Crispy, delicious Zucchini Fritters make such a tasty summer snack or side dish! This no-fuss recipe for zucchini fritters does not require squeezing out the liquid, so you can have these ready in 20 minutes!
I love it when snacks are loaded with healthy veggies and delicious at the same time!
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Crispy zucchini fritters
Yellow Squash Tots is my most popular recipe all summer long when people are looking for squash and zucchini recipes. So I wanted to share another fun recipe for zucchini: Zucchini Fritters, aka Zucchini Pancakes.
These zucchini fritters can be made with a combination of zucchini and yellow squash if you want.
These zucchini fritters are coated in Panko breadcrumbs, which get super crispy when fried in a little oil. They are soft on the inside and they have a simple, delicious seasoning made with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
Ready to make these??
Related recipe: Cabbage Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini (approximately two 7-8-inch medium-sized zucchini, or 1 lb of zucchini)
- 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste—I sometimes use as much as 4 tablespoons (¼ cup)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, or as needed for dredging
- ½ - 1 cup cooking oil, or as needed
Related recipe: Cauliflower Fritters
Equipment
- Box grater
- Colander
- Large non-stick pan (or 2 pans at the same time for faster frying)
- Bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons
Related recipe: Corn Fritters
Instructions
Step 1: Grate the zucchini into a large colander. Use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as you can (discard the liquid or use it to make veggie broth). The more liquid you squeeze out, the easier it will be to make the fitters.
Step 2: In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the grated zucchini and egg until the zucchini is well-coated.
Step 3: Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, flour, and grated parmesan cheese until completely combined.
Step 4: Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish—you'll use these for coating the fritters.
Step 5: Take 2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture and press gently into the breadcrumbs, making a flat patty and coating the zucchini in the breadcrumbs. Carefully flip it (use a fork or spoon is easiest) and coat the other side in breadcrumbs.
It's OK if the zucchini patties fall apart here for now, just try to roll them around in the breadcrumbs even if it ends up being a ball. They will firm up while cooking!
Step 6: Add oil to your skillet and heat it up—I like to have a thin coating of oil on the bottom (less than ¼ inch) so the fritters get nice and crispy. Use a fork or spoon to carefully place a breadcrumb-coated zucchini patty into the oil, gently press down to flatten it, and fry for about 2-3 minutes per side over medium-low heat, or until golden brown and cooked through on the inside. I can typically fit 5-6 fritters in a 9-inch pan, or 7-8 in a 12-inch pan.
Set aside on a paper towel to absorb extra oil. Add more oil to the pan if needed, and cook the rest of the fritters. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, or see dip ideas below.
Related recipe: Bubble and Squeak Cakes
Recipe tips
- You can use a combination of zucchini and/or yellow squash for this recipe.
- Try to strain out as much juice as you can from the grated zucchini.
- Do NOT skip the step where you dredge the fritters in breadcrumbs! That helps get the crunch and helps them not fall apart while frying. It's crucial, just like in my mashed potato fritters recipe.
- If your zucchini patties are falling apart while you're coating them in breadcrumbs, that's OK!! Do your best to roll them around in the breadcrumbs with a fork, even if it's a misshapen ball. When you transfer them to the pan for cooking, just press down gently to form a flat patty.
- If your fritters are falling apart completely after cooking, you might need to stir in a little bit more flour to help bind them together. Also make sure you cook them through completely so the egg and flour batter set and help the fritters stay together.
- I typically cook 5-6 fritters in a 9-inch pan, and 7-8 in a 12-inch pan. I usually have 2 pans going at the same time to fry these super quickly.
- These fritters reheat best in an air fryer or oven so they get nice and crispy again. I love my Instant Pot Vortex because it's an air fryer / oven combination and has a large tray, perfect for reheating.
More grated zucchini recipes: Low Carb Zucchini Wraps
What to serve with zucchini fritters
I like to serve these with a dollop of sour cream on top because I love the creaminess of the sour cream with the warm, crispy zucchini fritters. I sometimes add a sprinkling of freshly chopped chives, dill, or scallions.
Not a fan of sour cream?
Other options are to make a dipping sauce. I especially love the lemon herb yogurt dip from this Cauliflower Tots recipe and the the garlic dill aioli from this Cauliflower Fritters recipe. Or simply mixing mayo and ketchup in equal amounts makes a great kid-friendly dip! You can spruce that up with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a squirt of pickle relish right from the bottle.
Whatever you choose to serve it with, I think you're going to love these crispy zucchini fritters!
Can you air fry zucchini fritters?
I do not recommend air frying these, as they do not turn out as good as pan frying. Just like in my potato draniki recipe, air frying puffs up the fritters and doesn't give them a nice golden brown crunchy outside coating. Pan fried zucchini fritters are stay nice and flat as they are cooked, making perfect round flat fritters.
More summer zucchini recipes
- Spiralized zucchini salad with feta
- Spiralized zucchini salad with sesame ginger dressing
- Zucchini brownies
- Zucchini cookies with cream cheese frosting
- Zucchini bread pancakes
- Grilled vegetable salad with balsamic dressing
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini - (about two 7-8-inch medium-sized zucchini, or 1 lb zucchini)
- 1 egg - (or 2 egg whites)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - or to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese - or up to ¼ cup, to taste
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs - or as needed for dredging
- ½ - 1 cup cooking oil - or as needed for cooking
Special equipment
- Bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini and transfer to a colander. Use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the grated zucchini. Discard the liquid. The more you squeeze out, the easier it will be to make the fritters.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the grated zucchini and egg until the zucchini is well-coated.
- Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, flour, and grated parmesan cheese until completely combined.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish—you'll use these for coating the fritters.
- Take approximately 2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture and press gently into the breadcrumbs, making a flat patty and coating the zucchini in the breadcrumbs. Carefully flip it (use a fork or spoon) and coat the other side in breadcrumbs. It's OK if the zucchini patties are more like misshapen balls instead of flat patties, they'll firm up and flatten out while cooking.
- Add enough oil to your skillet to coat it thinly on the bottom so the fritters get nice and crispy. Heat the oil. Carefully place a breadcrumb-coated zucchini patty in the pan with a fork or spoon, press down on it gently to flatten it, and fry 5-6 zucchini fritters at a time for about 2-3 minutes per side over medium low heat, or until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb extra oil.If needed, use a paper towel to carefully remove the browned breadcrumbs between batches. Add more oil to the pan and cook the rest of the zucchini fritters.Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, or see notes below for dip ideas.
Notes
- You can use a combination of grated zucchini and/or yellow squash.
- If your zucchini patties are falling apart while you're coating them in breadcrumbs, that's OK!! Do your best to roll them around in the breadcrumbs with a fork, even if it's a misshapen ball. When you transfer them to the pan for cooking, just press down gently to form a flat patty.
- If your fritters are falling apart completely after cooking, stir in a little bit more flour to help bind them together. Also make sure you cook them through completely so the egg whites and flour batter set and help the fritters stay together.
- I usually get 2 pan going at the same time to cook these faster. I can cook 5-6 fritters at a time in an 8 or 9-inch pan, and 7-8 fritters in a 12-inch pan.
- These zucchini fritters reheat best in the oven or air fryer to make them crispy again. I love my Instant Pot Vortex because it has a large tray for reheating.
- Dipping sauce ideas:
- Sour cream
- Mayo + ketchup (optional: add a squeeze of lemon/lime juice and pickle relish)
- Garlic dill aioli
- Garlicky yogurt dip
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Zaina
Saturday 22nd of July 2023
So yummy 😋, i made it yesterday actually and I loved it. All your recipes are so yummy and easy to cook.