These crispy zucchini fritters are easy to make, easy to freeze for later, and really easy to eat! Serve them with a tangy lemon herb yogurt for an awesome appetizer, side, lunch or vegetarian main.
I love a fritter in every form. Whether it's made with lobster or chick peas, I've never met a fritter I didn't like. These Zucchini Fritters, also called Zucchini Pancakes, are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the bounty of summer squash that we grow in the garden every year.
Why this recipe works
- Few ingredients and simple instructions that yield great results.
- Salting the zucchini releases extra liquid for a better fritter texture.
- A little bit of corn starch in the batter gives them an extra crispy crust.
- Can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, side or snack with the lemon herb yogurt or on their own.
- Can be made gluten free with one simple swap.
Essential Ingredients
- Zucchini - Conventional green zucchini, or courgettes, is the most common, but this recipe can be made with any summer squash such as yellow squash, yellow zucchini, pattypan squash, cousa squash, zephyr squash or 8 ball zucchini.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is the secret to getting the zucchini fritters extra crispy on the outside - don't skip it. Substitute potato starch if corn is not in your diet.
- Yogurt - This is used in the dipping sauce. For best results, use a full fat plain Greek yogurt. My favorite is from Cabot - it's so rich and creamy. Sour cream or a dairy free sour cream can also be substituted if preferred.
Step by step instructions
- Grate the zucchini using either the grating attachment on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater.
- Sprinkle the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt, gently mix, then spread out onto a large kitchen towel and let sit for about 20 minutes to release its liquid.
- Fold up the towel and wring it our over a bowl or sink to extract the liquid. Be aggressive and really squeeze out as much liquid as your can.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the chives or scallions, egg, flour, corn starch, baking powder, pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the zucchini and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Heat about a ¼ - ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then line a baking sheet with paper towels and set it aside nearby.
- Carefully drop heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil and lightly press with the back of the spoon to flatten. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. About 4 per batch is usually just right.
- Cook until the edges are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side for another 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned, then remove to the paper towels to drain.
- To make the sauce, add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chives or scallions and herbs in a small bowl and mix to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve the fritters while they're hot with the lemon herb yogurt on the side.
- To serve later, hold the fritters in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.
Tips for success
- If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, use that to grate the zucchini. It will be quicker and also produce longer strands of zucchini which give the fritters an even better texture.
- Be sure to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible. The more liquid you can remove, the crispier the fritters will be.
- I like to fry in a 50-50 mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil because it gives the zucchini fritters better flavor from the olive oil but still a high smoke point from the vegetable oil.
- Don't crowd the pan with too many fritters at once. It will lower the temperature of the oil, causing them to be soggy, and will make them harder to flip.
Faq about Zucchini Fritters
Either your batter was too runny because you didn't extract enough liquid from the zucchini or your oil wasn't hot enough. Test your oil before frying by adding a tiny bit of batter. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough. Don't overcrowd the pan or it could cause the oil temperature to lower.
They might be raw inside because they are too thick and didn't have a chance to cook all the way through in the pan. To remedy this, try flattening them out more as they cook. Or if you prefer them thicker, transfer to a sheet pan after frying and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Yes! Just substitute the flour for an all purpose gluten free blend. My favorite is Cup4Cup.
The fritters keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week and can easily be reheated in the oven, air fryer or toaster oven at 350 degrees. To freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the fritters in an even layer, and place in the freezer until solid. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or air tight container and keep for up to 6 months.
More Zucchini Recipes
Did you make this recipe and LOVE it? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and/or comment to help other readers. I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all questions and comments. I love seeing when you make my recipes, so please tag me @ColeyCooks on Instagram and I will repost!
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Zucchini Fritters
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 fritters 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: pan fried
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These crispy zucchini fritters are easy to make, easy to freeze for later, and really easy to eat! Serve them with a tangy lemon herb yogurt for an awesome appetizer, side, lunch or vegetarian main.
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Fritters
- 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
- 1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ cup chopped chives or scallions (green parts only)
- 1 large egg
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Oil, for frying *see note
For the Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce (optional)
- 1 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced or grated with a microplane grater
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives or scallions (green parts only)
- 2 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (basil, lemon thyme, dill, tarragon, parsley, chervil, etc.)
