Easy Zucchini Fritters

These zucchini fritters are a great way to use up all that fresh zucchini. They are done in less than 30 minutes, bursting with flavor and crispy, beautifully golden, but tender on the inside. great as a nice little snack or a side for brunch.

For the last few years, I haven’t had a garden, but when I do, I always have an abundance of zucchini and look for ways to use it fresh while I have it. Otherwise, I like to grate it up and have it in my freezer for zucchini bread or zucchini muffins any time of the year. These zucchini fritters are one of our favorite ways to use up fresh zucchini. They are great as a quick snack or a side dish for brunch. I tend to double or triple the batch because they disappear so quickly.

Why we love zucchini fritters

• Versatile This recipe is great for breakfast, brunch, a snack, or an appetizer. Serve it with a side of sour cream, garlic aioli, or ranch, and then watch them disappear.
• Kid Friendly I love this recipe in the way that you can sneak some veggies into a delicious crispy fritter. Kids love them, and parents will love that their kids are eating their veggies.
• Fail-proof Maybe you have tried a recipe before where the fritter doesn’t stay together. This recipe doesn’t do that, and when you flip it over, it will result in a nice crispy fritter with a tender inside.

The ingredient need to make zucchini fritters

• Zucchini You can use large or medium-sized zucchini. I like to use a medium because once the zucchini is large, the seeds are larger and the skin becomes a little harder. You will need three mediums or two larges.
• Cheese I love the addition of cheese in this recipe. My preference for cheese is parmesan, cheddar, or mozzarella, but honestly, any cheese will work here.
• Salt & Pepper I prefer to use sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns. But black pepper and table salt work well too. Whisked eggs are added to help bind the ingredients together.
• Green onion You can use scallions here as well as chives for a milder flavor. If you want to omit the green onions, you can swap them for thyme or parsley.
• All Purpose Flour This is another binder ingredient that helps your fritter stay together.
• Baking powder This is the key to a nice, light, tender fritter.
• Olive Oil This is my personal preference for frying, but you can use any oil for frying here. You just need enough oil to fry the fritters in to get a beautiful golden exterior.

How to make zucchini fritters

• Shred the zucchini Grate zucchini on a hand grater or in your food processor, transfer to a large mixer bowl, toss with a teaspoon of salt, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. This helps to release the moisture from the grated zucchini; the less moisture there is, the better your fritters will be.
• Drain and squeeze the zucchini into a colander or through cheesecloth to release the excess liquid. Once the zucchini has been drained you want 3-4 cups of grated zucchini.
• Make the batter Combine zucchini, beaten eggs, shredded cheese, chopped green onion or chives, salt and pepper, flour, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl until combined.
• Cook the fritters Place 2 tablespoons, or enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan, on medium heat. Use a cookie scoop or a couple of tablespoons of batter to scoop into the pan and slightly flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
• Rest Place the cooked zucchini fritters on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Serve with sour cream and chives, if desired. They are great on their own, but a dipping sauce like sour cream or ranch is great as well.

Recipe tips

• The skin on the zucchini is soft, edible, and contains fiber so there is no need to peel the skin.
• It’s important to squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini, so don’t skip that step because, because of the egg, the fritter will remain nice and moist. If you don’t squeeze out the liquid, your fritters will become soggy and watery during the cooking process.
• Don’t cook too many fritters in the pan at once; they will not crisp up with too many in the pan.
• Make sure your oil is hot before adding the batter to the pan. If your pan is not hot enough, your fritters will have more time to absorb the oil, resulting in a soggy fritter.
• If your wanting to try other flavors in your zucchini fritter try adding chili flakes for a little bit of heat or a little bit of lemon zest.

Frequently asked questions

Easy Zucchini Fritters

These zucchini fritters are a great way to use up all that fresh zucchini. They are done in less than 30 minutes, bursting with flavor and crispy, beautifully golden, but tender on the inside. great as a nice little snack or a side for brunch.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 24 fritters

Ingredients

  

• 4 cup zucchini shredded
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs beaten
• ⅓ cup cheese Cheddar or Parmesan
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp green onions or chives

Instructions

 

• Wash zucchini and trim off ends. Grate on the large holes of a box grater or use the grater attachment for the food processor. Place zucchini in a large mixing bowl, stir in 1 tsp salt, and set aside for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, squeeze handfuls of zucchini tightly over the sink to remove extra water. It helps to wring it out in a cheesecloth or colander. You should end up with 3 1/2 to 4 cups of squeezed dry zucchini. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped green onion and 2 lightly beaten eggs.
• In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup flour with 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, or season to taste. Add flour mixture into zucchini mixture and stir until well combined.
• Place a large heavy-bottomed cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat* and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the zucchini mixture a heaping tablespoon at a time** and flatten out the tops slightly to make them pancake-shaped. Sauté for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.

Keyword brunch, fritter, zucchini