Zucchini Fritters
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These fritters are unbelievably easy to make, low calorie, and the perfect way to sneak in some veggies!
I’m always looking for new ways to use up my lingering zucchini. I’ve made zucchini crisps and zucchini sticks but I wanted to try something a little different this time – something “not fried” per se and a bit healthier. That’s when these fritters happened.
Now these fritters are unbelievably easy to whip up. Simply grate your zucchini, drain them completely using a dish cloth, and throw them in a bowl with all of your other ingredients. From there, scoop them right out onto a hot skillet, flattening them up to resemble a pancake. Flip, cook, serve. Easy enough, right?
These fritters are wonderfully nutritious, low in calories and the perfect way to sneak in some veggies for those picky eaters. The best part is, you can serve them as a snack, an appetizer, or even a light lunch!
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Zucchini Fritters: Frequently Asked Questions
Zucchini is very high in water! So to avoid soggy fritters, we want to squeeze out as much water as possible. That way, we can get those crisp, golden brown edges.
A box grater will work beautifully here!
The possibilities are endless! You can serve them with a dollop of sour cream, tzatziki sauce, or as a side dish to my favorite lemon herb roasted chicken.
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini, grated (about 3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add 1 teaspoon salt and gently toss to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain zucchini completely.
- In a large bowl, combine zucchini, flour, Parmesan, garlic and egg; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, scoop 3-4 tablespoons of batter for each fritter, flattening with a spatula, and cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made these zucchini fritters as close to possible but because of allergies had to use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour and Dairya Italian blend non dairy cheese. I added a bit of corn starch for added crunch. Tasted really good but no way as good as if I used the real ingredients.
Can I make the recipe ahead of time, refrigerate it and fry it up later?
Easy and scrumptious.
This is the recipe I’ve used for years. The only difference is the flour. Almond flour instead of AP flour. I am looking forward to making these. But I have a feeling the almond flour gives it a crunchier texture and more flavor. Being I lost the original recipe. I thank you for bringing it up. Give it a try…. 😉
Very clear directions. I should have squeezed my grated zucchini a bit more enthusiastically but my fritters still cooked thru just dandy. I might add a touch of dill next time. Loved them!! ❤️❤️❤️
Or, Greek style with crumbled feta cheese (not parmesan), finely chopped spring onions, plenty of mint and parsley, served with tzatziki. The herbs make all the difference, and the patties smell divine.
DELICIOUS!. I have also used the base recipe as follows:
Swapped zucchini (when I didn’t have any) for a small can of tuna.
Added a small handful of mixed cold slaw veggies.
If I felt the mixture was too dry I added a bit of KinChi juice & mayo.
TERRIFIC!
Oops I left a review and was so excited I forgot to make it five stars
These fritters were absolutely yummy!
The recipe says it makes 4 servings. Is each serving one patty?
I am asking because myfitnesspal has the nutritional information for one patty.
If you have a juicer, juice the zucchini and use the pulp for fritters 🙂 The juice is pretty tasty as well.
I’ve tried making zucchini fritters so many times and this is the first time they’ve turned out how I wanted them to! I grated a shallot in with one zucchini and one yellow squash, omitted the parmesan, and added some crushed red pepper. Delicious!! I ate them with a soft boiled egg for an easy breakfast.
OK. I must saute Zucchini a few times a week, so this inspired me today. Twist…I used Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix, one egg, and zucchini spirals. Making spirals was easier than grating, and I cut them into smaller pieces with my kitchen shears. To extract moisture, I lined a strainer with paper towels,pressed, and absorbed lots of juice. I forgot the Parmesan cheese, but after frying them in olive oil and butter, I topped them with shredded Swiss/cheddar cheese, and more butter. Light and fluffy inside, not thick like a fritter. Maybe I’ll use only olive oil next time, to make them get crispier. One medium Zucchini made six decent sized fritters, and I polished them off for my dinner. Meijer has the best shredded cheese called Breakfast Blend, that combines Swiss and cheddar. I use this all the time on my grilled Asparagus and Zucchini spirals. Yum. Thanks for the recipe!
We have an egg allergy in the family, what would be a good substitute?
You can use anything that will help the breadcrumbs stick to the flour. Milk would work, but it would be thin and not as sticky as egg. It would be a kind of batter, then. Online you can find directions for making an effective egg-ish substitute by soaking chia seeds in water, if that intrigues you. Search on “chia egg.” Apologies: I have no idea how well chia egg would work here, though. ~All best.
Thanks and awesome recipe.. we replaced with red chill pepper oh Taste great
DRAIN WELL as recipe says. Mine were slightly limp as I didn’t drain enough. I like to substitute onion for garlic but either way very good. I made a batch and 3/4 and my husband and I ate them all!!
This is outstanding. I’ve made it 2 times, making a double batch now. These are delicious, great re heated and my baby even loves it!!
Absolutely yummy. Also easy to make
These are easy and delicious!, I made dairy free with vegan parmesan cheese due to my husband having alpha gal. He loves them froze our doubled batch. Thank you!
Thank you for this brilliant recipe. I just added chives from my garden.
Yummmm
Could I make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it?
I have tried lots of variations to this recipe and not a fan of the pre-made batter. I shred and prep the veggies part (we like shredded carrots and finely diced broccoli added in) but don’t add the egg and mix until ready to cook. Cooked ones re-heat well next day or freeze.