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.
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These were AMAZING!! We topped ours off with a little Greek yogurt. Thanks for sharing!
I’m not a huge zucchini fan, but I usually end up with a lot of it from friends’ gardens and work extras. I found this recipe while contemplating the present bounty. It’s really a great way to use it all up. I substituted the flour for a high protein GF blend, added a little cayenne, and made some for now and a bunch for the freezer. There’s not many left for the freezer, they’re delicious! Thanks for the inspiration and for helping me reconcile my differences with zucchini. 🙂
just made these but not sure if the inside is suppose to be moist or not, so I microwaved them for 12 seconds ???? how many cups is 1 1/2 pound of Zucchinni, thanks J
Yes, a little bit of moisture is completely fine as long as the fritters are cooked through. There is also about 3 cups grated zucchini in 1 1/2 pounds.
thanks so much….will try them again, glad I put them in Microwave….LOL….
Me again, how long to get the moisture out of zucchini, I am changing my receipe tor read 3 cups instead of 1 12/ pounds,,,thanks for you help
JoAnne, the first step should help with the moisture:
Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add salt and gently toss to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain zucchini completely.
I learned from a similar recipe in my husband’s old-school Italian cookbook that it’s necessary to wring the wet zucchini in a towel – wrap it tight and twist it up hard to squeeze all the water out. I think this is what you are referring to when you say to “drain” with a towel, but it’s not entirely clear in your wording. I left mine to sit for much longer than 10 minutes and was amazed at how much water seeped out.
Has anyone tried freezing these fritters?
Anita, you can freeze these in individual servings and reheat as necessary.
I made these today. My parents loved them. My dad couldn’t stop raving about them! Easy and tasty. I’ll make these again for sure.
Made them tonight and they were delicious! Added a little oregano and served it with some hot tomato sauce, but they were good plain.
I feel terrible, because I cook from your site ALL the time and I never post comments… So I’m going to start. These are amazing! Ok, my husband is literally the most ridiculous man on the planet and getting him to eat veggies is similar to getting kids to eat them. (except I can’t make him sit at the table until he finishes them) I made these before he entered the room, and he begrudgingly admitted he loved them. (I told them they were broccoli, because he will eat broc/cauli, but shhhhhhh…..) Thanks for a zucchini recipe I can get my hubby to eat!
I don’t have all purpose flour could I just not use it at still taste good?
Unfortunately, I do not recommend omitting the flour. It is best to use all the ingredients listed here to obtain the best results possible.
I was reading your zucchini fritter recipe and thought they would be equally good with some zucchini flowers added to the mix. My Mom fried the flowers in a tempura-like batter. They were a little sweet and oh so delicious! Maybe after washing them and patting them dry, I’d chop them a bit to get them into smaller pieces and just throw a handful into the mix. Yum!
Oh and then serve with a side of apple sauce!
Add some onion. I kicks it up a notch.
Never make without the onion any style ..also green & chives
Tasty recipe. I didn’t weigh my zucchini before I grated it, so not sure what it weighed. I used about 2 1/2 cups shredded. I also added basil as I have some nice bush basil in the garden.
Thanks, the parmesan makes it.
I just made these tonight with yellow squash and they were delicious! I have been trying to ease my husband into eating zucchini (thus the yellow squash) and these were a real hit! He ate more than I did! Thanks!
These are super yummy! In Turkey, they are called mujvar. They are a must staple for summer food….add some fresh mint and chives…..delish.
I made these fritters today but not having enough zucchini I stretched the batter with raw shredded potatoes. The result was delicious ^.^ though the batter was a bit to watery, thanks to the potatoes. Next time, if I have to use potatoes again, I’ll try to drain the batter in a sieve. Or use cooked shredded potatoes.
I served the fritters with fried mushrooms, my family was very happy with this meal. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
The most important thing is to squeeze out the moisture – from whatever veggie you are using. In my cooking class with kids, we use a clean dishtowel and “wring it out”. The kids love to do this. Then the “dry” veggies can go into the batter of eggs, flour, cheeses (we add shredded mozzarella cheese to the parmesan), scallions, chopped parsley, etc and fry in mixture of oil and butter. Served with homemade Tzadziki – they were gobbling them up like hotcakes!
Delicious! Helps to have one more thing to do with this Summer’s zucchini, too.
Just made these…they are “damn delicious” !
These were delicious and not enough.
These are awesome! I want to add green peas and green onions next time.
That sounds like amazing additions!
Made these last night. Great recipe!! I omitted the garlic as I was out (but will add next time) and added a little cayenne as well as 1/2 tsp. baking powder which gave them a little rise. Overall, the ratio of veg to dry ingredients was just right. I loved the idea of a sour cream “topping” which I made with sour cream, a little horseradish and fresh minced chives.
I made these this past weekend and they were soooo yummy! Super easy to make too! 🙂