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! ;)
Originally posted 1-22-11, updated 7-20-24.
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What Are Zucchini Fritters?
Zucchini Fritters are crispy little zucchini cakes made with grated zucchini, flour, seasoning, and a few other add-ins. They resemble little pancakes and are great to enjoy for lunch, as a snack or appetizer, or even as a dinner side dish.
Ingredients For Zucchini Fritters
Here’s everything you need to make this easy zucchini fritters recipe:
- Zucchini: Zucchini of course is the star of the show! You’ll need roughly 2 large zucchini and there’s no need to peel them.
- Onion and Garlic: Finely diced onion and minced garlic are the primary aromatics and add tons of flavor to these zucchini fritters.
- Flour: All-purpose flour adds body, structure and helps hold the fritters together.
- Parmesan: Just a little bit of grated parmesan cheese for an extra boost of umami flavor!
- Egg: The egg helps bind the ingredients together.
- Salt & Pepper: 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. Plus there is plenty of flavor coming from the onion, garlic and parmesan cheese!
Serving Suggestions
I served these zucchini 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!
Recipe Tips!
- 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.
- Make sure your pan is hot. Make sure the pan and oil are hot before you add the zucchini 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.
- Don’t use too much oil. You don’t need a whole lot of oil to fry these fritters. Just a few tablespoons of oil for a quick pan-fry is all you need.
- 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.
- 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!! :)
Love Zucchini Recipes?
Here are a few more of our favorite zucchini recipes for you to try out:
Zucchini Fritters
Servings 4 (makes 7-8 fritters)Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. zucchini (2 large zucchini) ($2.00)
- 1/4 yellow onion, finely diced ($0.15)
- 1 garlic clove, minced ($0.08)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese ($0.40)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten ($0.16)
- 1 tsp salt, divided ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.12)
For Serving
Instructions
- 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.
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Cheesecloth
Nutrition
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How to Make Zucchini Fritters – Step By Step Photos
Wash 2 large zucchini (or roughly 1 1/2 lbs.) well, trim off the stem, then using the large holes on a box grater, grate the zucchini. You should end up with approximately 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 to help draw out some of the excess water.
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 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.
Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 3 Tbsp 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!
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!
These Fritters were awesome! I haven’t made the Z sauce yet but I’m sure they would make it SIX stars!
Elizabeth
BIG mistake, make as many as you can when zucchini is abundant and eggs are cheap then freeze as many as you can.
No need to eat ASAP.
I make enough to have several a week until the next growth season. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in a TINY bit of cooking oil in a frying pan. I swear you can not tell the freshly cooked one from the ones that were frozen,
At the top it says “You’ll need roughly 2 large zucchini and there’s no need to grate them.” But the recipe says to grate the zucchini—is there an alternative to grating?
Hi Karen, I just corrected that sentence to say “there’s no need to peel them” They do need to be grated. Thank you for letting us know. ;)
Aha! No peeling is good.
Thanks, Marsha.
Although this was delicious the amount of oil was way way too much an made my kitchen so messy. Next time I will only use 1/4 cup of oil an add a little more as needed.
This recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons of oil. 1/4 c is 4 Tablespoons, 1 more than the recipe states. How much oil did you use? I started with 2 T and added #3 with the 2nd batch of 4 fritters that I fried. They came out crispy and delicious.
I think this recipe was re-written from an earlier post and my guess is that it originally had more oil. BB, if you mention that this is a reformulate recipe, would you mention it in the notes?
Hi Judy, yes you are correct, we updated this recipe this week. And great suggestion for adding an extra note. Thanks! ;)
Hi Janmaus, we actually just updated this recipe this week and changed the oil amount. The original posting was from 2011. I’m so glad you liked the recipe! :)
I used the concept of these as a jumping-off point– I salted the zucchini and let it sit for 10 minutes before squeezing it out a bit, then continued with the recipe. Changes I made included using Bob’s Red Mill’s vegan egg replacer as a binder in lieu of the egg, adding onion powder and garlic powder, and skipping the parsley because I didn’t have any handy. Turned out great! If you need a vegan modification, I’d recommend this.
These are fun to make although I rarely fry anything. We ate the whole batch and no sauce was needed. Thanks for another dependable, clearly written recipe.
So good. zucchini insanity
Made it with almond flour instead to make it keto. And added bits of jalapeños to spice it up a bit (I love spicy stuff ❤️). But it was amazing!!!
These are delicious! I made them several times earlier this summer when my neighbors kept foisting zucchini and squash on me… and then went out of my way today to buy zucchini just so I could make them again! But a funny thing happened– I was seasoning the grated zucchini and tasting it along the way, added some garlic powder, paprika, seasoned salt in addition to the dried herbs, and realized as I was tasting it, “you know, I could eat this just as it is!” So I added a little bit of oil and ended up having a delicious zucchini salad for lunch! Guess I’ll have to go back to the store so I can actually fry them next time :)
I followed this recipe to a t and my fritters were wet and cooled down soggy. I added about 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs and they held their shape way better but were still a bit mushy., I wonder if trying to wick the moisture of the zucchini in a salad spinner or paper towels would make the texture better.
