Zucchini Fritters
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These fritters are unbelievably easy to make, low calorie, and the perfect way to sneak in some veggies!
Featured Comment
I’m always looking for new ways to use up my lingering summer 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 oh-so-lovely fritters happened.
why i love this recipe
- Great way to repurpose all the summer zucchini. Have you made way too much zucchini bread this season? Don’t worry – you can still use up all that summer zucchini bounty with these crowd-pleasing crisp-fluffy zucchini fritters!
- So great for picky eaters. These fritters are wonderfully nutritious, low in calories, and the perfect way to sneak in some extra veggies and greens for those picky eaters.
- Ridiculously easy to whip up. Zucchini fritters are so easy to make, perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside, light and airy on the inside.
- Can be served in so many ways. Serve them as an afterschool snack, an appetizer, a side dish or even a light lunch with a side of tzatziki sauce.
- Freezer-friendly. Fritters are so great to make ahead of time, and can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, reheating very well in the oven or air fryer.
how to make the easiest, crispiest zucchini fritters
- Prep the zucchini – grate, salt and squeeze out all the excess moisture
- Mix all the ingredients together
- Scoop and form into little fritters, flattening as needed
- Cook until golden brown and crispy, flipping once
- Keep warm in a low oven (if needed) and serve with your favorite dipping sauces
tips and tricks for success
- Squeeze dry the zucchini. This is a key step to avoid soggy fritters! Grate the zucchini, adding 1 teaspoon salt – the salt not only seasons the zucchini beforehand but also draws out the excess moisture. Wrap the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Cook in batches. Work in batches to properly cook the fritters for maximum crispness. An overcrowded pan will unfortunately steam the fritters instead.
- Mix it up. Use a different kind of cheese (ex. feta or cotija), add fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano or dill) or fresh lemon zest to brighten up some of the savory flavors.
- Keep warm. The fritters can be kept warm in a low oven at 250°F.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover fritters can be soggy when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
- Freeze as needed. Place the fritters on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the fritters to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through and crispy, about 10-15 minutes, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-5 minutes.
what to serve with zucchini fritters
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
For the best texture and flavor, use a large, heavy-bottomed skillet that holds heat evenly. It helps get that signature crispy exterior.
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 favorited 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 our favorite lemon herb roasted chicken.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! Zucchini fritters freeze very well, and can keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. For best results, freeze without any toppings or sauces until thawed and reheated.
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini, grated, about 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Equipment
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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they look great! but why so much fat content?
Parmesan has 1.4g fat per 1 TBS.
what did you top the fritters with? Is that sour cream?
Yes.
I have an abundance of zucchini from my CSA and this came up in my google search of zucchini recipes. So delicious! I made them for breakfast and served them with poached eggs on top and a splash of hot sauce. Thank you!!!
Oh, that’s great!
To me these taste like a Mac N Cheese in a double cheesy,crispy crust.Who doesn’t like Mac N Cheese? The taste better warm,than hot out if the pan.
My Italian family makes zucchini patties often. Try adding some presh parsley to the mix: it’s the perfect thing to just brighten it up and adds a pop of flavour.
The amount of salt in the recipe is way too much. Otherwise good recipe.
You can adjust as needed, of course.
Can these be made and then frozen to be heated at a later time?
You can freeze these in individual servings and reheat as necessary.
Just tried this – didn’t change a thing except maybe I was just a little generous with the parmesan and garlic – absolutely delicious!!! Husband really liked it, too! I will absolutely make this again.
Nothing wrong with lots of parmesan and garlic! Happy you liked it!
Loove the recipe I’ll make it today finally ^^!
Btw which recipe card are u using? Looks really nice 🙂
The recipe card is built in with the design of the website. 🙂
I have a 96 year young patient and she has never seen anything like these . She absolutely loved them
Aw that’s so awesome!
Fantadtic. So so good. Loved them. Fun and easy to make.
Awesome!
They did not stick together and fell apart
Bev, it sounds like perhaps your zucchini retained too much of its water. Did you drain it completely?
An you freeze the batter? And is yes? How many days will it be good for?
You can freeze the cooked fritters in individual servings and reheat as necessary. But as we are not experts on food safety, we cannot advise on shelf life. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
I’m making these now. I have olive oil in the pan but they are still sticking… a lot!!!!! Any tips???
Oh no – did you drain the zucchini completely?
Can you tell me how many zucchini fritters are in each serving? I see that the recipe yields 4 servings but would like to know how many each! Thank you.
Hi Melissa! It is actually a bit difficult to say with certainty how many fritters are made with this recipe as there is much room for variation – thick fritters, wide fritters, mini fritters, etc.
What is the measurement in cups for the zucchini? Thank you for the recipe.
There is about 3 cups grated zucchini in 1 1/2 pounds.
I drained the liquid, but I guess not enough! They were nice brown color, size of the 2 inches, but soggy in the center.
Cooking longer did not help.
l have been looking of new ways to cook zucchini especially since I’m trying to lose weight! As a college student, l really appreciate the easy to do recipes! You always make cooking fun.
These are damn delicious. Just enough flour to bind the zucchini together such that you taste zucchini and not the flour. Worked great with EVOO. Cooked with medium heat, browned perfectly. Canola oil is a GENETICALLY MODIFIED OIL that is partially hydrogenated, i.e., it is BAD for you. EVOO is superior.
Hi. what is the quantities for the ingredients for 1 person? because I am doing an assessment and i am only allowed 1 egg
Unfortunately, the size of the fritters can vary so it is very difficult to specify the quantity for one serving. Sorry!
I have made these for my son a few times… am having a hard time getting the zucchini dry enough / getting the fritters to stick together. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.
It is best to drain the zucchini as best as you possibly can using a dish towel or cheese cloth. Hope that helps!