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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Can these be frozen?
Robin, you can freeze these in individual servings and reheat as necessary.
How do you get them to stay together?? I subbed coconut flour for regular flour, could that be why??
Could it also be they weren’t drained enough?? I used paper towels to draw out the initial moisture then let them sit in a dish cloth for more draining. How long should I let them drain? ?
Devin, I am not entirely sure if the coconut flour is the culprit here (as I have never used this ingredient before) but it is best to drain as much excess water as possible.
I made one batch of these with the parmesan cheese and one without and put in some nutritional yeast. Both batches wewe delicious and this recipe was easy and quick.
I made these zuccini fritters tonight. They were okay. I was disappointed that I could not get them more crispy or firm without getting over browned and even then they were limp as a wet noodle. I let the grated zuccini sit in a colander for 15+ minutes. Then squeezed most of the liquid out with my hands, then pressed and blotted with paper towels while still in the colander, then transferred to a kitchen towel and wrung it tight like s rag twisting the opposite ends of the towel. It was pretty dry when I put it in the bowl and added the flour egg and Parmesan. I added salt and pepper, dried parsley and chipotle seasoning. I used my 40yr well seasoned cast iron pan but they were all very limp and a little bland for our taste. I even let them sit on paper towels after frying in a 300F convection oven while I cleaned up and they were still limp and not crispy. Any ideas why? They certainly didn’t look like the picture – golden brown and firm enough to stack. Any ideas why would be appreciated. 🙂
Nancy, thank you for trying my recipe. I’m not entirely sure what went wrong here – it seems like you squeezed out as much liquid as possible. But you mention frying in a 300F convection oven. I’m wondering if too much zucchini was used? You can also add more flour as needed to help them firm up.
Made these yesterday – double batch – absolutely amazing taste. I froze a few on a cookie sheet and popped them in the oven just a bit ago to heat and crisp them back up a touch. Almost like fresh from the skillet. Thanks for a great recipe.
I was on the fence about if this recipe would work for me and my family, but I was trying a bunch of new recipes with a bumper crop of zucchini in the back yard and went for it. THEY WERE AWESOME! My husband gobbled them up too. I minced some jalapeno in a couple of them and those were great too. These are company worthy for sure.
Made these tonight and they were devoured. Excellent recipe! I am going to try a version using Trader Joe’s broccoli slaw instead of zucchini.
Thanks for the recipe with the great photos! A friend gave me a zucchini from her garden, and I’ve never cooked anything with zucchini before. My mom used to make a fantastic zucchini bread, but I wanted a recipe with less calories and gluten. These were perfect, and so delicious that there were no leftovers for later.
Well. I only had the one zucchini. Thanks again for the recipe!
They came out not done in the middle and were difficult to flip. So I came back and re-read the recipe, then noticing they are only supposed to be tablespoon sized portions! Am going to try again as soon as my pan is cooled!
Can you freeze the fritters and reheat later? I have THAT much zuke
Yes, absolutely. You can freeze these in individual servings and reheat as necessary.
I made a GF version of these tonight using zucchini fresh from my garden and potato flour (not starch, it’s dehydrated ground potato). I used a little garlic powder and onion powder and a few dashes of hot sauce. My 7 y.o. who hasn’t liked other versions loved this one! I used some fresh basil from the garden, lemon juice, salt, pepper, honey and a couple of spoonfuls of mayo as a “sauce” and it was delish! I can’t wait for tomorrow so that we can have the leftovers. Thanks for posting such a wonderful recipe!
I made these also, and they are so good , I made extra and put them in the freezer, when I wanted one I would microwave it for a second then put in the toaster very good, plus they get a little crispie.
Chungah, Hi 🙂 I found your website here about a week ago & LOVE LOVE LOVE your zucchini crisps (2 DIE 4!!!) & am about to fry up a batch of these zucchini fritters. Your cauliflower soup will be my next cooking experience. I have to say that so far your recipes have been beyond damn delicious. Thanx 4 sharing altho, I might get really angry with you if I gain 5 lbs or more on all these DELISH dishes 😉
Mohna
I made these today and they were really good. I had to use another egg and more flour; I think I might’ve used too much zucchini. But delicious anyway!
Hi.
My batter was too runny.
Nothing as was yours.
Shiffali, did you drain the zucchini completely as directed in the recipe?
These look like a great way to sneak in some veggies. Do you think this would work if I did half zucchini and half yellow squash?
Yes, that sounds like a great idea!
I made these thisafternoon and they were really moist inside, what did I do wrong 🙂
Katie, the inside is meant to be a little moist (as long as the fritters are cooked through) so I’m not entirely sure if anything really went wrong!
I read a reply from you (Chungah) on August 22, 2014 and you said they shouldn’t be moist and now you say they should be moist. What is the correct answer at the end of August 2015? I will be making them tomorrow.
Brenda, a little bit of moisture is fine as long as the fritters are cooked through.
Thank you. I am excited to try them!
I made these yesterday and they did not turn out 🙁 They wouldn’t stay together! Since there was no hope, I just cooked them like scrambled eggs. Flavorful mush now sits in the refrigerator. Bummer!
What a bummer! Did you drain the zucchini as indicated in the recipe?
As part of an italian family, we had these growing up. My aunt would make them and turn around to make the next batch and they’d be gone! Love them! We used sliced zucchini but I can’t wait to try them with grated! Thanks for bringing back warm childhood memories!
Micorplane a garlic clove and add a pinch of cayenne. Kicks it up a little. I also add chiffonade of fresh basil.