Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Chicken Zucchini Jeon
A delicious and easy-to-make Korean-inspired chicken zucchini jeon recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini
- 1/2 pound of chicken breast, minced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Non-stick cooking spray
Method
- Wash the zucchini thoroughly and grate it using a coarse grater.
- Place the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes to drain excess water.
- After 10 minutes, squeeze out the remaining moisture from the zucchini and place it in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the minced chicken, flour, eggs, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the bowl.
- Mix all ingredients well until a cohesive mixture forms. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (356°F).
- Lightly coat the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray.
- Scoop the mixture into the air fryer, flattening each scoop with a spoon to form small pancakes or patties.
- Air fry for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the Jeon from the air fryer and let them cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Salting and squeezing the courgette lowers surface moisture so the air fryer’s convection can brown the outside instead of steaming it. Flour and egg bind the chicken and vegetable shreds into a thin patty, while a little sesame oil and spray help conduct heat for crisp edges without deep-frying.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding about 5–6 thin patties with clear gaps; cook in batches if needed. In a single-drawer fryer, use the centre and turn once for even browning. In dual-zone models, smaller drawers can brown faster, so check 1–2 minutes early and avoid overfilling each side.
Common pitfalls
- Patties look pale and soft at 10 minutes: the courgette was not squeezed firmly enough or the basket is crowded; press the mixture in a clean tea towel, add 1–2 teaspoons flour if loose, and cook in smaller batches.
- They tear when flipped: the underside has not set or the basket was under-oiled; spray the basket and patty tops lightly, then wait until the edges look dry and lightly browned before turning.
- Brown outside but raw or bouncy in the centre: the patties are too thick for air-frying; flatten to about 1 cm and continue at 170°C until the chicken reaches 74°C in the middle.
- Dry, rubbery jeon with hard edges: very lean chicken breast overcooked; reduce the final cook by 1–2 minutes, keep the patties slightly wider rather than taller, and serve once just cooked through.
Variations & substitutions
- Use minced chicken thigh instead of breast for a juicier jeon; the extra fat may make the edges brown a little faster, so check early.
- Swap half or all of the plain flour for potato starch or cornflour for a crisper, lighter crust, but handle gently because the patties are slightly more fragile.
- Add finely chopped, well-squeezed kimchi for a sharper Korean flavour; its moisture and sugars mean you may need an extra teaspoon of flour and earlier browning checks.
- Replace some courgette with grated carrot or finely sliced cabbage; carrot cooks similarly, while cabbage should be sliced thinly so it softens within the same air-fryer time.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked jeon in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in a single layer in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
