Shop
My
Custom
My Zucchini Fritters Recipe Is A Crispy, Cheesy Burst Of Summer Veggies
These zucchini fritters are such a fun way to enjoy my favorite squash ever. My grandma used to make a version of these when I was growing up (except she used flour), and it still brings back memories when I make them. Here’s why they’re special:
- Crispy, savory, and cheesy – Those crisp outsides (and especially the edges) are everything. But I also love the tender inside and cheesy flavor.
- Just 6 simple ingredients – Plus salt. Unlike many zucchini fritters recipes, I don’t use flour or breadcrumbs for mine — which also means they’re healthier and gluten-free. (I use this same method for my tuna patties and chicken fritters, too.)
- Quick and easy – It only takes me about half an hour to whip up a big batch! They also store well if you want to make them ahead.
- Versatile for any meal – You can serve this zucchini fritters recipe as an appetizer, a side dish, or even a snack. I’ve even topped them with fried eggs for breakfast!
Crispy and golden brown on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside, these zucchini patties are nothing short of amazing with a dollop of sour cream. Make them with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my zucchini fritters recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Zucchini – You’ll need 8 cups of grated or shredded zucchini, which usually comes out to about 8 medium zucchini for me. You can also make my zucchini fritters using yellow squash or even patty pan squash. Other vegetables would need different ratios due to water content — I have a recipe for broccoli fritters you can try, too.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – This acts as a binder, doubles as a cheesy flavor booster, and helps the zucchini patties get crisp. You can substitute bread crumbs if you want to. You can also use other types of hard grated cheese, such as pecorino Romano or Asiago.
- Eggs – Another binder, and the main one. While I haven’t tested egg substitutes here, flax eggs might work.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh, but you can use 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to save time.
- Italian Seasoning – You could also choose individual dried herbs, such as dill or oregano, or opt for fresh herbs (triple the amount).
- Sea Salt – Very important to draw out excess liquid from the zucchini.
- Olive Oil – For frying. Avocado oil works just as well.
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOW
How To Make Zucchini Fritters
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Drain and squeeze the shredded zucchini. Place it into a large colander and sprinkle with salt. Drain over the sink, then wrap in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Mix with the other ingredients. Place the zucchini into a large bowl. Stir in the parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, and garlic. (The texture will look dry, which is normal.)
- Fry the zucchini fritters. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet and flatten. Fry until golden on the bottom, then carefully flip and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining batter.
I always top my zucchini fritters with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Sliced green onions or chives are nice, too.
My Recipe Tips
- A food processor is the fastest way to grate zucchini. You can use a box grater, but my food processor with the grating blade is much faster.
- Measure the zucchini before you squeeze. You need 8 cups of shredded zucchini for this recipe, loosely in the measuring cup (not packed). If you use too much squash by measuring after squeezing, the zucchini fritters will fall apart.
- Do squeeze out as much water as possible. Same thing here — they’ll fall apart if you leave too much water in the zucchini.
- Use a nonstick pan. I love my cast iron, but nonstick pans work much better for my zucchini patties recipe. Cast iron burns them more easily and they tend to stick. I like this nonstick pan, which is hard anodized, so it doesn’t scratch easily and has a good weight for nice browning.
- Make sure the oil is hot before adding the fritters. Otherwise, they can stick. I add a drop of water to the pan to check. If it sizzles, it’s ready to go!
- Keep your fritters fairly small, 2-2.5 inches in diameter. They are easier to flip that way and less likely to fall apart. Rounded tablespoonfuls are a good target, but see my next tip…
- Use a cookie scoop to get patties that are all the same size. It also makes the process go faster and gets you just the right amount of batter.
- Flatten the patties pretty thin. They don’t spread on their own and won’t cook through if you don’t. I aim for about 1/4 inch thick.
- Watch the heat. If it’s too high, the outside will burn by the time the inside is cooked through. Turn it down if they brown too much.
