crispy texture from the corn meal. This is an awesome summer side dish or app, and I’m sure I’ll be using this recipe a lot over the coming months.
I made these over the weekend and they sure didn’t last long! I snacked on them all weekend, they were so delicious!
This looks like the perfect crunchy side to have with anything!
What a great idea to use squash instead of zucchini these are a perfect appetizer or a side for a summery meal. Must look for squash now and try this recipe at home.
I am drooling all over the place right now! I am definitely going out for some squash TODAY and making these little pieces of heaven 🙂
I’m super excited to try this squash recipe, I love squash but get bored of making it the same old way. I will let you know how everything turns out. Saving for later.
We do love squash. I have never tried. it fried. This would make a fun appetizer. I will have to make this once we can entertain again.
I just planted this year’s squash in the garden! We made this recipe all summer long last year and I can’t wait to make it again!
Glad I have come across this recipe. I was planning on frying eggplant and I was looking for some batter inspo. I have never tried mixing hot sauce in! And I really want to try the cornstarch and flour mix! Thanks for the tips, hope this will work with eggplant 🙂
What a fun and delicious way of using squash & zucchini! I would love to try this with dill dip, the combo of the flavours sounds utterly delicious!
Ahh these look so good! A perfect alternative to fries 😀 I wish I had some zucchini now but I cannot wait to get it fresh this year from the garden 🙂
OH I love squash, and this fried squash looks delicious. Thanks for sharing a great recipe, I am going to make this.
Even the thought about dipping this deliciousness makes my mouth water. I can only imagine what will happen when I actually make this recipe. It certainly looks absolutely delicious!
Anything fried is on my menu these days and these squash fritters look amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Love this. I’m attempting it tonight but with a few vegan changes. Looks perfect!
We love our fried zucchini but had never fried the yellow squash. It’s lucky that we now can find squash at the store all the time. Picked up several and fried them up just like your recipe. WOW! They were delicious and Hubby attacked them before he ate his meat – very unusual since he loves the main meat entree. Will be making them again soon.
It’s a great way to make this vegetable fancy and make your picky kids eat it! I’m sure that the crispy edges make all the difference!
Is it OK to make this with just flour and no cornmeal? I’m out of cornmeal and won’t be able to go to the grocery store for a while. I have some yellow squash and really want to try it!
Hi Susan! You can certainly make this without the cornmeal. Just sub in the same amount of flour. The texture won’t be exactly the same, but the flavor will still be delicious!
Oooh I never thought to make fried squash!! Now I have serious cravings…
I planted squash in the garden this year. Can wait to try this fried squash recipe looks amazing.
OOH! I’m all about this, looks like a perfect dish for the upcoming season – love all the zucchini I can get.
My husband assembled this fried squash recipe. Boy, was it good! We’d make it again in a heartbeat!
This is such a delicious side dish!! A huge hit with my kids!
I made this with squash as written and can give it this review. I am somewhat annoyed with all the great reviews from people who have not actually made the recipe. It ruins it for those of us who are trying to find a good recipe by taking the reviews into account. Please save the review for after you made the dish. Comments about how a dish sounds are nice but spend your time cooking or send a comment not a review. Just saying.
Made this with the lemon squash that I grew this year. So yummy! Will be making again and again.
THIS! I am married to a SOUTHERN man, and he thought this was theeeee best. I’m posting this because I know his mother will not read it! We grew some okra, squash, and onions. I battered and fried it all with this TAK recipe, and it was perfect. This will be my go-to from now on. I halved the recipe, and next time will probably quarter it. I fried it in an iron skillet about half full of canola oil. We may invest in a fryer after this yummy recipe came into our lives!