Zucchini Fritters are the best appetizer and side dish to serve at any summertime event! Made with fresh zucchini, garlic, two types of cheese and more, these fritters are as flavorful as they are easy to make.
If you have any extra zucchini on hand, use it deliciously in recipes like Zucchini Tomato Soup, Zucchini Bread and Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats.
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Zucchini is a vegetable that I love sneaking onto my kids plates! It’s so easy to tuck into various recipes, like these cheesy fritters. I’d even go as far as to say that this is a kid-friendly recipe. The zucchini may be the star of the show, but you take bite after bite to really enjoy those cheesy, garlicky flavors that make these fritters so good.
Whipping up a big batch of zucchini fritters for a party is incredibly easy. From start to finish, you should be able to have these fritters on the table in just 30 minutes! You can also serve zucchini fritters as a snack or side dish as well. I’ve made zucchini fritters to go with Baked Chicken, steaks, and even seafood. Zucchini goes well with many meats.
When serving them as an appetizer or a snack, all you need is a simple dip! There are many dips and sauces you can serve with these fritters, but sour cream is the simplest one that will never disappoint. Also, try ranch dressing, Cajun remoulade, Avocado Ranch, creamy cilantro lime dressing, and cucumber raita. Basically, anything creamy and cool will be a nice balance of flavor.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini – Summer is zucchini season, so go grab yourself plenty of this fresh veggie from your local farmers market or produce section of the grocery store.
Panko – These bread crumbs help to bind the fritters. Panko is my preferred bread crumb of choice because it lends the best subtle crunch.
Cheeses – You’ll need both mozzarella and parmesan to make these cheesy zucchini fritters. Try to make sure both cheeses are fresh (not the pre-shredded bagged stuff) for the best flavor and consistency.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters
Prepare the zucchini – Grate the zucchini on a box grater, on the side with larger holes, and transfer grated zucchini into a mesh bag or cheese cloth. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Combine the ingredients – Place the squeezed zucchini into a mixing bowl and toss in the remaining ingredients. Mix well until all ingredients are fully combined.
Form the fritters – Preheat a pan over medium heat, then lower the temperature a little bit. Add oil and use an ice cream scoop to scoop out even amounts of zucchini mixture. Gently shape the fritters with your hands and place into the pan.
Cook the fritters – Cook the zucchini fritters for 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the size of the fritters. Try to only flip once so there is less chance of them breaking apart.
PRO TIP: When cooking fritters, don’t cook at too high temperature. Preheat the pan first and then cook the fritters over medium to medium-low heat. If the heat is too high, the outside will cook much faster than the inside and you will end up with an under-cooked center.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
You can store zucchini fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. I like to separate each fritter with a square of parchment paper so they don’t get stuck together.
To reheat, place them in a pan over medium heat until warmed through.
Freezing:
To freeze cooked zucchini fritters, place them on a sheet of parchment paper, on a baking sheet or a cutting board, in one layer. Freeze for about 2 hours. I recommend setting a timer so you don’t forget about it!
Once the fritters are frozen, transfer them into one or several freezer zip-lock bags. Get all the air out, seal, label and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Zucchini fritters are very easy to make gluten-free just by substituting the bread crumbs. Use gluten-free bread crumbs and preferrable ones that are similar to Panko in consistency. The 4C brand of plain gluten free bread crumbs is the one that closest resembles Panko.
This usually happens when there is too much moisture. The best way to battle this is to make sure to squeeze out the juices from grated zucchini.
Grate zucchini on a box grater, on the side with larger holes, then transfer grated zucchini into a mesh bag. You can also use cheese cloth. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can before mixing zucchini with remaining ingredients.
This happens when there is not enough binder in the mix. I like to use Panko bread crumbs, 2 eggs, and cheese as binders.
Fritters can also fall apart if they’re stuck to the pan. Make sure to use enough oil, preheat the pan, don’t flip too soon or too much, or you can use a non-stick cooking pan.