- Flip gently just once, and not too soon. Wait for them to form that golden brown crust on the bottom before you flip. I love this cookie spatula for flipping the zucchini fritters, because it’s so thin and makes it easier.
Zucchini Fritters (Easy Recipe)
By
Make my easy zucchini fritters recipe with just 6 ingredients, in 30 minutes! These patties are crispy on the outside and cheesy inside.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Place the zucchini into a large colander, sprinkle with salt, and toss together. Drain over the sink for 10-15 minutes.
-
Wrap the zucchini in a kitchen towel. Squeeze and twist over the sink to drain as much water as possible.
-
Place the zucchini into a large bowl. Add the grated parmesan, eggs, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Mix well.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the skillet and flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil if needed.
-
Drain the zucchini fritters on paper towels. Serve with sour cream and parsley.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4 zucchini fritters, or 1/6 of the entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you shred the squash quickly and measure it correctly for this recipe, get the best texture, and prevent your zucchini fritters from falling apart.
- Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb any moisture. Store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- Meal prep: Since these zucchini fritters store well, you can cook them ahead of time. I don’t recommend making batter ahead, as it gets watery, but you can shred the squash in advance and let it drain in the fridge over a bowl.
- Reheat: The crispy outside softens when you store these, so I prefer to crisp them up again in a skillet (over medium-low heat) or my air fryer. You can also use the oven, but they are softer that way.
- Freeze: Arrange the cooked zucchini patties on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in a single layer, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to a zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Recipe Variations
Want to add a little something? Try these add-ins to change the flavor of these zucchini fritters:
- Lemon – If you want a lemony flavor, I recommend a teaspoon of lemon zest to do this. Lemon juice makes them less sturdy.
- Onion – Add 2 tablespoons of grated onion to the zucchini mixture for extra flavor. Just pat dry first to remove excess moisture.
- Spice – I didn’t add any black pepper to my zucchini patties, but you definitely can. Or try cayenne pepper for a stronger kick.
- Corn – Replace 1-2 cups of the shredded zucchini with canned corn instead. (Add it directly to the mixing bowl.)
Serving Ideas
I’ve served these zucchini fritters in several ways. Here are some pairing ideas:
- Chicken – Keep your dinner easy with my simple pan fried chicken thighs or chicken piccata.
- Seafood – Zucchini fritters taste light, so seafood is the perfect match. Try my flaky grilled salmon if it’s nice out, baked salmon if not, or if you want to get fancy, pan fried scallops.
- Brunch – I mentioned above that I’ve served these with fried eggs, but they also make a nice brunch spread with coddled eggs, protein waffles, oven baked bacon, and cucumber tomato salad.
- Toppers – I usually just do sour cream, but these would also be amazing with my tangy tzatziki sauce or Greek yogurt. You could even dunk them in marinara sauce or drizzle with ranch dressing.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
It’s no secret that I love (and I mean love) zucchini! You’ll find all my zucchini recipes here, but here are a few of my other favorites:
Gratitude Moment
I wasn’t even going to update this older post today, but my grandma isn’t doing well (she’s 98) and visiting her yesterday with the kids brought back memories of foods she made for me growing up. Zucchini fritters (she called them “aladushki”) is one of those. Always with sour cream.
Here’s my mom, my grandma, my kids, and me together — 4 generations of women in one photo.
To say I’m grateful to have this time with my grandma, and to have my kids know her, is a giant understatement. Nothing is forever and it’s hard to be positive in tough times, but it’s all the more reason to cherish the time we have.
108 Comments
Mary
0I cut the recipe down to only one cup of zucchini since it’s just the two of us and cooked as directed. They were delicious and easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe as my husband is diabetic and these made an awesome replacement for the potatoes he can no longer eat. He said he will eat them like hashbrowns in the morning to go with his ham and eggs at breakfast. He dipped in ketchup instead of sour cream.
Claire
0These sound delicious! I’m wondering if these fritters can be air fried?
