Zucchini fritters are an incredibly easy appetizer or snack that's loaded with savory flavors and perfect for any occasion! These crispy cakes are a wonderful way to use up any extra zucchini you have in your kitchen or from your garden! Plus, they're a super delicious way to sneak in veggies for the kids!
Easy Zucchini Fritters
These zucchini fritters are a quick and easy way to transform your summer squash into a dish that will be loved by all. Grated zucchini is combined with flour, seasonings, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and an egg to make a savory and flavorful appetizer or snack!
All you have to do is drain the water out of the zucchini, then combine it with the rest of the ingredients, and cook! You'll love how straightforward this recipe is and I guarantee you'll be making it over and over again!
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🥘 Zucchini Fritters Ingredients
You will only need a handful of common ingredients to make this easy and delicious vegetable appetizer! Feel free to add your favorite seasonings and customize this recipe to your preference.
- Zucchini - 1 ½ pounds of zucchini (grated).
- Salt - ¾ teaspoon of salt (or more, for draining zucchini).
- All-Purpose Flour - ¼ cup of all-purpose flour.
- Parmesan Cheese - ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese (grated).
- Egg - 1 large egg (beaten, at room temperature).
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon of garlic (minced).
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of each, salt & pepper (to taste).
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of olive oil (extra virgin).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Zucchini Fritters
My homemade zucchini fritters are completely beginner-friendly and quick to prepare! You will need a large mixing bowl, a colander, a cast iron skillet, and some cheesecloth to begin.
This recipe will yield around 4 servings! You easily double or triple the recipe to serve a larger crowd, just remember to work in batches.
Prep Zucchini & Make Fritters
- Prep. Place your washed and grated 1 ½ pounds of zucchini in a colander with ¾ teaspoon of salt and toss them together. Let the zucchini sit and drain for 10 minutes.
- Drain water. After the 10 minutes are up, use your hands to squeeze any excess water out of the zucchini. Then transfer it to the middle of a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap the cheesecloth around your zucchini and drain as much water as possible. Set aside. *You can repeat the salting and draining step to wick as much moisture out of the shredded zucchini as possible.
- Mix ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 large beaten egg, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Stir in the zucchini and add ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper (to taste).
Cook Fritters & Serve
- Heat. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or large heavy-bottomed frying pan) over medium-high heat on the stove top.
- Cook fritters. Once the olive oil starts shimmering in appearance, drop in the zucchini mixture a heaping tablespoon at a time. *Be sure to work in batches and not overcrowd your pan. Flatten out the tops of the fritters slightly to make a pancake shape. Cook the fritters for 2 minutes on each side or until the fritters become golden brown.
- Serve. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce or a dollop of sour cream.
Serve zucchini fritters with your family's favorite dipping condiment or a dollop of sour cream! Try them out with my Cajun dipping sauce, Big Mac sauce, or blue cheese sauce. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to drop in the zucchini fritter batter and create equal portions if you have one.
- These fritters are versatile so feel free to add in cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, or a dash of cayenne if you'd like.
- Serve your fritters with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. I also like to pair them with tzatziki sauce, ranch dressing, or warm marinara sauce!
- Note that homegrown zucchini tend to hold in even extra moisture. It's imperative that you drain as much water as you can by using a colander and cheesecloth so that you won't end up with a mushy texture.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Transfer any leftover fritters into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper between each fritter and place them in a plastic storage bag. The zucchini can be grated the day before if want to prepare it in advance and save time.
Wrap each fritter in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Enjoy within 3 months!
Reheating Zucchini Fritters
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and place your fritters in to cook until they are warmed through. You can also reheat them on a microwave-safe plate in 30-second increments.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Zucchini fritters are crispy cakes that are made by combining zucchini, flour, seasonings, and other ingredients. They are served as appetizers, side dishes, or snacks in American cuisine and are up there in popularity with corn fritters and apple fritters!
It's extremely important to make sure that you drain as much water as possible from the zucchini or your fritters will have a hard time frying up. The water in zucchini is what causes them to end up soggy. If you have cheesecloth at home, I highly recommend using it to further wring out the water. Using the salt in the first step will help a lot too.
Absolutely! You can easily swap out the zucchini for yellow squash in this recipe! Make sure to weigh out 1 ½ pounds of yellow squash when you are purchasing them at the store.
😋 More Easy Appetizer Recipes
- Southern Corn Fritters - This Southern corn fritters recipe is so easy and quick to make! Plus, you can prepare them sweet or savory!
- Buffalo Shrimp - This recipe features a pound of shrimp tossed in a creamy hot pepper sauce with melted butter, minced garlic, and seasonings!
- Baked Mac And Cheese Bites - These mac bites are the perfect bite-size snack or appetizer and kids will love them!
- Ranch Cheese Ball - This delicious party dip is loaded with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, chives, and ranch dressing!
- Buffalo Chicken Dip - If you make this tasty buffalo dip for a party, I promise you it will be the first thing gone!
- Totchos - The next time you are craving some nachos, make them with some crispy tater totes instead!
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📖 Recipe Card
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs zucchini (grated)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or more, for draining zucchini)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 large egg (beaten, at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Place your washed and grated zucchini in a colander with salt and toss them together. Let the zucchini sit and drain for 10 minutes.
- After the 10 minutes are up, use your hands to squeeze any excess water out of the zucchini. Then transfer it to the middle of a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap the cheesecloth around your zucchini and drain as much water as possible. Set aside. *You can repeat the salting and draining step to wick as much moisture out of the shredded zucchini as possible.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, Parmesan cheese, beaten egg, and minced garlic. Stir in the zucchini and add salt and pepper (to taste).
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet (or heavy-bottomed frying pan) over medium-high heat on the stove top.
- Once the oil is heated and shimmering in appearance, drop in the zucchini mixture a heaping tablespoon at a time. *Be sure to work in batches and not overcrowd your pan. Flatten out the tops of the fritters slightly to make a pancake shape. Cook the fritters for 2 minutes on each side or until the fritters become golden brown.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce or a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
- You can use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to drop in the zucchini fritter batter and create equal portions if you have one.
- These fritters are versatile so feel free to add in cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, or a dash of cayenne if you'd like.
- Serve your fritters with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. I also like to pair them with tzatziki sauce, ranch dressing, or warm marinara sauce!
- Note that homegrown zucchini tend to hold in even extra moisture. It's imperative that you drain as much water as you can by using a colander and cheesecloth so that you won't end up with a mushy texture.
- To store: Transfer any leftover fritters into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper between each fritter and place them in a plastic storage bag. The zucchini can be grated the day before if you'd like to prepare it in advance and save time.
- To freeze: Wrap each fritter in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and place your fritters in to cook until they are warmed through to your liking. You can also reheat them on a microwave-safe plate in 30-second increments.
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