Make More of the Best Summer Recipes
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Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp canola oil for cooking
- 2 cups shredded zucchini – squeezed (2 large zucchini, around 1.5 lbs)
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Grate zucchini on a box grater, on the side with larger holes, and transfer grated zucchini into a mesh bag or cheese cloth. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Transfer squeezed zucchini into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and lower the temperature a little bit. Add oil and use an ice cream scoop (or a smaller scoop) to scoop out even amounts of zucchini mixture. Gently shape the fritters with your hands and place into the cooking pan.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the fritters. Try to only flip once so there is less chance of them breaking apart.
- Note: if cooking more than one batch of fritters at a time, you many need to add a little more oil to the pan between batches.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free Note: Absolutely! Zucchini fritters are very easy to make gluten-free just by substituting bread crumbs. Use gluten-free bread crumbs and preferably ones that resemble Panko in consistency. The 4C brand of plain bread crumbs is the one that closest resembles Panko.
- Squeeze out the zucchini: Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as you can before mixing zucchini with remaining ingredients. Too much moisture will lead so soggier fritters.
- Fritters Falling Apart? This happens when there is not enough binder in the mix. I like to use Panko bread crumbs, 2 eggs, and cheese as binders. Fritters can also fall apart if they’re stuck to the pan. Make sure to use enough oil, don’t flip too soon or too much, or you can use a non-stick cooking pan.
Melissa says
I have made this four time in a month. We all love it! I have a question about the nutritional facts, says 250 calories but no serving size. Is that per fritter?
LyubaB says
I love hearing you like it so much, Melissa! The serving size is 4 fritters so it’s 250 calories per 4 hope that helps!
Jan Wolfe says
This was delicious! I will definitely be making this recipe again. I did not have enough panko so I used crushed Ritz crackers instead.
LyubaB says
Yum! So glad you liked it, Jan!
Karen says
Want to try will add onion to this
LyubaB says
Hi Karen, I think onion would go nice with this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Pat Thompson says
The is one of the best recipes I have had in a long time! It is a real keeper and can’t wait to make them again. I would not change a thing about them. I am sure they fell short of being keto, but it was worth cheating!
LyubaB says
That’s so kind! Thank you, Pat! I am so glad you liked it!
Jo says
Love these:and my husband,who hates zucchini,loves them as well!! I added a pat of homeychive butter on top and yummy!!!
Christina says
Just prepped these for tonight’s dinner, I put a few in the air fryer to try them out and omg they are amazing. My toddlers kept asking for bites as well. I will be making them routinely if the rest of the family approves.
LyubaB says
So happy to hear you liked them, Christina! Thanks for stopping by!
Meg says
Your recipe doesn’t specify how much salt or pepper- how much is needed?
Sue says
I used yellow zuchinni and this was absolutely fabulous! Great veggie alternative for dinner. Would definately make again 🙂
Ei says
Delicious. I will be making this again very soon.
LyubaB says
Thank you, Ei! I am so happy you liked it!
Hugo A. Pozo says
Among so many websites that post recipes I found this one astonishingly good! Amazing explanation, very detailed and entertaining to read. Thank you very much for such a good job. I’m cooking this ones for today’s lunch! Greetings from Italy, Milan!
LyubaB says
Thank you so much, Milan! I hope you enjoy it!
Kathy says
Made these tonight and they were scrumptious! My husband loved them. I didn’t have Panko bread crumbs so I used Vigo Italian bread crumbs and they were still delicious. Thank you for sharing.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked them, Kathy! Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer Mckenzie says
I just made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Have you ever tried freezing them? Or has nayone who has made them tried?I have a Zucchini the size of a baseball bat, lol and was thinking I could triple the batch and freeze some.
LyubaB says
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, you can freeze these to do so you will take cooked zucchini fritters, place them on a parchment paper, on a baking sheet or a cutting board, in one layer. Freeze for about 2 hours. (I recommend setting a timer so you don’t forget about it.) Once fritters are frozen, transfer them into one or several freezer zip-lock bags. Get all the air out, seal, label and freeze for up to 2 months.