Zucchini fritters are a popular summer treat that turns grated zucchini into a delicious, crispy side dish. Whether you’re an experienced home cook or a beginner, this easy recipe will have you creating delicious homestyle fritters in no time.

Zucchini Fritters Recipe

If you grow zucchini in your garden, you know how wonderfully prolific it can be. Fortunately, zucchini and other summer squash have a mild flavor and can be used in so many different recipes. They can be used in baked goods such as cookies, cakes, and breads. They can be sauteed for a an easy side dish. They can also be used to replace pasta to make zucchini lasagna and other pasta dishes.

Plus when you make zucchini fritters, you can easily use up those huge zucchini that seem to appear overnight in the garden. Combine the shredded zucchini with a simple batter and cook them on the stovetop. 

These are so versatile and can be used as a hashbrown replacement for breakfast, a light lunch, a dinner side, or even a snack for hungry children and teenagers. Even the zucchini haters in my family like zucchini fritters. 

Ingredients for Crispy Zucchini Fritters

One of the great things about zucchini fritters is that just just use regular pantry ingredients. 

• Zucchini or other summer squash – I use whatever summer squash I have available, although that is usually zucchini. You’ll need enough to make 6 cups of  zucchini, which is about 2 large zucchini or 5 medium zucchini. This is a very forgiving recipe so the zucchini amount doesn’t need to be exact.
• Onion – I really like white onions in this recipe, but I don’t always have them, so I’ll use chives or green onions which I always have in the garden. 
• Eggs
• Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour in this recipe, but I have used freshly ground whole wheat flour and it turns out equally good. For a gluten-free option, try almond flour or chickpea flour. 
• Oil – Use whatever oil your family likes for pan frying. I usually use avocado oil, but I’ve used olive oil, tallow and coconut oil will equal success. 
• Salt and pepper – I just use salt and black pepper in my zucchini fritter recipe. You can certainly add other fresh herbs and spices such as fresh dill, onion powder (if you don’t have fresh onions), red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper. 

How to Make Zucchini Fritters

• Use the large holes of a box grater or food processor to grate fresh zucchini.
• Put grated zucchini in a colander set inside a large bowl. 
• Salt the zucchini to help it release some moisture.
• Let the mixture rest for 1/2 hour. 
• Squeeze out excess water and put the squeezed zucchini in a mixing bowl. You can use your hands, cheese cloth, or loosely woven clean kitchen towel. 
•  Add onion, eggs, flour, and black pepper to the zucchini and mix well.

How to Cook Fritters

• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Drop the zucchini mixture by the spoonful into the hot skillet and fry. Be sure not to over crowd the skillet to avoid soggy fritters. 
• Flipping when they are halfway done, after about 4-5 minutes. 
• Remove the cooked zucchini fritters and put them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. This will help keep them from getting soggy while you cook the rest. 
• You may need to add extra oil to the pan to cool more batches. 
• Enjoy with a dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt,  ketchup, bar-b-q sauce, tzatziki or ranch dressing. 

For the full recipe, see the printable recipe card below.

Serving Suggestions

Zucchini fritters are best served hot and fresh! You can serve them as an appetizer with a side of tzatziki sauce or as a main course with a green salad. They also make for a fantastic addition to any brunch spread or a tasty accompaniment to grilled meats or seafood.

​Storing Fritters

Zucchini fritters are best served right after cooking. That being said, this recipe makes a large batch of fritters, which is great since we always like leftovers. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you aren’t cooking for a crowd.

Leftover fritters should be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag and can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months – although we’ve never had them last that long! 

To reheat, heat in the oven at 350F, use a skillet on the stove-top, or the microwave. 

Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. We always appreciate your feedback. You can also save the recipe for later by pinning it or clicking on the heart in the lower right hand corner.

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Yield: 12 patties

Zucchini Fritters (fried zucchini patties)

Print

These zucchini fritters are full of protein and vegetable power...and they use up a lot of zucchini. Not only are they healthy they're also super tasty.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups grated zucchini and/or yellow squash
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (for salting shredded zucchini)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Grate the zucchini or summer squash using a box grater or food processor.
2. Put grated zucchini in a colander set inside a large bowl.
3. Salt the zucchini to help it release some moisture.
4. Let the mixture rest for 1/2 hour.
5. Squeeze out excess water and put the squeezed zucchini in different bowl. You can use your hands, cheese cloth, or loosely woven clean kitchen towel.
6. Add the onion, eggs, flour, and black pepper to the zucchini and mix well
7. Pour a small amount of oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is evenly heated, turn the stove down to medium heat.
8. Using a large spoon, drop the zucchini mixture by the spoonful into the hot oil and fry. You'll want to gently press each fritter down with the spoon to flatten them just a little bit. Be sure not to over crowd the skillet to avoid soggy fritters.
9. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes, or until each side is golden brown.
10. Remove the cooked zucchini patties and put them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. This will help keep them from getting soggy while you cook the second batch.
    Enjoy with sour cream, Greek yogurt, ketchup, bar-b-q sauce, tzatziki, ranch dressing or or other dipping sauce.

Recommended Products

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  ExcelSteel Heavy Duty Handles and Self-draining Solid Ring Base Stainless Steel Colander, 5 Qt

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What are zucchini fritters? Zucchini fritters are a combination of grated zucchini and a simple batter that is fried, similar to corn fritters, potato pancakes, or tuna patties. 

Can I bake zucchini fritters in the oven? Yes, you can. But in order to get crispy fritters, you’ll need to spray the pan with oil AND spray the tops of the uncooked zucchini fritters with oil. I’ve never been able to get them as crispy as I can on the stove, though.

Can I make gluten-free zucchini fritters? Yes, just substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour, almond flour, or chickpea flour.

Can I use bread crumbs instead of flour? Yes. I’ve never done that so I can’t give you an amount for this recipe, you’ll just need to try it and see what happens. 

​Why are my zucchini fritters soggy? There could be several reasons that zucchini fritters are soggy, however, the most likely reason is that they weren’t cooked long enough. Every stove cooks a little differently, so be sure that the outside is fully cooked and crispy before removing it from the skillet. If you baked them and they just aren’t crisping up, you can put them in a hot skillet with a little oil to crisp the outside. It could also be that too much water was left in the zucchini and that excess moisture will cause sogginess. The salted zucchini needs to drained as much as possible.

Can I use frozen zucchini to make fritters? Absolutely! In fact, you’ll be able to skip the salting step since the excess liquid will be released when the zucchini thaws out. Thaw frozen zucchini in a colander set inside a large bowl. Once it’s fully thawed, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and make according to the direction in the recipe card. You’ll want to add a little salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) to the recipe since the grated zucchini isn’t salted. 

​More Zucchini Recipes

There is so much you can do with zucchini and I’ve gathered the best zucchini recipes from around the internet to help you use up the zucchini surplus. Goodies such as chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini fries, zucchini cake, and even some canned recipes. You can find all of those and more in The Best Zucchini Recipes article.

Thanks for sharing with your friends!