This is my mom’s recipe for zucchini fritters. They come out nice and crispy and ready for dipping into marinara or topping with a dollop of sour cream!
Shredded zucchini is mixed with bread crumbs, an egg, cheese, and some seasonings. Form them into patties and cook until crisp.
It’s a side dish or snack that everyone will rave about.
What are Zucchini Fritters?
Zucchini fritters are zucchini patties that are soft inside and nice and crisp on the outside, kind of like a hashbrown patty or potato pancakes. They’re different from my zucchini pancakes which are a bit softer in texture.
In this zucchini fritter recipe, shredded zucchini is mixed with egg, flour, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Once formed into patties they can be pan-fried or air fried.
A Garden Favorite
- Zucchini fritters are the perfect way to enjoy garden zucchini and are easy to make!
- They’re crispy crunchy on the outside and soft and cheesy inside.
- If you have zucchini, you likely have all of the other ingredients on hand.
- They can be prepped ahead and reheat well for snacking. If you have lots of zucchini, double (or triple) the recipe!
Ingredients for Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini: Use medium-sized zucchini, and shred it using a box grater; no need to peel! If you’re using a larger zucchini, scrape out the big seeds with a spoon. Add other cooked and finely diced or shredded vegetables if you’d like (squeeze them dry before using).
Egg, bread crumbs & flour: Seasoned bread crumbs add flavor and together with the egg and flour, help bind the fritters together.
Cheese: Pre-shredded or freshly shredded cheese is great, I love cheddar cheese and/or mozzarella. Want to mix it up? Try feta or pepper jack.
Variations: Change it up and make your zucchini fritters with your own cheeses or seasonings. Red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic, spices, or herbs such as parsley or fresh dill all work well.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters
- Shred zucchini and toss with a bit of salt and let rest in a colander (per the recipe below). Squeeze out excess liquid.
- Add the zucchini to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Form the zucchini mixture into patties and cook in a skillet or air fryer until golden-brown and crisp.
For The Crispiest Fritters….
Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the shredded zucchini. Cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel works best, paper towels aren’t strong enough to squeeze out the liquid.
Tips for Great Fritters
- Shred zucchini using the large holes of a box grater.
- ‘Sweat’ the zucchini with salt to draw out the excess moisture and guarantee tender, crispy fritters. Squeeze out as much water as you can with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel.
- Choose vegetable oil over olive oil for frying, it has a higher smoke point and milder flavor.
- Keep leftover zucchini fritters in a covered container in the refrigerator and reheat them in an oiled skillet or air fryer until crispy and hot.
Serving Suggestions
Try a squeeze of lemon juice or fresh herbs on top and serve them with a side salad.
Make mini zucchini fritters as an appetizer and try these delish dips and sauces, like thousand island dressing, avocado ranch dressing, or homemade ranch dressing.
Top them with some sour cream, Greek yogurt or even warm marinara.
More Zucchini Recipes You'll Love
Did your family love these Zucchini Fritters? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini 12 ounce
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 egg
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or chedddar cheese
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Start by grating your zucchini using the larger holes on a box grater. If you have a bigger zucchini, make sure to remove any large seeds with a spoon.
- Sprinkle the shredded zucchini with salt and let it rest in a colander for about 5-10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the zucchini using a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel.
- In a bowl, mix the zucchini with the egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, green onion, flour, and baking powder until well combined.
- Shape the mixture into four patties, each about 3-inches across.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the zucchini patties.
- Cook each patty for 3 to 5 minutes per side until they're a deep, golden brown.
Video
Notes
- These can be cooked in the air fryer at 370°F for 12-14 minutes.
- Prepping the zucchini by ‘sweating’ with salt draws out the excess moisture and guarantees tender, crispy fritters.
- Once rested, place the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Choose vegetable oil over oil if cooking in a skillet, as it has a higher smoke point and milder flavor.
- Keep leftover zucchini fritters in a covered container in the refrigerator and reheat them in an oiled skillet or air fryer until crispy and hot.
- Nutrition information is for 1 fritter.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
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Recipe slightly adapted from Everything Air Fryer.
Zucchini Fritters.Hi Holly,your recipies are no fail.I have archived many of your recipies.My favorite is Banana Bread,with mayonaise,as the secret ingredient,and Chocolate Cake,with mayonaise.That’s an old school trick to moist baked goods.I live in Hawaii,so I have the Korean version of Zucchini Fritter,little different some of the ingredients,but basically the same.Your recipie,has cheese,and I used Panko bread crumbs,still came out great.Thank You,Ann Insillio.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Ann! I agree that mayonnaise makes the best secret ingredient!
I’m thinking of using some grated carrot in these. Would that work?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Margaret, but it should work just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
The recipe looks great. Can I prep the fritters and then freeze them, then cook in an air fryer? Should I thaw them or cook from frozen? Thanks.
I haven’t tried freezing these before cooking so I can’t say for certain, but I do think it would work just fine. If air frying, I would cook from frozen, you may need to add an extra minute or so.
I’ve made these many times but added ricotta to the batter. Makes it creamier. Tasty! I could eat a dozen lol.
That’s a great tip Evelyn!
I made them with dill and mint and a little bit of feta, and they fry up so nice. Made tzatziki for dipping.
Glad you loved these Sheila, they’re a favorite for us too!
Yummy!
so glad you loved these Jamie!