These Easy Zucchini Fritters are a great way to use up all that summer zucchini! It’s such an easy recipe that makes for the perfect side to grilled meat, or a simple finger food lunch for the kids!
Zucchini Fritters are one of my kids’ favorite summer dishes, and I love them too because they’re so quick to whip up.
We grow zucchini in our garden every year, and this year is the first time we actually managed to harvest some! The overload I have to work with usually comes from my neighbor’s garden though – and I always love turning it into fritters, Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies or Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries… All of the zucchini things!
The other day I was making a quadruple batch of these zucchini fritters with another huge zucchini she kindly donated to us (aka she needed to get rid of it, haha!), and I realized I never shared my recipe here on the blog. So I decided to make another batch, take photos – and here it is.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Zucchini: If you have some of those huge, overgrown garden zucchini, please scrape out the seedy part before shredding to make fritters. Otherwise, the mix will come out too loose.
- Cheese: I love the fritters with parmesan or cheddar cheese, but pretty much all shreddable cheeses can work . Some readers have successfully made them with mozzarella, too.
- Olive oil: This is just my personal preference for oil. Feel free to use a different cooking oil like Canola for example.
- Chives: Feel free to switch up the herbs you add. Thyme or parsley are very delicious, too!
How to make Zucchini Fritters
This is a walk-through of the recipe with step photos. Skip to the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact times and temperatures.
1. Shred the zucchini on a coarse grater and place it in a colander with salt to drain out extra moisture. After 10 minutes, transfer the zucchini to a clean tea towel and squeeze well to remove any excess moisture.
2. To make the batter, place eggs, shredded cheese, chopped chives, flour, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Finish the batter: Stir the drained zucchini into the bowl with the egg and flour until well combined.
4. Cook the fritters: Heat oil in a skillet, then drop the batter into the hot pan by tablespoons. Don’t overcrowd the pan or they’ll get soggy! Slightly flatten and spread out with the back of the spoon and pan-fry until golden, then flip and finish cooking on the other side.
5. Serve the fritters hot with sour cream for dipping. They’re only crispy hot out of the pan, so they’ll soften if you serve them at room temperature, but they’re still very delicious!
Recipe tips
- do not skip draining excess water from the shredded zucchini, or your fritters will get soggy and watery during cooking
- season the fritters to your taste – I make them very mild because I have little kids, but feel free to add some heat with chili flakes or a little zestiness with lemon
- don’t cook too many fritters at once (unless you have a large griddle – lucky you!), they don’t crisp up and brown nicely if the pan is overcrowded
Recipe FAQs
To shred zucchini, first wash the zucchini and trim one end – use the other end to hold the zucchini while grating for minimum food waste! There is no need to peel the zucchini.
Shred it on a a coarse grater – I love my microplane box grater because it makes a quick and easy job of shredding pretty much anything.
To get rid of all extra moisture, place the zucchini in a colander and toss it with salt (don’t worry, it will not be salty, that’s just to draw out the water) and let it stand in the sink for 10 minutes.
Then place the zucchini in the middle of a clean tea towel and gather up the sides. Squeeze the zucchini over the sink until all extra water has been squeezed out. Now it’s ready to use!
See which box grater I have here on Amazon! (This is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through.)
Freezer instructions
Zucchini fritters are great to make ahead and can easily be frozen.
Flash-freeze the fritters once they’re at room temperature by placing them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for a few hours or until solid.
Transfer to a freezer bag, label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months) and place in the freezer.
To reheat, place the frozen fritters on a lined baking sheet in a 325 oven until piping hot all the way through.
Serving ideas
We love these Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken or a grilled marinated steak (air fryer steak is my latest love!) for dinner, or with a Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad or a Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad as an easy lunch.
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Easy Zucchini Fritters
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini coarsely shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ⅓ cup shredded cheese Cheddar or Parmesan are our favorites
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives plus more to serve
- salt & pepper to taste
- olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare zucchini: Place zucchini in a colander and toss with ½ teaspoon salt. Let stand in sink for 10 minutes, then transfer to a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Make batter: Combine flour, eggs, cheese, chives, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Add zucchini and stir well.
- Cook: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls, flattening with back of spoon. Fry, about 2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Zucchini: If you have some of those huge, overgrown garden zucchini, please scrape out the seedy part before shredding to make fritters. Otherwise, the mix will come out too loose.
- Cheese: I love the fritters with parmesan or cheddar cheese, but pretty much all shreddable cheeses can work . Some readers have successfully made them with mozzarella, too.
- Olive oil: This is just my personal preference for oil. Feel free to use a different cooking oil like Canola for example.
- Chives: Feel free to switch up the herbs you add. Thyme or parsley are very delicious, too!