Mary
0I would use a solid surface to air fry them on instead of the racks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Claire, I haven’t tried air frying them. The mixture is pretty wet and sticky, so I’d be worried the liquid would fall through the rack. But let me know if it works for you!
Theresa
0Was yummy. Served it with bbq chicken.
Kristen
0So good! I enlisted the help of my spouse in wringing out the zucchini and he thought that was gross but then was surprised to find that they were yummy! Made a half recipe, perfect for 2. Didn’t need the sour cream!
Abby
0My garden made so much zucchini and I was running out of ideas of what to do with it so I tried these. Yummy! Will be a recipe I make regularly.
Kristyn
0Love zucchini fritters!! I like to order them when we go out, but they are even better at home! So crisp, but soft on the inside & delicious!!
jess
0This was the best kind of side dish! I love zucchini, but sometimes cooking it gets boring, so this was just was I needed! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
M Conti
0I tried the recipe. The flavor is average but the problem I had was they don’t stay together very well.
Rosie
0Could these be made in an air fryer or would it be too messy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Rosie, I have never tried that, but if you do, please let me know how it goes.
Emely
0I just made a 2 serving portion. They’re delicious solo. I did like them with tzatziki sauce. Yummy.
Mar
0Easy, quick and tasty loved it!
Lisa
0Just finished a half batch so good. Mine held together pretty good.
Patience
0I followed the recipe exactly, using zucchinis fresh from the garden, grated them fine, and squeezed the ever living whatever out of them, starting with cheese cloth and then trading up to a cotton dish cloth. The first batch I made with olive oil. Cooked 3 minutes to a side and flipped. They never cooked through, but the cheese eventually singed, leaving wet, loose piles of raw-ish zucchini with a burned smell and taste. The second batch I made with avocado oil and added an ounce of cream cheese to help bind the materials together. Cooked 3 minutes to a side. These did not burn or singe but again the zucchini never really cooked through, leaving wet, loose piles of raw-ish material. The second batch tasted OK after salting, but being unsure about whether the egg was cooked, I would hesitate to do more than taste. The consistency was only slightly firmer than the contents of the raw batter in the bowl. I would call this an abject failure, not to be repeated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patience, Sorry to hear you had issues with the recipe. It sounds like there was too much water left in the zucchini, and also the heat was turned up too high, causing the outside to burn before the inside cooked through. Try squeezing out more water and lower heat next time.
S
0Sounds good. Use celery root for a more potato-like taste..
Jeanette Underwood
0For the woman who wanted dairy free, nutritional yeast is a good replacement for park!
JudytheBaker
0Hi Maya, I now need to be dairy free. Would adding another egg replace the cheese? If not, I guess I could use vegan Parmesan for a special Chanukah treat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judy, I have never tried to make this specific recipe dairy free, so I cannot say if an extra egg would work. If it does, they definitely wouldn’t be crispy and might taste eggy. A dairy free cheese substitute would probably work better.
JudytheBaker
0I will post pictures on Instagram. Thank you.
Heather W.
0I did make this in the air fryer tonight. I sprayed them with Chosen avocado oil first and “fried” them at 425 for forever (haha). No really I ost track of how many times I add more time, but just kept my eye on them. I guestimate 30 minutes, maybe more. BUT my zucchini-hating children loved them and I will make them again this way.
Denise
0Fabulous, simple yet wring out that squash!
Julie
0Flavour was okay, had to add another egg in an effort to get the fritters to stick together. Still not great but better. Not worth repeating.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Julie, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. There may have been too much moisture left in the zucchini if the mixture was too loose. If you decide to try these again, be sure to fully drain the water from the zucchini.
Andrea
0Can you air fry these? If so for how long?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Andrea, I haven’t tried these with an air fryer so I’m not sure.
MW
0Hello – Do you think you could make these in a well oiled waffle maker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I have not tried this, but in theory I think it should work. It sounds a little like a chaffle. My best recommendation would be to use a mini waffle maker and oil it to prevent sticking. Please share your results if you decide to try it!