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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Yum! A healthy spring time snack. I feel like you could eat these for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Your fritters are absolute perfection!
These sounds divine! I just bought a pack of zucchini yesterday…I’ll be making this!
Love that giant stack of fritters! This is such a great way to use up some leftover zucchini!
Thank you for the nice recipe.
The perfect app, or snack!! Honestly I could probably down the whole batch by myself!
Mmmm these look so good! I have been looking for an alternative to corn fritters for breakfast 🙂
Can’t wait to try 🙂
The Macadame. xx
http://www.creamstop.com
I might have to make these and eat them as a snack, appetizer AND light lunch. All in the same day.
Love your version of these, Chung-Ah…gorgeous photos, as always! I can’t wait to make Zucchini Fritters again this summer when the garden goes crazy… 🙂
These fritters are beyond gorgeous and I’d like a plate full, please!
I LOVE zucchini, so I am loving your healthy zucchini treats. Those are some gorgeous fritters…I want to jump into the middle of the stack and eat my way out! Pinned 😀
Amazing Chung! Love that you add a bit of parmesan and garlic as they hold such strong flavours that you only need a bit of it. Those fritters looks absolutely fantastic! x
I made some zucchini fritters a couple years ago with carrots too and I loved those things, I can only imagine how good yours are with the Parmesan! Pinned!
These sound and look delicious! Curious question: what type of skillet do you prefer- stainless steel or nonstick? I ask because our nonstick pans have had it and are no longer nonstick. I’m ready to upgrade to something better!
I was looking at your reply to the Zucchini Fritters and I saw your question about the pan- I have been cooking with induction cooking for a bit now and they don’t really care for the non-stick…..the question for you is- how much do you want to spend-…I have some really good ones- but pricey. I tried using the less expensive, and they don’t last….good luck with your choices.
I actually love using my Le Creuset skillet – it’s a bit expensive but worth every single penny!
Any cast iron would work wonderfully well.
I prefer cast iron!!
I have a parrot so any nonstick cookware when heated is toxic to them. I use stainless steel or Lodge cast iron. This looks like a great recipe.
just going to say cast iron, but need to add that it HAS to be seasoned. My questions are, can I use squash and bottled garlic and get a good product? I haven’t got zucchini planted.
I’ve never tried this with squash but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
I have made fritters such as these for many years, and I use summer squash interchangeably with the zucchini, and they are very very tasty. In fact, I like to use the summer squash as my first choice when they are in season.
Oooo, I bet spaghetti squash would be lovely!
If you do replace with non stick, i would spend a bit more for a “good” quality pan, well worth the money. the cheap ones do not last. Also, you might look for something that has a heavy bottom. i got new ones a year ago, and i did shop around alot. the heavier bottom really makes a BIG difference, it seems to hold the heat better.
Not only do the heavy bottom – or encapsulated bottom – pans hold and distribute heat better, they don’t warp! If, like me, you’ve ever bought an expensive thin bottomed pan and had it warp so that the oil runs to the outside of the pan, you’ll never regret spending more for an encapsulated bottom pan.
I think they’re meant for induction cooking, but they work great on a gas cooktop too.
You can turn a “regular” pan into a nonstick pan, by heating vegetable oil in the pan, add salt to it. Let it sit until it gets thoroughly heated. Then, process with cooking your foods. This works just as well as nonstick pans for nearly every food. Often you need to let the food sit and develop a crust before flipping it or moving it at all. If you shake the pan and the food moves around in one piece, mission accomplished!
I often use Baking paper lined in a frying pan or skillet, with a little olive oil.
No mess and no sticking. win win.
Cast iron pans are best. Last forever. Mine is 40 years old.
I used a cast iron skillet–yum! The fritters turned out nice and crunchy. Great recipe.
Cast iron is the beat and, properly seasoned, it’s non stick!
Very photogenic stack of fritters i have ever seen. I love to use these fritters as instant afternoon stacks the next day; even cold they are glorious!
I have a question…can chopped spinach be substituted for the zucchini?
That sounds like a great substitution but without having tried it myself, I cannot say with certainty what the end result will be. Please use your best judgment.
I have usd spinach as long as it’s very dry i sauteed it first to get some of the water out. Or use frozen and drain and I used feta as the cheese instead delicious.
Can this be frozen to take out. And fry later
Yes.
Hi,
Do you think I can use frozen zucchini noodles and chop them for this recipe? I have a bag in my freezer and want to use it.
Thanks!!