Recipe tips
- do not skip draining excess water from the shredded zucchini, or your fritters will get soggy and watery during cooking
- season the fritters to your taste – I make them very mild because I have little kids, but feel free to add some heat with chili flakes or a little zestiness with lemon
- don’t cook too many fritters at once (unless you have a large griddle – lucky you!), they don’t crisp up and brown nicely if the pan is overcrowded
Freezer instructions
Flash-freeze the fritters once they’re at room temperature by placing them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for a few hours or until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag, label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months) and place in the freezer. To reheat, place the frozen fritters on a lined baking sheet in a 325 oven until piping hot all the way through.Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 07/25/2019. Updated with better text and step by step photos on 03/23/2021. The recipe has not changed.
Sue says
used mozzarella, chopped garlic, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper and fried up in small amounts of olive oil. will make again and again! the best healthier snack.
Nora says
That sounds delicious, Sue!
Marcia Neves says
Yum! I added granulated garlic, a Tbsp of corn starch, a medium shredded onion in place of the scallion, panko bread crumbs and parm Romano cheese! In other words, I used this recipe as a base and modified to my liking!
Hope says
So easy. Great recipe. I added 1 clove of garlic as well and they were still yummy.
Charles W. says
I have to say that the Zucchini Fritters were a big hit in my house. Not one was left and everyone was asking for more. They were light and wonderful and they paired well with Ranch Dressing. Thank you for your amazing recipe.
Pam Nagy says
Just made these…very good…will make again!
Maggie Akins says
Made & loved!
Lisa says
easy recipe and very good
David M says
Very good recipe!
Instead of frying I baked the fritters. I sprayed the foiled pan with olive oil at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. I flipped them half way through cooking.
Maria says
How did they turn out after baking? Were they crispy enough or were they soft?
W C says
I wanted smaller batch so I split recipe. I liked it though I think I will add some garlic & a different cheese & make some kind of dipping sauce,since I am not a sour cream lover.
It is a Great Recipe to make to your liking. Thanks for sharing.
Nora says
Those sound like some great suggestions, thank you for sharing!
Maryanne says
Great recipe I just added some cornstarch to make it a bit crispy and some garlic cloves and feta . Served it with my own tzatziki made with yogurt dill lemon shedded cuke and salt pepper. A perfect make ahead appetizer.
Nora says
That sounds so delicious, Maryanne – thanks for sharing!
Jamie says
I followed the recipe exactly the first time I made these and loved them. My husband wanted more flavor without having to dip them into something. I adjusted the recipe by adding 1 tosp minced garlic, half flour and half Italian bread crumbs and used pepperjack cheese. He was thrilled. These are now regular staple in the freezer. They are perfect for snacking, breakfast or anytime you feel like something light.
Thank you for the great ideas.
Nora says
Thank you for sharing your changes, Jamie – sounds delicious!
Fred says
Leftovers heat well in an air fryer.
Nora says
Thanks for your tip, Fred!
Jenna says
This was utterly fantastic. Even the zucchini haters in my home couldnt get enough of these!
Nora says
That’s so great to hear, Jenna!
FresnoGal says
We loved them but what are servings as a dip for them? I used Creme Fraiche and then with a little yogurt with cilantro which was okay. Then tried sour cream still want something with a little more zing or different.
Nora says
Sour cream seasoned with lemon juice, freshly chopped herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper is my go to!
Kimmie says
Can these be done in an air fryer?
Nora says
Kimmie, the batter is like thicker pancake batter and I’m pretty sure it would run straight through an air fryer basket.
Sharon says
These are delicious and so easy to make. I just made a big batch to freeze with the last of the zucchini from our garden so we can enjoy them for weeks to come. Thanks for the great recipe!
Nora says
Thanks for making them, Sharon!
Allison says
These are absolutely delicious! I have tried zucchini fritters before without much success but these were wonderful. I did add some shredded carrot for a little more texture but followed the recipe otherwise. I did half cheddar and half parmesan. Oh, and green onions from the garden in place of chives. They will be a summer tradition when we have lots of zucchini! Honestly, I ate 5-6 fritters by myself while still frying the others, sooo yummy!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Allison! And thanks for sharing your exact additions, sounds wonderful!
Lily says
Easy and Tasty! Thanks!
Nora says
I’m glad to hear it, Lily!
KJ says
These were a huge hit with my family tonight, even the ones who tend not to like zucchini very much. Even my super picky husband went back for seconds! Will definitely be making again. Served with herb grilled chicken and Greek salad it perfect for a hot summer night
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear this, KJ! Sounds like the perfect summer meal to me.
Erica says
These were so so so good! 16 month old and meat/potato husband approved! I didn’t have enough zucchini so I added shredded carrots. Used a dipping sauce of light sour cream mixed with hot sauce to taste, drizzled in water to make a dripping sauce. Amazing!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Erica!