Meet your new favorite way to enjoy zucchini! (After zucchini bread and zucchini cake, of course.) These savory pan-fried zucchini fritters make for a tasty light meal or side dish. Unlike many zucchini fritter recipes that use flour or breadcrumbs to bind the shredded vegetables, my recipe uses cornmeal, which keeps the cakes gluten free. Plus, the cornmeal lends an unexpected crispiness that I haven’t found in other recipes. I use it when making zucchini sweet potato fritters, too!
More Reasons to Love These Zucchini Fritters
Quick & very easy Hot & crispy, served with refreshing garlic herb Greek yogurt sauce Bursting with flavor, thanks to fresh herbs and garlic Vegetarian, healthy, & gluten free Makes an excellent light main dish or side dish, or enjoy at breakfast instead of hash browns Sauce can be made in advance Wonderful way to enjoy a summertime bounty of zucchini
And if you still have zucchini left after making these fritters, here are all my favorite zucchini recipes—both sweet and savory. This peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread is a personal favorite!
Best Ingredients to Use & Why
Zucchini: You need about a pound of zucchini. Shred them on a box grater. Onion: You can use whatever kind of onion you prefer, but make sure to chop it really fine (unless you want large pieces of onion in your fritters, in which case, don’t listen to me—follow your heart!). Salt: For flavor, and also does the important job of drawing out moisture from the zucchini. You’ll need some pepper, too. Egg: 1 beaten egg helps bind the fritters together so they don’t fall apart. I use an extra egg when making the zucchini sweet potato fritters, and that’s because sweet potato has less moisture than zucchini. Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic, but the jarred kind or garlic powder work in a pinch. Fresh Herbs: Chopped parsley, mint, and dill give so much fresh flavor to these savory fritters. You’ll use the same herbs in the sauce. Fine Cornmeal: The cornmeal adds a wonderful, almost unexpected, crunch, and a hint of sweetness. Using cornmeal instead of flour or bread crumbs keeps these zucchini fritters gluten free. Cornstarch: Helps to thicken up the mixture, while also soaking up some liquid. Baking Powder: Provides a little lift when cooking, so the fritters aren’t super flat. Olive Oil: For cooking.
Success Tips: How to Prevent Soggy Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini is the wettest vegetable around. Close to it at least, right? Well, the moisture is great for baking zucchini muffins, chocolate zucchini bread, and chocolate zucchini cake. Not so great for fritters, though. Moisture strips these fritters of their crisp texture. They’ll be wet, gooey, and soft. So, what’s the solution? Get as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible, just like when we make zucchini biscuits. This is what I recommend doing with pumpkin puree when making pumpkin oatmeal cookies, too! Removing so much moisture reduces the volume of vegetables, and that’s ok. Mix with the remaining ingredients, and measure 2 Tablespoons (1/8 cup) per fritter. Do you have an 1/8 cup measuring cup in your collection? It’s incredibly useful. Wrap it all up in a paper towel-lined bowl (or use a clean kitchen towel, or cheesecloth), lift it out, and begin squeezing over the sink. You will be amazed how much moisture you draw out. Use additional paper towels if needed. Another trick for keeping your fritters crisp? Pan-fry in a little olive oil until they are golden brown on both sides. You only need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. That’s plenty. I cook these for about 3 minutes on each side.
Creamy Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Like my recipe for easy corn fritters, I like to whisk up a quick and easy sauce/dip to serve alongside these crispy zucchini fritters. It’s the same sauce I serve with zucchini sweet potato fritters… because it’s cool, creamy, and absolutely delicious. I add dill to today’s version. It would be great with quinoa patties, too. Don’t forget dessert! Here are 40 favorite gluten free dessert recipes that everyone always enjoys. Whisk everything together and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
