When my children were small and money was tight, I leaned on the same garden staple my own grandmother did: yellow squash. Every summer the vines would overdo it, and we’d wind up with more squash than we knew what to do with. This 3-ingredient fried yellow squash is exactly the kind of thing she’d make on a hot evening—simple, cheap, and so crispy you keep reaching for just one more slice. There’s no egg, no milk, no fancy coating, just cornmeal, salt, and the sweetness of the squash itself. It’s a thrifty little dish that tastes like home and stretches a few squash into a plateful of something comforting and addictive.
Serve these hot, straight from the skillet, piled onto a paper towel–lined plate to catch the extra oil. They’re wonderful as a side next to meatloaf, roast chicken, or a skillet of pork chops, and they fit right in beside mashed potatoes or green beans. You can also set them out as a snack or light lunch with sliced tomatoes and a bit of cottage cheese. If you like, offer a small bowl of ranch or plain yogurt for dipping, but they’re honestly at their best eaten plain with just that sprinkle of salt while they’re still warm and crisp.
3-Ingredient Fried Yellow SquashServings: 4
Ingredients
4 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying (enough to coat the bottom of your skillet)
Directions
Rinse the yellow squash under cool water and pat dry. Trim off the ends, then slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick so they cook through but still hold their shape.
Spread the cornmeal in a shallow dish or pie plate and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. This simple seasoning is what my grandmother used—she let the squash do the rest of the talking.
Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy skillet (cast iron if you have it) so it covers the bottom by about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Heat over medium to medium-high until the oil shimmers and a pinch of cornmeal sizzles on contact.
Working in small batches, press each squash slice into the seasoned cornmeal, coating both sides well. Shake off any loose cornmeal so it doesn’t burn in the pan.
Lay the coated squash rounds in the hot oil in a single layer without crowding. Fry on the first side until the edges turn deep golden and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip each slice carefully and fry the second side until golden brown and the centers are just tender when pierced with a fork, another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust your heat as needed so they brown steadily without scorching.
Use tongs or a slotted spatula to transfer the fried squash to a paper towel–lined white plate to drain. While they’re still hot, sprinkle lightly with a bit more salt so it clings to the hot cornmeal crust.
Repeat with the remaining squash slices, adding a little more oil to the skillet as needed and allowing it to heat before adding more squash. Serve the fried yellow squash right away, while the outsides are crisp and the centers are soft and sweet.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little extra flavor, you can stir a pinch of black pepper, garlic powder, or paprika into the cornmeal, but keep it light so you don’t lose the clean taste of the squash. For a heartier crust, dip the squash slices quickly in water or a splash of the squash’s own juices before pressing into the cornmeal; this helps more cornmeal cling without adding extra ingredients. If you need to make a bigger batch, keep finished slices warm on a paper towel–lined baking sheet in a low oven (about 200°F) while you fry the rest, but don’t stack them or they’ll soften. To lighten things up, you can pan-fry in a thinner layer of oil and flip more often, or even brush the coated slices lightly with oil and bake at 425°F on a preheated sheet until crisp, though they won’t be quite as golden as skillet-fried. Always use fresh, firm squash—soft spots or sour smells are signs it should be discarded. Keep the oil at a steady medium heat so it doesn’t smoke; overheated oil can break down and develop off flavors. Let the hot oil cool completely in the skillet before straining or discarding, and never pour hot oil down the sink. Leftover fried squash should be cooled to room temperature before refrigerating in a shallow container and eaten within a day; re-crisp in a hot skillet rather than a microwave to bring back as much crunch as possible.