Yes, that might help. I think you can also squeeze the shredded zucchini in a clean lint-free towel to help dry it out.
I didn’t know zucchini could taste this good! The seasoning was simple, but delicious, and these were really easy to make. I used extra virgin olive oil since that’s what i had on hand, so I just cooked them longer over a lower heat. They turned out perfect and my husband absolutely loved them. I’ll be making these again, but I think I’ll double it next time. Thanks for another great recipe!
LOVE this recipe. I omitted the parsley (not a fan) and added some fresh grated parmesan! I’m serving them with an heirloom tomato salad for lunch!
Great recipe. I skip the oregano and basil, and cook few potatoes in their skin with butter to it. I got quite sick of zucchini since we had a lot of them during the summer in our garden, but this made them enjoyable again.
I just made these for the first time after having leftover zucchini and squash from your vegetable tian recipe (which was a hit, by the way). They are incredibly tasty and I can’t stop munching. Mine ended up looking a little like pancakes. I’m not sure how to make it look as plump as yours, but I’ll work on it again. It wasn’t very crispy on the outside either, so I may need to just cook it for longer, or add more egg/flour. Regardless, it was SO fulfilling, and I recommend it!
I’ll give that a try! Thanks Beth, your blog is a lifesaver for a college foodie, and you seem like a cool chick ;)
Zoe – Oooh, that sounds great. Good question about the flavors. I’d say, since peanut sauce is so strongly flavored, that you’d want to keep the fritters very simple. If you had a highly seasoned fritter and then dipped it in a strongly flavored sauce, it could end up being too much. So, I’d just do a little garlic and salt and leave it at that. Let the zucchini flavor shine through.
I’ve had these before with peanut sauce and basmati rice, and they were delicious :) Any recommendations for seasonings that would be good with this combination?
I added a tiny bit of Tony Chachere’s to mine… Delicious!!
Like Sabrina and Cass, my zucchini-hating husband loved these! My three-year-old even asked for seconds. Frying foods is intimidating to me – I really have never done it – but the fritters turned out beautifully, so the recipe must be foolproof. Thank you for the easy, delicious, and inexpensive recipe!
Cooked these yesterday for lunch & ate them all weekend! Tasted so yummy, especially when straight out of the pan. My husband is not a fan of zucchini but he devoured these. I liked mine with sweet chilli sauce & hubby had his with mayo – think it needed the extra flavour of a sauce. Very easy to make as well.
Found your fritters on Pinterest. Tried them last night and LOVED THEM!!! Even my very picky husband ate three of them and he loathes zucchini. Thanks for the great recipe.
I love fritters! I make ones likes these with feta and mint. Really yummy.
Finally made these & they were wonderful. Even my kids liked them.
Nice! But 2 per serving? I’d eat the whole lot :X
These were fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. I ate them with a little bit of ranch dressing, since I’m not a fan of marinara sauce, and the ranch added a nice touch of extra flavour.
Oooh I love these. So good! I make mine with some ricotta and it turns out some creamy and delicious! Oh and serve with a lemon. A squeeze of lemon make these heavenly!
Lea – yes, I think egg replacer should be fine… it firms up when cooked just like egg and that’s all you need it for here (a binding agent). :)
Found your blog from Taste Spotting — what a treat! I made these fritters tonight as a side for some orange-cinnamon chicken and broccoli. My fiance LOVED them, and I enjoyed how simple they were! These will make it into my regular meal rotation. :)
For the egg – do you think I could use egg replacer?
woooww!!! i wish i was a good cook! il still try making these though! they look deliciouusss! mouth watering!!!
franomad.blogspot.com
Thanks for the link, Danita! I was going to say the same thing, you just have to not be afraid to use oil and heat it up good. Since I was giving the fritters a “shallow fry”, I knew I’d be using a lot of oil and sticking wouldn’t be a problem. If I am cooking something and I don’t want it to be oily, then I reach for my non-stick pans. If you want a good sear or crust on something though, you really have to use high heat and that means no teflon.
ButterYum – Thanks! Can you believe that I got that shot with a point and shoot? Every now and then the light in my kitchen is just right and my camera decides to capture a lot of detail ;) It’s pure luck tho!
Those look gorgeous and delicious!!!
Here’s a good link to a website explaining why food sticks in stainless steel & how to prevent it. I cook on non stick myself, but have always wondered the same thing. hopefully that answers some of your questions.
http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/why_food_sticks.htm
Oh wow – that foodgawker shot is amazing! Bravo.
:)
ButterYum
delicious I make the same way except use only coriander as the herb
these look delicious. what kind of pan is that? Most of my pans are nonstick but I was recently given a stainless steel pan (similar to yours, but not as shiny). I’ve never cooked with one before. I’m finding it really hard to use. Everything sticks, even when I’m using oil, butter, anything. I can’t fry anything in it, so I just use it for sauces and sauteing. Any tips?