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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Having found this recipe on Pinterest and feeling a bit adventurous, I gave this a try. I substituted asiago and romano cheese instead of parm, giving it a bit more flavor. Definitely easy and the ingredients are usually already in the kitchen. Thank you so much for posting this. It even fits in with my diet plan!
Can you make these with almond flour instead of regular flour?
You can certainly try substituting almond flour but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
These look amazing! Do you think they are freezer friendly? Do you think the fritters could be made and pulled out, thawed, and then browned?
I just saw a previous post with this same question. My understanding is you do cook them. What is the best method of re-heating?
That’s really up to you and what you are comfortable with. I actually prefer to cook them on the stovetop on a hot skillet.
It is summer now in New Zealand, and I finally have a bumper crop of zucchini. Tried this recipe today… they were stunning! We have already eaten half of the first batch, and will absolutely be making more over the next months. Oh yes, they are “damn delicious”!
Just got done making. I used yellow squash and zucchini. Didn’t have cheese cloth to soak up water. I used a pillow case. They came out amazing. .
I need to be on a low cholesterol diet. Why is the cholesterol so high in this recipe? Any suggestions on a substitute ingredient to help?
Eggs and parmesan cheese are naturally high in cholesterol. For someone with high blood cholesterol, the recommendation is to limit cholesterol intake to 200 mg/day. At 101 mg/serving, if you plan your other food for the day accordingly, this dish could fit into your diet.
Also, please remember that dietary cholesterol has less of an effect on blood cholesterol than was once thought. The biggest dietary impact on blood cholesterol is actually synthetic trans fat!
Never drain mine but use 1 egg for every packed cup of zucchini.. Feel your thowing out vitamins when you drain liquid ..no bad..only good cholesteral in this recipe
Apologies if anyone has already asked this, can you freeze these? I’d love to try some but seeing as I live alone and cook for one freezing some seemed like a good option. If anyone has tried freezing let me know how they turned out!
Charlotte, you can freeze these in individual servings and reheat as necessary.
So good! I also put a little feta cheese in it and extra garlic…..was good!
Can you use a nonstick electric griddle to these on?
I haven’t tried it myself but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Do you happen to have the nutrients for this?? I was basically wondering about the calories, sodium, carbs and sugar? Thank you!
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information for any of my recipes. I recommend utilizing online calorie counters at your discretion to obtain such information.
I basically took your recipe, added 2 eggs and a crap ton of curry powder, and cooked it like s frittata. Basically, it was awesome!!
I love these, my favorite restaurant in my hometown would serve these with thick yogurt with sweet apricot preserves such wonderful accompaniment!
Now I can recreate at home; Merci!
So I have tried and tried to make this recipe, along with a altered version that uses coconut flour instead and I can’t get them to turn out. The coconut flour ones didn’t turn out because they were too dry and fell apart. These ones were too eggy/moist that they didn’t even cook at all. I used tapioca flour instead of arrowroot flour, not sure if that makes a huge difference or not. I didn’t use cheese either because I’m dairy free. I have squeezed all the juice out of the zuchinnis too, so I know that’s not the issue. Any advice?
Hi,
I made these last night.
They were delicious! Although I just had one problem.
They wouldn’t hold together as well as your look in your picture.
Should I add another egg?
Would it be because I didn’t use a cheese cloth to drain the zucchini?
I’m or entirely sure what could have gone wrong but an additional egg should certainly help as a binder for next time.
I made these and my husband is obsessed with them. Love your site!
-Meg
http://www.MegLovesIt.com
Have you tried these with almond flour to make the carb count even lower?
I actually have not tried this with almond flour. I also worry that it may bring in unwanted flavors into the fritters.
I am a college student and have recently shifted my diet to a healthier one, but I have been running into the issue of a tasty but monotonous diet. These fritters will for sure become part of my healthy meal repertoire and help to break the monotony! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
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Mmmmm…..can you make them in the oven? What temp?How long?
Jossi, this is best when cooked on the stovetop as directed in the recipe. I cannot give you oven temp and time without further recipe testing.
tnxxxxxxx
I have been making these fritters for years; however, I do include diced green onions and shredded potatoes in the batter, which I make with a wheat Bisquick mix. It is served with a blend of soy sauce, finely chopped green onions, and a hint of sesame seed oil. My friends and neighbors can’t get enough of these fritters.