These healthy zucchini fritters are soft on the inside with a delicious crispy exterior, loaded with grated zucchini as the perfect way to sneak in a good dose of greens that even picky eaters will love! These fritters are Gluten free!
Serve these easy zucchini fritters as a tasty appetizer or side dish with a dollop of sour cream/yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
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We love all kinds of fritters and patties for a quick weeknight dinner. From our Salmon Patties, Chicken Zucchini Fritters to our Vegetarian Patties.
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Zucchinis - You’ll need two zucchinis to make these fritters. Once grated, this should make about 4 cups. There are various kinds of zucchini that you can choose from depending on where you’re located in the world or what’s available. Feel free to use what you are familiar with. I've used medium zucchini in this recipe which came out about 4 cups.
- Flour - Use gluten-free or all-purpose flour blend. Plant-based flour such as almond flour, coconut flour, or chickpea flour, will also work.
- Eggs - The eggs help to bind the ingredients so that the fritters hold shape while cooking and eating.
- Oil - Use a brand of olive oil of the highest quality to pan-fry these zucchini fritters. If you don't have olive oil, you can also use vegetable oil or avocado oil. There are some easy key factors to look into when purchasing olive oil.
- Parsley - Fresh or dried parsley will do. You can also use dill or chopped green onion or fresh cilantro.
- Vegeta - This is my favorite all-purpose seasoning. You could easily make your own seasoning blend by mixing 2 tablespoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 ½ teaspoons of dried basil, 1 ½ teaspoons of dried parsley, and 1 ½ teaspoons of dried oregano. This amount will last for multiple recipes. Here we use only about 1 teaspoon of Vegeta.
- Seasonings - vegeta already contains salt but these fritters should have enough seasoning overall and you may need to add more salt separately.
Instructions
Grate zucchini into a fine mesh strainer (unpeeled) over a large bowl, season with salt and let stand for 15-30 minutes.
Squeeze out as much water as you can (I like to wrap grated zucchini into thin linen cloth, cheese cloth, or kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid).
Transfer the zucchini into a bowl and add all the rest ingredients. Roll 8 balls, (about 1 ½ heaping tablespoon size of mixture per ball).
Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat and place each ball flattening it slightly on the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy exterior.
Transfer the healthy zucchini fritters to a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
Tips
- Before serving the crispy zucchini fritters, place them in a single layer on paper towels so that any excess grease from the frying gets absorbed.
- For uniform-sized fritter balls, use an ice cream scoop when measuring the zucchini mixture. The scoops that have squeeze levers work the best for easy removal of the fritter batter.
- If you are concerned that the fritter patties will fall apart when frying, place the rolled balls in the freezer first for about 20 minutes which should help them to keep the shape.
- Leftover zucchini fritters that have been frozen can be reheated in a skillet, toaster oven, or in an air fryer but you’ll need to keep a close watch as it’s easy to overcook them.
- Cheesy fritters! A delicious add-in that you may like to consider is freshly grated cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup).
- I like to leave the zucchini unpeeled but it is only if I have the best, new and freshest zucchini available. Younger zucchini's skin is great in flavor and not bitter and tough like some bigger and older zucchinis. But this is rather a rare occurrence.
Serving Suggestions
What do you top Zucchini Fritters with?
I like to top my fritters very simply- with sour cream, green onions, and a little red salsa or a drizzle of hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot Sauce or a tiny bit of Tabasco.
Don't forget to add lemon wedges to the serving! Freshly squeezed lemon juice on top of these fritters make one delicious combination.
If you want a more wholesome and bigger meal, serve these fritters as a part of various side dishes or together with main courses such as Gluten Free Chicken Soup With Kale and Healing Carrot Ginger Turmeric Soup (Vegan).
How Can I Prevent Soggy Zucchini Patties?
Soggy fritters are anything but enjoyable to eat. Here are some ways that you can prevent soggy zucchini fritters:
- Shred the zucchini into smaller pieces. Larger grated pieces of zucchini will naturally hold extra water which can contribute to soggy fritters. Shred the zucchini as you would potato when making hash browns.
- Once shredded, sprinkling the zucchini with salt will help to draw out excess moisture in the veggies. It’s important to let the freshly shredded zucchini sit in a fine sieve over a bowl for about 10-15 minutes so that the salt has enough of an effect and the liquid collects in the bowl below.
- Wrap the shredded zucchini in a fine cheesecloth and physically press or squeeze any excess water out.
- Make sure that you fry both sides of the fritters so that each side crisps up and turns a golden brown.
- When reheating stored fritters, avoid the microwave which will turn the fritters soggy. Rather, reheat in a skillet, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store. Once the fritters are cooked, let them cool completely and store in a food airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the oven (best results), air fryer at 400 F for 5 minutes, microwave, or in a nonstick skillet with very little oil.
Make ahead. Zucchini fritter batter is very easy to make ahead. Zucchinis can be grated 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
The zucchini corn fritters batter mixed with all the ingredients will chill beautifully in the fridge for 2-3 days and will be ready for cooking. The chilled batter makes slightly crispier fritters!
Freeze. Transfer cooked fritters to a glass container with a lid (add layers of parchment paper in between the fritters) and pop them into the freezer.
They'll be good for up to 2 months.
FAQ
Absolutely! Apart from this zucchini fritters recipe being low calorie, it's also low in carbs and can easily be enjoyed as a keto snack or side dish, especially if you used gluten-free flour.
Yes, you can. Preheat the air fryer at 350F and then place the zucchini fritters for 5 minutes, making sure that each fritter has space. Flip the zucchini pancakes over and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown.
The air fryer does a great job of achieving a crispy crust on these fritters thanks to the hot air circulated.
This really depends on personal preference. Leaving the skin on adds fiber and nutrients to these fritters and also provides an interesting contrast in color. Choose organic produce whenever possible and if not available hold the veggies in room temperature water with apple cider vinegar for 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly. You can definitely peel your zucchini before grating them if you don’t enjoy the skin.
Easy Zucchini Recipes
Easy Appetizer Recipes
For more easy gluten-free side dish recipes check out my Side Dish recipe index here.
I hope you'll enjoy this healthy zucchini fritters recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Healthy Zucchini Fritters
INGREDIENTS
- 2 zucchinis grated makes about 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour blend
- 1 medium garlic clove minced
- 2 large eggs
- Oil for cooking
- 4 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon vegeta all purpose seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grate zucchini into a fine mesh strainer (unpeeled) over a large bowl, season with salt and let stand for 15-30 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as you can (I like to wrap grated zucchini into a thin linen cloth, cheese cloth, or kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid).
- Transfer the zucchini into a bowl and add all the rest ingredients. Roll 8 balls, (about 1 ½ heaping tablespoon size of mixture per ball).
- Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat and place each ball flattening it slightly on the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy exterior.
- Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Easy and Healthy Zucchini Fritters recipe for the whole family!