Zucchini Sweet Potato Fritters

Have you ever had zucchini fritters before? Before I published that zucchini-only recipe, I made fritters with a combination of zucchini and sweet potato. Today’s version has a slightly sweet flavor, and a very satisfying dense-but-still tender texture from the sweet potato. The combination of potato and lighter zucchini makes a delicious savory cake you can enjoy any time of day.

Here’s Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Sweet Potato Fritters

Golden brown & crisp right off the stove Recipe uses real, fresh ingredients Excellent main or side dish, or with breakfast instead of hash browns Vegetarian & naturally gluten free Tasty on their own, but even better with creamy & refreshing Greek yogurt sauce Freeze & reheat easily

You need a lot of the same ingredients as my regular zucchini fritters. Grab a sweet potato, peel, then shred it exactly like you shred zucchini. I use a box grater.

Get Out All the Moisture

The most important step in this recipe is to take the time to squeeze as much moisture out of your vegetables as possible. If your zucchini and sweet potato are mushy and wet when you add them to the other fritter ingredients, your cooked fritters will be… you guessed it… also mushy and wet. Zucchini is a very wet vegetable, which makes it excellent for sneaking into baked goods like zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, and zucchini cake! But that liquid is not so great for fritters (or zucchini casserole and zucchini biscuits). Why? Moisture strips the fritters of their crisp texture. Sweet potatoes aren’t as wet but you’ll be surprised how much liquid you can wring out! Mix the shredded vegetables with the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. The salt helps to draw the water out. 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. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Mix your wringed-out vegetable mixture with the rest of the fritter ingredients including beaten eggs and herbs, salt, pepper, cornmeal and cornstarch. The cornmeal adds a wonderful, almost unexpected, crunch. The cornstarch helps to thicken the mixture up while also soaking up some liquid. The two also keep these zucchini sweet potato fritters gluten free.

Cooking the Zucchini Sweet Potato Fritters

Similar to coconut shrimp, the fritters cook in oil on the stove. I use olive oil, an ingredient you’ll also use in the yogurt sauce. Measure about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture, and place each in the hot oil. Flatten each with a spatula, and then cook for about 3 minutes on each side: I usually cook these in a large cast iron skillet. Success Tip: Liquid will pool in the bottom of the bowl as you scoop out the zucchini and sweet potato mixture. Make sure you use a fork when scooping up small piles to form the fritters. You don’t want that liquid in the skillet.

Cool & Creamy Yogurt Sauce

You’ll want to use this herbed yogurt sauce on just about everything. Hinted with lemon, barely sweetened with honey, and filled with fresh parsley and mint, the cold sauce tastes incredible with the hot fritters. It’s also fantastic with baked chicken meatballs, bacon wrapped cheesy stuffed jalapeños, and sausage stuffed peppers. You can make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days before using. You could also try the lime-hinted jalapeño yogurt dip served with these corn fritters. Never underestimate a good sauce! You’re going to love these, especially the extra substance and flavor that the sweet potato brings. I like to serve with a green salad, cornbread or cornbread muffins, and/or grilled chicken. And if you find yourself with even more zucchini to use after making these fritters, here is a full roundup of all my favorite zucchini recipes. I’m sure you’ll find several more to love!