Zucchini Fritters (original) (raw)

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I’ve enjoyed sharing my favorite zucchini recipes this month, but I couldn’t leave out these super tasty Zucchini Fritters! These zucchini fritters have been a favorite of mine for years. They’re made with simple ingredients and they’re quick & easy to whip up. Plus who can resist those crispy brown edges and tender inside. And did I mention they’re also budget-friendly coming in at under a dollar per serving? I mean seriously, what’s not to love? If you’re a zucchini lover like me, then you have to give this zucchini fritters recipe a try! ;)

“Super flavorful. With the exception of the water drainage part for the zuc, it comes together really fast for an easy side dish. Honestly though, I could totally eat this for an entire meal…it’s that good!”

Brittney

Easy Recipe for Zucchini Fritters

These zucchini Fritters are crispy little zucchini cakes made with grated zucchini, flour, seasoning, and a few other add-ins. They’re similar to our sweet corn fritters, but with fresh zucchini. Their preparation reminds me of little pancakes (but packed with veggie goodness) and are great to enjoy for lunch, as a snack or appetizer, or even as a dinner side dish during Summer.

Cost 3.26recipe/3.26 recipe / 3.26recipe/0.81 serving

These easy zucchini fritters include crispy brown edges, a tender inside, and they’re a super fun way to get your veggies in!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs. zucchini (2 large zucchini, $2.00*)

• ▢ 1/4 yellow onion (finely diced, $0.18)

• ▢ 1 garlic cloves (minced, $0.08)

• ▢ 3/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.13)

• ▢ 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese ($0.40)

• ▢ 1 large egg (lightly beaten, $0.27)

• ▢ 1 tsp salt (divided, $0.03**)

• ▢ 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05**)

• ▢ 3 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.12)

• Wash the zucchini well, trim off the stem, then using the large holes on a box grater, grate the zucchini. You should end up with about 4 cups of grated zucchini.

• Place the grated zucchini in a fine mesh cheesecloth or a strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle ½ tsp of salt over the zucchini. Give the zucchini a quick mix and let it sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, using the cheesecloth or clean hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can into the bowl or over the sink.

• Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl along with the finely diced onion, garlic, flour, parmesan cheese, egg, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.

• In a large non-stick skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add several spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture to the hot skillet to form small pancake-sized patties. Gently flatten the tops of each fritter with the back of a spoon or a spatula and cook each fritter until it is golden brown on both sides – about 3 minutes per side. Cook the fritters in 2 batches to keep from crowding the pan.

• Remove the fritters from the pan and drain on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately and enjoy while they’re hot!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

*You’ll need roughly 2 large zucchini (1 1/2 lbs total), and there’s no need to peel them. Just give them a good wash before starting the recipe.

**I tested this recipe a few times and decided to keep the seasoning simple with just a little bit of salt and pepper. Adding extra herbs seemed to overpower the taste of the zucchini. There’s already plenty of flavor coming from the onion, garlic, and Parmesan cheese!

Serving: 2frittersCalories: 254kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 25g (8%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 14g (22%)Sodium: 721mg (31%)Fiber: 3g (13%)

The nutrition data is automatically calculated using all ingredients listed on the recipe card, including any listed as optional. Percentages are of daily value.

How to Make Zucchini Fritters Step-By-Step Photos

Prep the zucchini: Wash 2 large zucchini (or roughly 1 1/2 lbs.) well, trim off the stem, and use the large holes on a box grater to grate the zucchini. Once it’s all grated, you should have about 4 cups of grated zucchini.

Strain the zucchini: Place a fine mesh cheesecloth or strainer over a large bowl. Now add your grated zucchini on top and sprinkle with ½ tsp of salt. Gently mix the zucchini with the salt and let it sit for 15 minutes. The salt will help draw out excess moisture, which would otherwise make your fritters soggy.

Drain the liquid: Once it’s been 15 minutes, squeeze out as much liquid as possible into the bowl or over your sink. If you wanted, you could keep this liquid and use it in homemade soups! Just keep in mind this liquid is already salted, so you’ll need to adjust the salt to taste in any recipe you use it in.

Make the batter: Back to the fritters! Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl with 1/4 yellow onion (finely diced), 1 clove of garlic (minced), 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper.

Combine all of the ingredients together until well mixed.

Cook: Heat 3 Tbsp of cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add several spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture to the hot skillet to form small pancake-sized patties. Carefully flatten down the tops with the back of a spoon (or spatula). Now cook each fritter until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Cook the fritters in 2 batches to keep from crowding the pan.

Serve: Once golden brown on both sides, remove the fritters from the pan and drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately, and enjoy while they’re hot!

1. Squeeze out the liquid well. You definitely want to squeeze as much water as you can out of the zucchini before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. This helps keep the zucchini fritters crisp and not soggy.
2. Make sure your pan is hot. Make sure the pan and oil are hot before you add the fritters. I like to start my heat at medium-high heat and adjust if needed. If your pan gets too hot, the zucchini fritters might cook faster on the outside without fully cooking all the way through on the inside. So keep an eye on it and turn the heat down just slightly to medium if needed.
3. Don’t use too much oil. You don’t need a whole lot of oil to fry these fritters. I only use a few tablespoons of oil for the quick pan-fry.
4. Serve immediately. Don’t wait too long to enjoy these tasty zucchini fritters. They are best when served hot and crispy. The longer they sit, the more they tend to become soggy. However, I have shared some storage and reheating information at the end if you do want to meal-prep them!
5. Wondering what else you can add? One of my favorite ingredients to add to these fritters is fresh summer corn. Since corn on the cob is in season the same time as zucchini, I sometimes grab one ear of corn to include in the mixture. Just cut the corn kernels off of the cob and add them with the grated zucchini. Trust me, corn and zucchini fritters are also really good!! 😊

Serving Suggestions

I served these fritters with our creamy Tzatziki sauce. The cool and fresh flavors of the tzatziki pairs perfectly with the fritters. They also taste great with just a dollop of sour cream and finely sliced green onions. I also wouldn’t be opposed to dipping these in some tartar sauce or our comeback sauce! Serve them with our lentil loaf for a complete vegetarian meal!

Storage & Reheating

Let your zucchini fritters cool before storing in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Don’t place the hot fritters in the container, as this will create condensation; wait until they’re cooled. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge and reheat in your skillet with a little oil to crisp them back up.

Our Zucchini Fritters recipe was originally published 1/22/11. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 7/20/24.

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Marsha McDougalMarsha is a Nashville native and the food blogger behind MapleJubilee.com where she shares simple, healthy-ish recipes for busy families and home cooks. As a cancer survivor, Marsha’s goal is to share more recipes using whole foods and real ingredients! She enjoys practicing her food photography, spending time with her family and sharing her bubbly personality and food recipes on her YouTube channel.More About Marsha