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini using either the grating attachment on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater.
- Sprinkle the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt, gently mix, then spread out onto a large kitchen towel and let sit for about 20 minutes to release its liquid.
- Fold up the towel and wring it our over a bowl or sink to extract the liquid. Be aggressive and really squeeze out as much liquid as your can.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the chives or scallions, egg, flour, corn starch, baking powder, pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the zucchini and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Heat about a ¼ - ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then line a baking sheet with paper towels and set it aside nearby.
- Carefully drop heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil and lightly press with the back of the spoon to flatten. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. About 4 per batch is usually just right.
- Cook until the edges are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side for another 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned, then remove to the paper towels to drain.
- To make the sauce, add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chives or scallions and herbs in a small bowl and mix to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve the fritters while they're hot with the lemon herb yogurt on the side.
- To serve later, place the fritters in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.
Notes
- If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, use that to grate the zucchini. It will be quicker and also produce longer strands of zucchini which give the fritters an even better texture.
- Be sure to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible. The more liquid you can remove, the crispier the fritters will be.
- I like to fry in a 50-50 mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil because it gives the zucchini fritters better flavor from the olive oil but still retains a high smoke point from the vegetable oil (canola, peanut, grape seed and avocado all work).
- Test the oil by dropping in a tiny piece of batter. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready. If not, let it heat up a little longer. If the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat immediately.
- Don't crowd the pan with too many fritters at once. It will lower the temperature of the oil, causing them to be soggy, and will make them harder to flip.
- For thicker fritters, place them in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes after frying to ensure the middles are cooked through.
Keywords: cake, fritter, patty, pancake
Shaina
YUMMM. Pinned...totally trying this.
Coley
yay! thanks for pinning, too 🙂
Danielle
Hi Coley! I cannot resist telling you how scrumptious these look! I am fond of fritters as a use for the abundance of zucchini. And speaking of, would you believe me if I told you that we've done nothing but zucchini/squash for dinner in the past two weeks? It's been getting really fun in the kitchen! 🙂
Coley
Hey Danielle! I DO believe you about all the zucchini and squash. They take over in the summer!! I hope you give these a try 🙂
Michele Lubaczewski
Hi Coley, I made these last night, they were great! Thanks for the receipe! Michele Lub
Coley
Yay! I'm so glad you liked them, Michelle! 🙂
Fabiana
Can I freeze these before cooking?
Coley
No, but you can freeze them after cooking. They reheat beautifully in the oven or toaster oven!
Jana Ferguson
These were so good and my family loved them! We have a ton of zucchini this year and I am planning to make a bunch and freeze them. Can you give advice on how (method/temp/time) to reheat?
★★★★★
Coley
So glad you loved these, Jana! Reheat in an oven or toaster oven at 375 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes.
Kris
The instructions for the egg batter mention "reaming" the salt, pepper, flour, etc. in, I've only seen that word used in cooking with regards to reaming out lemons for juice. Is it possible you meant remaining? Or should the salt, pepper, flour, etc. be ground forcefully into the egg mixture?
Coley
Oops, that was definitely a typo, thank you for letting me know! You were correct, I meant the remaining teaspoon of salt, not reaming. 🙂 I have fixed it to be more clear in the recipe. Hope you enjoy these!
Mary LaMorte
Hi there! Planning on making the Zucchini Fritters today. Trying to print, but the ads are covering the recipe! Tried a few times. Thought I should let you know.
Coley
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this, Mary. I'm going to reach out to my ad network for some help, but could you provide me with more information first? Are you trying to print from a phone, tablet or desktop? And what part of the recipe is being covered? Again, sorry for the hassle and thank you for letting me know!
DB
I make these every summer, they are our favorite. Love the yogurt sauce too!
★★★★★
CM
I make these with both zucchini and yellow squash from our garden and they come out great every time. Haven't tried freezing yet because we always finish them that night!
★★★★★
Nic
These are awesome. Make them every year with zuchs from the garden. Great recipe
★★★★★